OIA Baseball
Campbell rallies by Mililani, 4-3; earns West top seed


  



Fri, Apr 17, 2015 @ [ 6:30 pm ]


FINAL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Mililani 0 110100381
Campbell 1 0 0003X482

W: Dorrien Villanueva-Hermosura    L: Koa Eastlack

CAMP: Dorrien Villanueva-Hermosura 1-3 rbi dbl; Zachary Kapihe 5.0 IP 3 ER 7 K
MIL: Kainoa Wilson 2-3 run trp; Koa Eastlack 5.3 IP 4 ER 3 K


WAIPAHU - Seniors Kila Kapihe and Dorrien Villanueva-Hermosura delivered the one-two punch on the mound and at the plate for No. 3 Campbell Friday to end the Oahu Interscholastic Association Western Division regular season.

The Sabers rallied for three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to turn back No. 2 Mililani, 4-3, to take the West top seed for next week's 12-team OIA tournament. Both teams finished 10-2 and share the division title. It is the Sabers' third consecutive division crown and the Trojans' first since 2011. But all that matters in both draw first-round byes for the tournament; they will host quarterfinals on Thursday.

The game was played - and cheered by the some 250 who squeezed into the historic and rustic Hans L'Orange Park - as if it were for a league or state championship.

"I told the boys, we practiced for tonight," Campbell coach Rory Pico said. "The intensity, it was almost like a playoff atmosphere, which is good. This is how it's going to be from here on out, however long it's going to take us. This is a great way to go into the playoffs, coming from behind and beating a good team like Mililani."

The right-handed Kapihe started the game, pitching five innings, allowing three runs, seven hits and a walk while striking out seven. Villanueva tagged on two scoreless innings, allowing a bunt single and a hit batsman. He was dominant, striking out five, four of them went down on three pitches each.

The Sabers, who had eight returning starters in the lineup, weren't fazed by the early deficit. The eight starters, all seniors, were practically raised together, starting in youth leagues.

"I have a lot of faith in these boys," Kapihe said. "I've been playing with these guys for 11, 12 years. The coaches were a big part in us keeping our composure. All we had to do was play baseball.'

The Trojans, who needed a win to take the division title outright and the top seed, took a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the sixth. Trojans' starting pitcher, left-hander Koa Eastlack, had thrown 69 pitches to that point, allowing four hits and a hit batsman. But Jobe Ibana led off the inning by lining out on a nice catch by center fielder Adam Connell. Blayze Arcano-Llacuna lined a single to right and took second when Ian Kahaloa grounded a single to right-center. Villanueva pulled a breaking ball away toward the right-field foul line to score Arcano and send pinch runner Jake Mendoza to third.

"I knew he was going to start backwards, so I just wanted to look curve," said the left-handed hitting Villanueva, who added he was surprised he pulled the pitch. "I sat on it, but I was a little in front, so I just took it

With the tying run on third, Kapihe lined a single to right to score Mendoza, as courtesy runner Shane Shimizu stopped at third. On the throw home, Kapihe took second. Eastlack was pulled for Keolu Ramos, who intentionally walked Keola Himan to load the bases to set up force plays at all bases and home. Tryzen Patricio hit a slow grounder to third baseman CJ Ibara, who threw to second for the force, but Shimizu crossed home with the go-ahead run before Roy Clemons-Dias grounded out to short for the third out.

"I knew what I had to do," Kapihe said of singling home the tying run. "I knew the game was on the line. Just couldn't pressure out."

Villanueva quickly retired the first two batters to start the seventh before Ty De Sa reached on catcher's interference. But Villanueva struck out Justice Nakagawa to end the game.

It was a tough loss for the Trojans, who beat the Sabers, 2-1, in eight innings on March 28 in a game started by Kahaloa, the state's top draft prospect. There might be a negligible difference between being the one and two seed. The only difference is the two might face the East's top seed in the semifinals.

"We still have the bye," Mililani coach Mark Hirayama said. "We going to have to play three; we're going to have to face each one sometime. I'm happy with the way the guys came out and played tonight. They laid it out on the line, but, again, we have to play seven innings."

The Sabers took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Jobe Ibana was hit by a pitch with one out, stole second, went to third when Arcano grounded out to first and scored on Kahaloa's single off the out-stretched glove of third baseman Ibara. Eastlack struck out Villanueva to end the inning.

The Trojans responded quickly. Nakagawa tripled to center with one out and scored Connell's sacrifice fly to center. Though Jarrin Morikawa walked, Kapihe retired Ibara on a bouncer back to the pitcher.

Mililani took the lead with the aid of another triple. Kainoa Wilson led off with a line drive to the left-center alley and made it to third. It appeared Kapihe was going to escape unscathed when Ryan Kono popped out to second and cleanup hitter Kaimana Paaluhi-Souza struck out. But Sean Sonognini delivered an RBI single to give Mililani a 2-1 lead. It looked like the Trojans were going to add to their lead when courtesy runner Blaine Demello stole second on a pitch that bounced to the backstop, allowing him to reach third. But De Sa struck out to strand the runner.

Mililani insured its lead in the fifth. Kono singled with one out and an out later, took second on Sonognini's single to left. De Sa, who stranded a runner on third in the third, singled home Kono to make it 3-1, as courtesy runner Demello went to third. After De Sa stole second, drawing no throw, Nakagawa lined out to shortstop Ibana to strand the runners in scoring position.

The Sabers were frustrated earlier by losing runners on the base paths and by some controversial calls. They had two runners caught stealing, including one at home on a miscommunication in an apparent squeeze play. They had another runner thrown out at third when Ibana stole second and tried to take third on a wild throw. Ibana appeared to lose his balance and was tagged out, though TV replays showed his foot never left the bag. Pico contested the ball to no avail.



Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at [email protected].




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