No. 6 Saint Louis (6-5) vs. No. 10 Punahou (4-6)
Nice crowd here at Patsy Mink Central Oahu Regional Park in Waipio for another key ILH matchup. The race is so tight that virtually every game is key.
First inning
Both pitchers escaped with relatively little damage done in the first. The Crusaders got a run-scoring, opposite-field double by Ryder Kuhns, but stranded runners at third and second.
The Buffanblu had runners at the corners with no outs against Crusaders ace Pono Anderson, but came up empty. STL 1, PUN 0.
Second inning
Punahou starter Kekoa Viera sets Saint Louis down in order.
The Crusaders commit an infield error in the bottom of the frame, but Anderson gets out of it with a 4-6-3 double play.
Third inning
Viera fans Torres to start the inning, but Taylor Meilleur singles, Travis Tanaka doubles and Kuhns gets to first on an intentional walk to load the bases. Brendan Uchima then clubs a 2-2 fastball to right center, scoring all three baserunners. Viera gets the last two outs on popups. STL 4, PUN 0.
The Buffanblu get their first run of the game. Jantzen Tamanaha socks a two-out double to center and scores on Easton Takamoto’s opposite-field blast to the right-field fence for a triple. STL 4, PUN 1.
Fourth inning
The Crusaders get a single run in the top of the fourth. D.J. Stephens leads off with a single to center and scores on a double to center by Taylor Meilleur. STL 5, PUN 1
Anderson walks Logan Williams with one out and Cole Cabrera follows with a single to center. The CF fields the ball and trips over the LF, and both runners advance. Matthew Nakamoto follows with a single to right, scoring Williams. STL 5, PUN 2.
Andrew Matsueda’s sac fly to right brings Cabrera home. STL 5, PUN 3.
Fifth inning
Riley Guieb takes over on the mound for Punahou and stifles the Crusaders with a big 12-6 curve ball. Saint Louis gets a runner on via infield error, but gets no further.
Tamanaha leads off the bottom of the inning with a blast to straightaway center on Anderson’s first pitch for a triple. After Takamoto reaches base on a dropped pop fly, Goss’ sac fly to left brings Tamanaha home. STL 5, PUN 4.
Williams later singles to center to bring Takamoto home. TIE, PUN 5, STL 5.
Sixth inning
A lot of action in this frame. The Crusaders score three times against Guieb. Tanaka’s bases-loaded single brings Mana Manago home. STL 6, PUN 5.
Kuhns follows with a single to left, scoring Torres and Meilleur. STL 8, PUN 5.
Punahou scores twice in the bottom half against Saint Louis reliever Dawson Yamaguchi. Nakamoto led off with a walk and was still there with two outs when Tamanaha drilled a double to left — misread by the LF — scoring Nakamoto. STL 8. PUN 6.
Takamoto singled to center, scoring Tamanaha. STL 8, PUN 7.
Seventh inning
Anderson doubles, but is stranded at third as the Crusaders cling to their lead.
Punahou gets a leadoff walk by Yamaguchi, who makes his way to third after a sac bunt and a groundout. Yamaguchi then strikes out Matsueda after a long at-bat on a called third strike — curveball — to end the game.
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