Stacy Kaneshiro | ScoringLive
May 10, 2018, 8:35pm
Chase for the Championship
Damien, Radford seeking first D2 state titles
Akila Arecchi and the Damien Monarchs will take on DJ Kabua and the Radford Rams for the Division II state title. CJ Caraang | SLMANOA — Top-seeded Damien has unfinished business when it takes on Radford for the Wally Yonamine Foundation Division II state baseball championship, 4 p.m. Friday at Les Murakami Stadium.
The Interscholastic League of Honolulu champion Monarchs (14-7) return to the title game after beating Farrington, 8-3, in Thursday's semifinal in the battle for bragging rights to Houghtailihg Street. Last year, the Monarchs lost to Kauai, 5-4, in the title game.
"We have to take care of unfinished business," Damien winning pitcher Kaysen Kajiwara said.
Damien had to beat ILH first-round champion Saint Francis four times to gain the league's lone state berth in D2.
"Was a tough road to get back and hopefully we can finish it tomorrow," Damien coach Timo Donahue said.
The Rams (13-2), runners-up from the Oahu Interscholastic Association, outlasted third-seeded Kapaa, 3-2, on DJ Kabua's bases-loaded walk with two out in the bottom of the eighth inning in the other semifinal that took three hours, 43 minutes to complete. This is Radford's first trip to the D2 championship. They are seeking the school's first state title since 1979, when the Rams finished 20-0 under legendary coach Donald Kimura.
"All this work is finally paying off," Rams winning pitcher Richard Akana said. "We just have to beat Damien, but Damien's got a good team."
