Hawaiian Electric Game of the Week
Punahou pounces on Mid-Pacific early in 7-3 win


  



Fri, Feb 24, 2017 @ [ 6:45 pm ]


FINAL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Mid-Pacific 0 110010352
Punahou 3 2 0011X791

W: Slater Pang    L: Carter Rustad    SV: Andrew Matsueda

PUN: Jake Tsukada 2-4 2 runs rbi trp; Kahi Bisho 2.6 IP 2 ER 4 K
MPI: Wyatt Young 2-3 rbi; Shion Matsuhita 3.6 IP 3 ER 3 K


WAIPAHU — A couple of sophomores pitched in with some clutch performances to help Punahou open the Interscholastic League of Honolulu with a win Friday night.

Second baseman Jake Tsukada batted 2 for 4 with an RBI triple and scored twice and fellow-sophomore Slater Pang threw 2 1/3 innings in relief as the Buffanblu downed five-time defending league champion Mid-Pacific, 7-3, before a crowd of about 300 spectators on a crisp evening at Hans L'Orange Park.

The Buffanblu (1-0) scored three runs in the first inning and saw their first four batters combine to go 6 for 12 and score all seven runs against the Owls (0-1).

"I thought our guys played great," Punahou third-year coach Keenan Sue said. "When we threw strikes and we played defense I think we were in a good position. Obviously, when we walked a few guys they were threatening and that's usually the name of the game in the ILH and any league, is you pitch and you play defense and you should come out okay."

Colin Freeman and Kyson Donahue also paired hits for Punahou. Cole Cabrera and Noah Loughlin each scored twice and Asa Kurasaki drove in a pair of runs in the win.

Pang, a lefty pitching in his first varsity game, picked up the win in relief of starter Kahi Bisho, who allowed two runs on four hits in 2 2/3 innings pitched. Bisho walked four and struck out four in a no-decision. Pang went 2 1/3 innings and allowed one run on one hit, but walked four.

"I thought Slater did a great job," Sue said. "He threw a lot of first-pitch strikes — that always helps — and the defense took care of him."

Andrew Matsueda threw two scoreless innings to earn the save.

Carter Rustad took the loss for Mid-Pacific, which used four pitchers. He lasted just 2/3 of an inning and was charged with three runs on four hits with one strikeout and a walk.

The Owls loaded the bases with one out in the top of the first, but Bisho got Shane Adams and Ryne Aniya on back-to-back strikeouts looking to end the threat.

The Buffanblu got right to work with the bats in the bottom of the frame. Cabrera and Tsukada got on with consecutive singles before Freeman drew a five-pitch walk to load the bases for Loughlin, whose RBI single to left field plated Cabrera to open the scoring. Tsukada came home for the second run when Jerrick Nomura reached on a fielder's choice and Kurasaki singled to right to bring in Freeman.

"We just look for something to capitalize on and it just so happened to be base hits," Tsukada said. "We just worked hard in the offseason so it turned out good for us."

Mid-Pacific got a run in the top of the second on Wyatt Young's RBI single to score Breyndon Nakamura, but Bisho got Zachary Gushiken to hit into an inning-ending double play on a ground ball to shortstop Kyson Donahue, who got the force out of Young at second before throwing Gushiken out at first.

Punahou added a couple of runs in the bottom of the second to stretch its lead to 5-1. Cabrera got on with a one-out walk and stole second before coming home on Tsukada's triple to deep center on a 1-2 pitch.

"I just looked for something I could drive, put a good swing on it and it just fell in the right spot," said Tsukada, who scored one batter later on a Freeman ground out. "We just wanted to be aggressive, take it one pitch at a time and just look for something to hit — fastballs early — and just put a good swing on it."

Tsukada was called up to the varsity as a freshman late last year and gained invaluable experience in the ILH postseason and state tournament.

"He's had a great preseason," Sue said of Tsukada, who batted second in the order. "He's a great player, he makes plays and he puts the bat on the ball."

Bisho surrendered a run to the Owls in the top of the third — on Aniya's two-out infield single to plate Jacob Yoshino — before giving way to Pang, who inherited a pair of base runners. Pang walked Nakamura, the first batter he faced, to load the bases full of Owls, but got designated hitter Michael China to pop out for the third out.

"I think that one I just changed speeds with my fastball to get him," said Pang, who registered first-pitch strikes to seven of the 12 batters he faced.

"I just knew I had to throw strikes and just get it done and my team was going to back me up," Pang said.

Freeman scored on Kurasaki's sacrifice bunt in the fifth and hit a two-out triple before scoring on an error in the sixth.

Young batted 2 for 3 with an RBI and a walk from the leadoff spot for the Owls, who will play Kamehameha (0-1) in the nightcap of an ILH doubleheader at Les Murakami Stadium Wednesday.

Punahou will take on Iolani (1-0) in the first game of the doubleheader at 3:30 p.m.



Reach Kalani Takase at [email protected].




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