Thursday, May 9, 12:13 p.m.
WAILUKU — Posted updates on Facebook yesterday during the opening round from here (Iron Maehara Stadium). Should’ve been posting here first. So here goes with Day 2, quarterfinal round, on a sunny, beautiful day on Maui.
Hilo 2, Kailua 0, bottom 4th. The BIIF champions scored twice in the third inning on a two-run triple by Jodd Carter. Until the third, Kailua pitcher Brysen Ah Sam was in command with four strikeouts in the first two innings. Hilo’s Kian Kurokawa has been almost masterful. He retired the first nine batters with great efficiency, just 28 pitches in the first three innings. He gave up a walk and a single in the fourth, but got Ah Sam to ground into a 6-4-3 double play.
Hilo’s defense, with Micah Kaaukai at shortstop, looks impeccable.
Update: 12:51 p.m. Kurokawa got out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the sixth, getting Kahhaku Iaea on a groundout. But it wasn’t a typical grounder. It was a slow hopping ball into the hole at short, and again, Kaaukai gunned it from deep in the hole. That guy is LEGIT.
Update: 1:23 p.m. Hilo added an insurance run in the sixth when Drew Kell doubled and Kaaukai singled him home.
Kailua got two runners in scoring position in the top of the seventh, but Kurokawa retired the last two batters for the win. Hilo will play the Mililani-Baldwin winner on Friday.
Update 2:01 p.m. Word is Kodi Medeiros is a late scratch for Waiakea, which just started its game with No. 2 seed Mid-Pacific. They wanted him to pitch today, but apparently, he is a no go. His arm could be still rusty and/or in pain after he went almost the whole season without pitching. He was a huge factor in Waiakea’s run to the state title last year.
If he is a scratch, freshman Caleb Freitas-Fields might be the pitcher today. What a spot that would be for the freshman.
Update 2:37 p.m. MPI scored in the bottom of the first on a sacrifice fly by Daniel Fentriss, bringing home Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who led off with a double.
Game is now in the top of the third and MPI has scored again. Marcus Doi’s fielder’s choice grounder brought Kiner-Falefa home for a 2-0 lead.
Update 3:21 p.m. Bryce Asao’s single to left brought Marcus Doi home from second for a 3-0 MPI lead.
Waiakea reached Saito for a run in the fourth on a sac fly by Bryce Felipe, scoring courtesy runner Tyler Aburamen.
MPI scored twice in the bottom of the fourth against Freitas-Fields. Kiner-Falefa’s two-out single scored Cameron Igarashi, and later Daniel Fentriss walked with the bases loaded to score Kiner-Falefa from third for a 5-1 lead.
Update 5:02 p.m. Final score – MPI 5, Waiakea 1.
Right now, Campbell leads Maui 4-0 in the top of the third inning. Sabers scored four unearned runs in the bottom of the first thanks to three Maui errors. Maui has four total errors so far.
Update 5:55 p.m. Maui finally scores, gettting a sac fly from Dustin Kokubun to score Jacob Tiu in the top of the fifth.
Currently, in the sixth, Campbell pitcher Jasten Smeigh has departed after pitching 5 2/3 solid innings. Two runners are on for Maui and Kila Kapihe is now on the mound with Campbell up 4-1.
Update 6:53 p.m. Campbell added a final run in the sixth off another error (this one by shortstop Mark Karaviotis). Final score: Campbell 5, Maui 1. Maui finished the game with six errors.
Top seed Baldwin set to play Mililani in a few minutes.
Update 8:05 p.m. Top-seeded Baldwin took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on Makana Victorine’s infield single, which scored Noah Apolo.
We’re in the bottom of the fourth now and Mililani has scored two unearned runs with two outs on back-to-back bases-loaded walks by Baldwin’s Joshua Nobriga, who was somewhat of a surprise starter. Anoai Moe-Keahi, took over and retired Landon Ogomori on a pop fly to end the inning.
Update 8:59 p.m. One run in the fifth and two more in the sixth for Mililani, and it’s over. The Trojans stun No. 1 seed Baldwin 5-1. Hironaka goes the distance with a four-hitter, two strikeouts and one walk. He pitched the game of his life.
Update 9:34 p.m. It was just surreal to see the top seed struggle to make contact at the plate, but Hironaka was in a groove, throwing the slider to set up his fastball. Baldwin had no solution. Hironaka never even got tired or had a normal lull like most good pitchers. Iron Maehara Stadium was a quiet place by mid-game, then became a gloomy place at the end. Both MIL teams, Maui and Baldwin, are out of the tourney, which means this stadium will not be as frenzied as it would’ve been.
But of all the teams and players to step up and prove themselves against the state’s best, Mililani is right there. Baldwin, which finished with four base hits, just was not. That means three of the four semifinal teams are from Oahu. Hilo is the last remaining neighbor island team alive.
—Paul Honda
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