Division I final: Mililani vs. Saint Louis
Mililani (12-6) vs. Saint Louis (17-6)
Pono Anderson gets the start for Saint Louis as the Crusaders seek the program’s first state championship since 1974. Mililani will go after its first title with Cole Nakachi on the mound. Both started first-round games on Tuesday. Anderson closed out Saint Louis’ win over Campbell with an inning of relief on Thursday. Here we go …
Inning 1
MIL: Kaimana Souza-Paaluhi has been a tough out in the tournament but Anderson gets him to ground to second to open the game. Jarrin Morikawa follows with a single to right, but stays at first as Anderson gets out of the inning with a fly out to center and a ground out to third.
STL: After a groundout, Jordan Mopas continues his state tournament tear with his fourth double of the week. Jacob Gribbin lines a single to center and Mopas holds at third. Ryder Kuhns drills a single up the middle to drive in Mopas with the game’s first run. Mound visit for Mililani. Jordan Yamamoto singles to center for Saint Louis’ fourth straight hit. With the bases loaded, Mililani 1B Ty Desa makes a nice stop on Devan Stubblefield’s grounder and throws home for the force out. Brendan Uchima draws a five-pitch walk to force in Kuhns. Tanner Antiburcio follows with a single through the left side to score Yamamoto and Stubblefield and it’s 4-0 Saint Louis. Both runners advance when the throw home goes to the backstop. Mililani finally gets out of the first when Devin Awai makes a sliding catch in left field. 4 runs, 5 hits, 2 LOB.
Saint Louis 4, Mililani 0
Inning 2
MIL: Kellen Otsu draws a two-out walk and Desa singles to center. But Anderson gets a grounder to shortstop to end the inning.
STL: Pitching change for Mililani as LHP Koa Eastlack takes over for Nakachi. Saint Louis back to the top of the order and Rayson Romero reaches on an error at shortstop. Mopas stays hot with a line single to left center. After Gribbin bunts the runners over, Desa retreats to catch Kuhns’ flare over first base for the second out and Eastlack gets out of the inning with a grounder to third.
Saint Louis 4, Mililani 0
Inning 3
MIL: Top of the order for the Trojans and Anderson needs just seven pitches to retire Mililani. Pop fly to shortstop, grounder to third, grounder to second.
STL: Uchima and Atiburcio deliver sharp singles with one out. After a strikeout, Romero singles to left to load the bases but Eastlack escapes with a fly out to center. Seven runners left on base for the Crusaders so far.
Saint Louis 4, Mililani 0
Inning 4
MIL: Sean Sonognini reaches on an error but Romero fields a grounder at shortstop and hustles to the bag to start a 6-3 double play. Stubblefield goes into left center to catch a fly ball for the third out.
STL: Gribbin’s liner into right-center goes to the fence for a leadoff triple. After Yamamoto draws a walk with one out, Stubblefield drives in Gribbin with a single through the right side. Sonognini throws Stubblefield out at second on a steal attempt for the second out. Mililani 2B Jarrin Morikawa ranges to his right to make a fine play on Brendan Uchima’s grounder. 1 run, 2 hits, 1 LOB.
Saint Louis 5, Mililani 0
Inning 5
MIL: Another quick inning for Anderson. He’s thrown 20 pitches over the last three innings.
STL: Atiburcio leads off with his third single of the game. Pinch-hitter Jacob White loops a single over first base for Saint Louis’ 13th hit. Romero singles up the middle to load the bases and Mililani goes to the bullpen. Micah Chinen, who earned a CG win against Mid-Pacific on Wednesday, now on the mound. Mopas walks to score Atiburcio. Mililani SS Justice Nakagawa fields a chopper and throws home for the first out. Kuhns drops a double into right field to score Romero and Mopas and it’s 8-0 with runners on second and third.
Yamamoto’s drive gets over the left fielder and goes to the fence, both runners score and Saint Louis wins the Division I state championship 10-0 in five innings.
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Here we go. Sky is blue, trades 5-15 mph and it’s time to play ball at beautiful Les Murakami Stadium. HHSAA provided a nice twist, getting head shots of all the players and posting them up on the brand-new scoreboard. Big head shots make moms and dads super happy.
Wally Yonamine Foundation/HHSAA Baseball State Championships
Division II final: defending state champion Maryknoll vs. Kamehameha-Hawaii. Start time was 4 p.m., but with the intros (for TV), it’s actually going to be 4:12.
Maryknoll (17-3) vs. Kamehameha-Hawaii (14-1-1)
This is a rematch of last year’s D-II state final.
Inning 1
MS: Leadoff batter Trevor Hirano walks, gets forced out at second on a Michael Nishiki grounder. After Jedd Andrade flies out to center, Justin Ushio walks. With two runners on base, Joshua Muneno, the Spartans’ starting pitcher, grounds out to second. No runs, no hits, no errors, two left on base. MS 0, KSH coming up to bat.
KSH: Chay Toson, KSH’s starting pitcher, leads off with a groundout to first. Matt Chun grounds out to short and Makoa Rosario’s fly ball to deep center is caught just short of the warning track. No runs, no hits, no errors, none left on. MS 0, KSH 0.
Inning 2
MS: Jason Nakamura grounds out to short, great stretch by the 1B to make the play work. Neal Nakasone grounds out to second and Phillip Aylward lines out to second. Three up, three down. MS 0, KSH 0.
KSH: Jordan Hirae leads off with a walk, but Kobi Candaroma’s try at a sac bunt turns into a 1-6 forceout at second. Daylan Calicdan then lines a shot at third, which is caught by 3B Aylward, who fires to first to double off Candaroma. No runs, no hits, no errors, none left on base. MS 0, KSH 0.
Inning 3
MS: Brent Hironaga leads off with a single to center, moves up to second a one-out single by Nishiki. Andrade’s walk loads the bases. Ushio follows with a line drive that the SS leaps at. It glances off his glove into center field for a single, scoring Hironaga from third. MS 1, KSH 0. Muneno hits into a 1-3 forceout for the second out and Nakamura flies out to center, ending the inning. One run, three hits, no errors, three left on base. MS 1, KSH 0.
KSH: Micah Carter singles to left, but Kevin Davis’ grounder up the middle to stopped by the SS, Hirano, who steps on second base and fires to first for a 6-3 double play. Alika Young’s grounder to short ends the inning. No runs, one hit, no errors, nobody left on base. MS 1, KSH 0.
Inning 4
MS: Toson walks the first three Spartans, spelling the end of his stint. Nakasone leads off with a walk, but is picked off. Aylward walks and Hironaga walks, as well. New pitcher Hirae, who moves over from second base, singles to center, loading the bases. Nishiki then lines a single to right, scoring Aylaward and Hironaga. MS 3, KSH 0. Ushio then grounds into a 1-2-3 double play to end the frame. Two runs, three hits, no errors, two left on base. MS 3, KSH 0.
KSH: Toson leads off with a walk and advances to second on a sac bunt by Chun. After a passed ball, Toson is on third base, but Rosario flies out to short right and Hirae grounds out to short. No runs, no hits, no errors, one left on base. MS 3, KSH 0.
Inning 5
MS: Muneno grounds to second. Nakamura flies out to left. Nakasone grounds to first. Three up, three down. MS 3, KSH 0.
KSH: Muneno keeps rolling. Candaroma grounds to third. Calicdan grounds to second. Carter grounds to Muneno. Three up, three down. MS 3, KSH 0.
Inning 6
MS: Aylward flies to center. Hironaga grounds to second. Hirano grounds to first. Three up, three down. Hirae has retired seven in a row in relief. MS 3, KSH 0.
KSH: Davis flies to left. Young grounds to third. Toson grounds to second. Muneno needs just seven pitches, the lowest of any inning, to retire the side in order. He’s thrown 75 pitches in six innings, retiring the last 10 Warriors. MS 3, KSH 0.
Inning 7
MS: Nishiki is hit by pitch. Courtesy runner Kyle Abe later scores on a bases-loaded fielder’s choice grounder by Muneno. MS 4, KSH 0.
KSH: Chun grounds out to short. Rosario pops out to short. Hirae’s ground ball to second turns into a throwing error by 2B Ushio, Maryknoll’s first miscue of the tournament. Candaroma flies out to center, ending the game. No runs, no hits, one error, one left on base.
FINAL: Maryknoll 4, Kamehameha-Hawaii 0.
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