OIA Baseball
Campbell finds Silva-lining in relief to hold off Kaiser, 4-2


 

Thu, Apr 13, 2017 @ [ 3:00 pm ]


FINAL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Kaiser 2 000000241
Campbell 3 0 0001X442

W: Markus Ramos    L: Tyler Dyball    SV: Ayzek Silva

CAMP: Dylan Ramon 2-3 3 rbi dbl; Markus Ramos 5.3 IP 2 ER 5 K
KAIS: Lincoln Lima 1-4 run 2 rbi HR; Tyler Dyball 6.0 IP 4 ER 3 K


EWA BEACH — As a freshman last season, relief pitcher Ayzek Silva was thrown into his share of hot situations. As a seasoned sophomore, the left-hander was ready for more.

Silva pitched out of a one out, bases-loaded jam in the sixth and stranded the tying runners in the seventh to help No. 4 Campbell fend off visiting Kaiser, 4-2, Thursday in a quarterfinal of the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I tournament.

"The adrenaline was rushing," Silva said. "But knowing that I was put in that positon last year, it gave me a little comfort."

The Sabers (13-0), the West's top seed, will play Kalani (10-3), the East's second seed, in a 7 p.m. semifinal Friday at Les Murakami Stadium.

"That's been his role all year, coming in at the end of the game and shutting the door," Campbell coach Rory Pico said. "Give credit to Kaiser. They put some good swings, they got guys on, they got the tying run on but we were able to make the pitch when we had to make the pitches."

On a day when pitchers put themselves in tight situations, it was Campbell's pitching that made big pitches when it mattered most.

"Overall, our bats were good," Kaiser coach Kila Kaaihue said. "He made pitches when he had to. If anything, the biggest difference between our guy and their guy, he found a way to make his pitches. Evan that lefty. He came in a tight spot. Our guys were right on them, but it's just that he made a better pitch when he had to."

Designated hitter Dylan Ramon, batting in the cleanup spot, provided the bulk of the offense for the Sabers, driving in three runs with a two-run single and RBI double.

"There's a reason why we had him at fourth today," Pico said. "We have a lot of confidence in that guy. He's going to have a good at-bat. He had numerous good at-bats today."

Both teams' starting pitchers - Kaiser's Tyler Dyball and Campbell's Markus Ramos - settled after shaky first innings.

Ramos walked Kaiser lead-off hitter Keoni Pangan and Lincoln Lima drilled the first pitch he saw to the right-center alley for a home run to put the Cougars up 2-0 not even five minutes into the game.

But Dyball could not take advantage of the early lead. He hit lead-off hitter Shane Shimizu with his first pitch and walked Ikaika Ganancial. Both runners moved up on Justin Fernandez's sacrifice and both scored on Ramon's seeing-eye single that deflected off Dyball's glove and just to the left of second baseman Landon Shigeta. Todd Takahama reached first when he grounded to third for a force at second. Courtesy runner Charlie Monell stole second and scored on Nicholas Sampson's single to right-center to give Campbell a 3-2 lead before Sampson was caught stealing to end the inning.

"Our guy, Dyball, he has a tendency to take a while to get ready," Kaaihue said. "To get going, find his rhythm. He threw the ball very well; it's just he takes time to get into it. He was struggling with the mound; it's a little bit steep, a little short. He's a taller guy, but no excuses."

Whatever momentum Lima's home run gave the Cougars was switched back to the Sabers in their three-run first.

"That was pretty big," Ramon said. "I think the momenum switched to our side, instead of their side."

After their struggles, both pitchers settled down through the next five innings.

Dyball (1-4) would allow only two more hits to the Sabers over the next five innings. At one stretch, he retired eight of nine batters, the only batter reaching on an error. But he walked Ikaika Ganancial on four pitches to start the bottom of the sixth. Ganancial stole second and an out later, scored on Ramon's ground-rule double to right, a line drive just over the outstretched glove of first baseman Antonio Omphroy, to insure the Sabers' lead. Dyball was charged with four runs, four hits and three walks with three strikeouts in six innings.

"My appraoch didn't change," Ramon said of batting cleanup. "I knew I had to step up."

Ramos (6-0) settled down after the two-run shot by Lima. He would allow only three base runners after that through five innings, two of them by walks and one via an error.

But the Cougars got their first hit since Lima's homer to start the sixth when Kainoa Craig led off with a single to right-center. With one out, he stole second before Kainoa Torres drew a walk. That's when Ramos was pulled for Silva.

Christian Reasoner greeted Silva with grounder to third baseman Fernandez for what appeared would be an inning-ending double play. Instead, Fernandez's throw to second sailed into right field to load the bases.

Unfazed, Silva struck out Kennedy Chun and got Landon Shigeta to fly out to right douse the fire.

"Couldn't help," Silva said of the error. "Just had to get back on the mound again, throw strikes again, get the outs."

But the Cougars weren't done. With one out in the seventh, Pangan doubled to left-center but Silva got the dangerous Lima to foul out to catcher Takahama. Craig's two out single moved Pangan to third. But Silva struck out Omphroy to end the game.

"I like these tight situations," Silva said. "It's just a good feeling."

Both pitchers were backed by nice fielding plays. Kaiser center fielder Noah Matsumoto's diving catch robbed Roy Clemons-Diaz of a hit in the fourth inning. Campbell second baseman Aaron Bentosino went far to his left into shallow right field to throw out Lima, robbing him of his second hit of the game.

Ramos, who pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing two runs, two hits and two walks with four strikeouts, coaxed nine ground outs out of the Cougars on a day the wind was blowing toward the outfield.

"Defense played amazing today," Ramos said. "My infield (shortstop) Kaika Ganancial, Aaron Bentosino. Amazing."

Kaiser will play Kapolei in a fifth-place semifinal Friday. The winner gains a state berth.



Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at [email protected].




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