Moanalua escapes with 4-3 win against Baldwin


Moanalua players celebrate a semifinal win over Baldwin. Greg Yamamoto | SL
The only repeat in this year's Wally Yonamine Foundation Division I state baseball tournament will be a rematch of the O'ahu Interscholastic Association Red championship.

Second-seeded Moanalua will take on Pearl City in an all-OIA finale, 7 p.m. at Les Murakami Stadium. Na Menehune beat the Chargers for the OIA title on April 23. It is the first all-OIA final since 1994, when Castle beat Kalaheo. The winner will be the first public school champion since 2001, when Kailua beat Mid-Pacific Institute.

Na Menehune scored early then sweated out a threat by Baldwin in the bottom of the seventh to hang on to a 4-3 win in a semifinal Friday night.

Bronson Shim pitched 6 2/3 innings, scattering seven hits and two walks, while being charged with three runs. He got help from Jordan DePonte, who gave up a two out, seventh-inning single before retiring CeeJay Santos on a sharp grounder to short to end the game. DePonte was credited with a save.

Na Menehune had a plan for the Bears. Moanalua stole 4 of 5 on the basepaths.

"We scouted them the other day," Moanalua coach Scott Yamada said. "We knew we could run on them."

Bears' starter Evin Kailiehu hit Michael Egami with a pitch to start the game. After stealing second, Ross Hasegawa reached on a bunt single to third that moved Egam to third. Tim Arakawa's two-run triple made it 2-0 before Isacc Shim walked. After courtesy runner David Miyashiro stole second, Kamalu Kamoku's ground out scored the run to make it 3-0 after the top of the first.

Na Menehune wasted little time getting things going in the second. DePonte led off with a double. but Miles Higa fouled out to the cather. Michael Egami drew a four-pitch walk to put runners at the corners. Hasegawa's RBI single made it 4-0.

Meanwhile, Baldwin starter Evin Kailiehu was charged with four runs, five hits and four walks with five strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings. He needed help from reliever Troy Shishido, who went 2 1/3 innings, allowing no runs in a losing cause.

The Bears threatened when Rahni Pantorini led off with a single and took second on Ryan Single's infield single. After two outs and runners at the corners, R.J. Asuncion struck out and Daulton Cabacungan grounded to short for a force that set up James Uwekoolani's two-run single that made it 4-3. De Ponte came in to pitch for Shim. De Ponte gave up an infield hit to Brysen Dafun, who walked. But Santos smoked a grounder to shortstop.

"It was a shot off the bat and a one-hopper to me," Arakawa said. "It skipped on the wet surface and I fielded it, but in trying to make the throw (to second), my feet got caught under me and I slipped, but I just had the presence of mind to throw to second base, get the short outs."


Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at [email protected].