Baseball
Mid-Pacific beats Campbell, 3-0, to win Kitamura Tournament


MANOA - It took one hot team to stop another.

Cody Maltezo and Ethan Fujikami combined on a four-hitter to lead Mid-Pacific Institute over Campbell, 3-0, Sunday to win the 35th MPI/Richard Kitamura Tournament at Damon Field.

The Owls stayed unbeaten and 10-0 in handing the Sabers (11-1) their first loss of the preseason.

Being that it was the fourth game (third game for Campbell because of a rainout) in the tourney, neither side saw the other's ace nor all of the projected starting position players.

Both teams have another weekend of tuneups before the regular season next month. The Owls play in a tournament in Kauai and the Sabers will play in Baldwin's tournament on Maui.

Maltezo, a left-hander, allowed two hits in four innings, striking out one for the Owls. Fujikami finished the game with three scoreless innings of two-hit ball.

Sabers' sophomore right-hander Markus Ramos pitched four innings, allowing three runs, one unearned, with three strikeouts. He walked one, but hit four batters, the first one originally ruled a foul. The call was reversed upon appeal by MPI coach Dunn Muramaru. After discussion among the umpires, Alex Oley was awarded first base.

Dylan Florentin pitched the final two innings, allowing a bunt single and a walk with two strikeouts for the Sabers.

Ramos, who clocked in at 88 mph in an inning of relief against Saint Louis in the tourney opener on Wednesday, was victim of bad luck in the first inning. Sean Kinel led off by reaching on second baseman Jake Mendoza's fielding error. After the controversial hit batter, a single sandwiched by two strikeouts, brought up Trevin Tengan, who reached on a fielder's choice when Mendoza bombled a grounder trying for a force at second, allowing Kinel to score.

Then it was patented MPI baseball in the second. Jacob Maekawa singled and David Takanishi walked. Both advanced on Kinel's sacrifice and Maekawa scored when Oley grounded out to second. Ramos struck out the next batter to strand the runner on third.

The Owls added their third run in the fourth. Maekawa was hit by a pitch with one out, stole second and scored on Takanishi's double down the left-field line.

Muramaru does not take the 10-0 start too seriously at this juncture. "We haven't seen any good pitchers yet," he said. "Saint Louis saw (Campbell ace Ian) Kahaloa" in the tourney opener.

Campbell extended Ramos, who threw 91 pitches. Seven of the 21 batters he faced saw at least six pitches in their plate appearances. Campbell coach Rory Pico said he wanted to get long look at Ramos, whom he hasn't decided yet if he will be in the starting rotation. "He's ready for it," Pico said.

Still, he would provide depth to a staff that returns from last year's OIA championship team Kahaloa, Kila Kapihe and Dorrien Villanueva-Hermosura.

Kahaloa, who has signed with the University of Hawaii, has been drawing pro scouts to his starts. In the 5-3 against Saint Louis Wednesday night at CORP, Kahaloa threw five hitless innings, allowing a walk while striking out 11. Scouts said he touched 96 mph.

In three starts (vs. Maryknoll, Mililani and Saint Louis), Kahaloa has pitched 13 innings, allowed two hits (vs. Mililani), walked one and struck out 23.




Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at [email protected].




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