Late surge propels Kailua to OIA title game

Kailua's Stone Parker throws a pitch to plate against Mililani. Parker threw seven strikeouts to help power the Surfriders into the OIA Division I championship game. John Lujan | SL

MANOA — A day after suffering from food poisoning, Stone Parker pitched six strong innings to help No. 7 Kailua drop Mililani, 13-3, Friday at Les Murakami Stadium in a semifinal called with two out in the bottom of the sixth inning because of the 10-run mercy rule.

The win sends the East champion Surfriders (12-2) back to defend their Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I championship against Campbell 6 p.m. Saturday at Murakami.

The Surfrides (12-2) sent 11 batters up in a seven-run fifth to blow the game open and ended it with a four-run sixth to execute the 10-run rule.

It has been a long road for the junior right-hander Parker, who sat out last season recovering from an elbow injury. He pitched a season-high six innings, matching a season-high with seven strikeouts. Parker (3-1) survived a shaky second inning, when the Trojans (7-7) took a 2-0 lead, and then gave up a tie-breaking run in the fourth on a balk. He allowed six hits and two walks and threw 96 pitches.

"It feels great," Parker said of being back. "I just trusted the coaches on what they were trying to do with me. I'm throwing accurate, I'm throwing strikes and my arm feels healthy."

His arm was healthy, but the food poisoning forced him to stay home and miss Thursday's thrilling, 3-2 quarterfinal win against Pearl City that went 10 innings.

"He wasn't there yesterday, but we were counting on him to be ready today," Kailua coach Corey Ishigo said.

Parker fell behind 2-0 when the Trojans scored on Zach Lafata's sacrifice fly to right and Noah Domogsac's RBI single. But the Surfriders got to Mililani starting pitcher Ryan Ancheta in the bottom of the third. With runners at second and third with two out, the Trojans were trying a hidden ball trick play. With third baseman Lafata holding the ball, Ancheta made contact with the mound, causing a balk that scored Dakota Kadooka from third and moved Joey Cantillo to third. Dylan Kurahashi-Choy Foo then singled up the middle to score Cantillo to tie the game at 2 before Jalen Ah Yat bounced out to the pitcher.

"He just didn't execute it," Mililani coach Mark Hirayama said.

Ironcially, the Trojans regained the lead in the fourth because of balk by Parker. With one out, Preston Morales doubled and took third on a passed ball. On a 1-2 count, Parker did not come to a complete stop in the stretch and the umpire called a balk to score Moreales to give Mililani a 3-2 lead.

"I never paused, so it was my fault," Parker said.

But his teammates back him up with the seven-run fifth, when the Trojans committed three errors. Kalua Neves' two-run double chased Ancheta, who hit the lead-off batter in the inning and had a throwing error. Ethan Muller did not fare any better, giving up RBI singles to Dayne Ishigo and Kadooka, as well as a sacrifice fly to Cody Riturban before getting the next two outs.

"We feel pretty confident swinging the bats," Ishigo said. "it just takes some time to see a (pitcher) for a while and we finallly put it together."

The Surfriders continued to wreak havoc on the Trojans. Muller walked Kurahashi-Choy Foo to start the frame and he was pulled for Anthony Ano. After getting an out, Kailua loaded the bases with a single by Neves and a walk to Bryson Ballesteros. After striking out Ishigo, Kadooka walked to force in a run. Kaleohi put the finishing touch when he cleared the bases with a triple to make the 10-run differential.

"The inexperience," Hirayama said. "All the little things we've talked about all year with these guys. We can talk to them, preach to them. In the big games, we have to keep our composure. It kind of fell apart. We stopped communicating. It's just one of those days."

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at [email protected].