Maryknoll leads ILH Division II with a 9-1 record. Pac-Five is in third place at 5-4.
First inning
The visiting Spartans load the bases, but come up empty in the top of the frame. Saints’ third baseman Micah Teal turns textbook 5-3 double play to get starting pitcher Jarred Yara out of trouble.
Bottom of the inning, Sean Fernandez leads off with a single to left, advances to second on a sac bunt and scores on Royce Torres’ hard grounder over the third-base bag to the corner. Torres’ double brings home the game’s first run against lefty Derrick Kurihara. STF 1, MS 0.
Second inning
Both pitchers have settled in a bit. Yara hit a batter with two outs, but otherwise was in control in the top of the frame.
The Saints threatened again, but left two runners (single, walk) on base.
Third inning
Two errors by the Saints — they now have three for the game — aren’t enough to help the Spartans score. Yara fans the last two batters to get out of a potential jam.
Darrin Miyamoto takes the mound, replacing Kurihara, and sets the Saints down in order.
Fourth inning
Yara in a groove, sets the Spartans down in order.
The Saints get a one-out double by Ian Phillips when the CF dives for a shallow blooper. Teal draws a two-out walk, but Isaac Crichton grounds out to end the inning.
Fifth inning
The Spartans take the lead with two runs in the top of the frame. Jarin Kobashigawa, who walked with one out, advanced two bases on a wild pitch and scored on Kyle Abe’s single to center. Abe later scored on Ryan Straumbaugh’s sac fly to left. MS 2, STF 1.
The Saints responded against new pitcher Dylan Takara by scoring four times in the bottom of the fifth. Torres sent a blast to deep center for a double, and Janson Kupau brought Sean Fernandez home with a single to right. Torres scored on a wild pitch and Shawn Ellis’ single to left brought courtesy runner Blaze Umiamaka home. STF 5, MS 2.
Sixth inning
Ellis takes over for Yara on the mound, walks one batter, but strikes out another to end the inning.
The Saints tack on an insurance run. Teal doubles to left and scores on a single to center by Fernandez. STF 6, MS 2.
Seventh inning
Ellis walks two and hits a batter to load the bases. STF brings in Phillips from right field, and he strikes out a batter and gets the final out on a grounder to short. Phillips earns a save. Yara gets the win.
Just in the nick of time. It’s getting dark out here at Koko Head real fast.
Nice win for the Saints. Though this win didn’t affect Maryknoll’s hold of first place in the standings — the Spartans already clinched the regular season — it was a solid game for St. Francis.
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