Maryknoll walks over Damien, 3-1

Maryknoll pitcher Jarred Kaneshiro went the distance to earn the win over Damien, allowing one run on six hits, striking out 6 and walking three. CJ Caraang | SL

WAIPAHU - Maryknoll cashed in on free passes to squeeze by mistake-prone Damien, 3-1, Friday in Interscholastic League of Honolulu Division II baseball at Hans L'Orange Park.

The Spartans (4-1) recorded just two singles, but were recipients of seven walks, three hit batsmen, a balk and two errors. Three of the seven walks eventually scored.

The Monarchs (2-2) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth inning, but lost it when the first two Spartans reached on walks in the bottom of the fifth. The tying run scored on a balk and the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly. A lead-off walk to the Spartans in the sixth was eventually scored on an error.

It was that kind of game for the Monarchs.

"I feel good about what we have going," Damien first-year coach Timo Donahue said. "It's just matter of now the guys understanding how to play."

Maryknoll sophomore starting pitcher Jarred Kaneshiro overcame a bases-loaded jam in the first inning before giving up a run in the fifth on Grayson Bueno's RBI single after Austin Ballesteros' two out steal of second. Kaneshiro scattered six hits, three walks and two hit batters in the complete-game win. Batterymate Neal Nakasone helped the cause by picking off two runners at first, the second one to end the game.

"He's a sophomore, a young guy," Maryknoll coach Randy Yamashiro said. "We wanted him to get comfortable. Once he did, whatever he showed us in the preseason, he did."

"I was a little nervous," Kaneshiro said of his second start of the season. "I was kind of excited."

Kaneshiro and Damien starter Chayne Wayton were engaged in a scoreless battle through four innings before the Monarchs broke the ice. Wayton rolled a single down the third baseline that all third baseman Jason Nakamura could do was hope the ball would tilt foul. An out later, Ballesteros reached first when his grounder to short forced the runner at second. Ballesteros stole second and scored on a single to center by Bueno, who took second on the throw home. Shiloh Kaeo singled to left-center, but left fielder Joshua Muneno fired a strike home to nail Bueno to end the inning.

But Wayton had command issues, walking Nakasone (lifted for courtesy runner Taylor Hoe) and Muneno to start the bottom of the fifth. Gainey came into relief for Wayton and Nakamura's sacrifice moved the runners into scoring position. But Gainey balked, scoring Hoe and sending Muneno to third, where he scored on Kaliko Thomas' sacrifice fly to center to put the Spartans ahead, 2-1, before Chayson Dulatre struck out to end the frame.

The frustration continued for Damien in the bottom of the sixth. Cade Ohata led off with a walk and an out later, took second on a passed ball and went to third when Jarin Kobashigawa grounded out to second. After Kahi Hirano walked to put runners at the corners with two out, Nakasone hit a pop up behind second base, but second baseman Brennan Bactista dropped what would've been the third out, allowing Ohata to score and moving Hirano to third before Muneno rolled out to first for the third out.

Damien threatened in the top of the seventh against Kaneshiro. With two out, Ballesteros singled off third baseman Kaimana Cameron, stole second and went to third when Bueno reached on shortstop Hirano's fielding error. With Kaeo at the plate, catcher Nakasone picked off Bueno from first to end the game.

Had Damien pitching not have command issues, there is no telling how Maryknoll would have scored because the Spartans managed only two hits.

"They pitched everybody in our lineup, one to nine, tough," Yamashiro said. "We don't get to look at many (hittable) pitches. We have to take advantage of anything we can get. It's tough. Everybody is pitching us tough."

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at [email protected].