Mid-Pacific rallies past Mililani, 3-1, for fifth overall title

Mid-Pacific players celebrate with the Division I trophy after defeating Mililani, 3-1. Greg Yamamoto | SL

In the end, the senior class got the job done.

Senior catcher Marcus Doi ignited a three-run top of the seventh inning with a bases-loaded two-run single that scored the tying and go-ahead runs in the top of the seventh to rally second-seeded Mid-Pacific Institute by Mililani, 3-1, Tuesday night to capture its first Wally Yonamine Foundation Division I state baseball title since 2002 and fifth overall.

The final, played before 2,427, was moved to Tuesday at the University of Hawai'is Les Murakami Stadium after rain postponed the game Saturday at Maui's Iron Maehara Baseball Stadium because of rain. It's the first time a tournament finished on a different island.

"It didn't matter where we played," Doi said. "I'm glad we won."

Senior Trey Saito battled on the mound, allowing a run, scattering eight hits and two walks with two strikeouts in going the distance for the Owls (17-3).

"You gotta give it to the seniors," said MPI coach Dunn Muramaru, who is 41-16 in state tournament games and has 488 career victories (including his stint at Kalani).

"Trey didn't have his best stuff, but he battled the whole game."

But his defense was there to back him up.

"If it wasn't for them, we'd be at the bottom," Saito said. "I will miss them next year."

Shortstop Isaiah Kiner-Falefa made some dazzling stops and third baseman Brent Sakurai made a nifty back-hand stab of a line drive.

Kanoa Hironaka pitched the distance for the Trojans (12-8), allowing three runs, one earned, six hits and three walks with three strikeouts. He nursed a 1-0 lead through six innings. But the Owls spoiled his outing in the seventh.

"We had Troy (Kakugawa) in the pen," Mililani coach Mark Hirayama said. "Kanoa still had his stuff. Those first two base runners with no outs hurt us. It allowed them to get to their three, four hitters. You can't do that with a quality team like Mid-Pac."

Ryne Saiki, a senior, led off with a walk. He advanced to second on a sacrifice by Cal Muramaru, who reached safely on when Hironaka bobbled the bunt, making his throw to first late. Isaiah Kiner-Falefa struck out when he fouled a bunt attempt with two strikes. The runners advanced a base on Quintin-John Collier's single to right to load the bases.

Doi, who had grounded into a double play in the first inning, struck out with a runner on third with two outs in the third and flied to center in the fifth, grounded a single to left to drive in two runs and put the Owls ahead, 2-1 as Collier stopped at second. Daniel Fentriss' sacrifice moved the runners before Bryce Asao's single to center scored Collier. But Murata was gunned down at the plate on a throw from center fielder Ekolu Ramos to end the inning.

"The team's always got my back," Doi said. "The team has a lot of heart. We didn't want to disappoint our fans, the whole school. Coming through in the clutch is what we do. It paid off."

Saito retired the side in order in the seventh with the help some fine fielding by shortstop Isaiah Kiner-Falefa. Kiner-Falefa made a diving stab of a liner by Travis Maekawa for the first out of the inning.

The Trojans broke the scoreless deadlock in the fifth. With two out, Troy Kakugawa tripled to right and scored on Sean Sonognini's single to short before Jameson Madrid flied out to end the inning.

"That's baseball," Hirayama said. "You gotta play seven innings and we only played six, so hat's off to MId-Pac; they hung in there and pulled it out when they had to. That's what we tried to do. We tried to keep it close so hopefully we could win it in the end. Today, we just didn't play seven innings."

It was a long wait for the teams.

"We were very anxious," Doi said. "We couldn't keep our minds in school. All we could think about was the game."

"It was nerve-wracking," Saito added. "But it was worth the wait."

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at [email protected].