Baseball

On this day in 1952, Wilfred Yahiro and Mel Hirano teamed up to shut out Leilehua and move a step away from another ROIA title. Juanito Eltagenede drove in the go-ahead run with a single to plate Yukio Asato when the catcher dropped the ball in the eighth innning. The Marauders got the job done with a win over Wailua four days later, rapping up their fifth straight championship.

It might have been Matsuo “Lefty” Higuchi‘s first hero moment, but it certainly wasn’t his last. On this day in 1939, Higuchi doubled and scored a run in the 11th inning to lead Iolani to a 3-2 upset of previously unbeaten Saint Louis. The surprise shook up the standings but Saint Louis ended up taking the ILH anyway. Higuchi struck out 17 Mid-Pacific batters three days after beating the Crusaders. After graduation, Higuchi pitched travel ball in Japan, China and […]

On this date in 1968, the Kalani baseball team gave coach Herb Okamura his ‘greatest victory,’ but that title probably fell quickly. Okamura’s Falcons upset favored Punahou 8-7 at Honolulu Stadium after the Buffanblu had already clinched the title. Two years later, Okamura led the Falcons to the state title with what is still regarded as one of Hawaii’s all-time best prep baseball teams. Kalani finished the season in second place in 1968, their highest finish in any sport since […]

On this day in 1996, Mid-Pacific beat Damien ace Robert Cuizon in a close game for the third straight time. Adam Tamashiro went 3-for-3 and the Owls opened the ILH playoffs with a 3-1 win at Aloha Stadium. Two of Cuizon’s three runs were unearned. The Owls previously beat Cuizon 6-5 in the season opener on March 18 and then beat him again 7-5 in the beginning of April. Mid-Pacific freshman Matthew McDaniel, one of three freshmen on the field, […]

On this day in 1983, Iolani went against what had worked all year to win the state baseball title. The Raiders had been known as a small-ball team until the state final against Castle, when coach Les Uyehara took the reigns off. Iolani didn’t bunt a single time and banged out 10 hits against stellar Knights starter Ross Sakamoto. Sakamoto was unbeaten in his state career and had thrown 109 pitches in a semifinal win over Aiea the day before. […]

On this day in 1969, Paul Badeaux won his seventh game of the season and beat Waipahu 2-1 to give Kailua the OIA championship. The Surfriders went on to win the state title, beating Punahou 2-0 in the championship behind Charlie Sedello. Badeaux got the Surfriders to that point with a 5-2 victory over Waimea. Badeaux was just as good in his senior year as the Surfriders repeated as OIA champions, but he fell short of a second state title […]

Mid-Pacific opponents had to be aware of anything even before Dunn Muramaru took over. On this day in 1953, third baseman Don Oura layed down a bunt with two outs and the bases loaded in the ninth inning to give Mid-Pacific a suprise 8-7 victory over Farrington. The Owls scored four times in the ninth inning on two errors, an intentional walk and Oura’s heroics. Cleanup hitter Greg Ontiveros was walked to pitch to Oura. It was the final game […]