OIA Baseball
Waipahu clinches OIA D2 top seed with win


  



Wed, Apr 10, 2019 @ [ 3:00 pm ]


FINAL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Waipahu 2 0220309112
Radford 0 0 10300445

W: Jencen Villanueva    L: Tommy Tereschuk    SV: Makana Quia-Estanique

RAD: Shane Vogt 1-3 2 runs rbi dbl; Daniel May 3.3 IP 1 ER
WAIP: Joshua Lee 2-4 run 3 rbi dbl HR; Makana Quia-Estanique 2.3 IP 0 ER 4 K


MAKALAPA — Errors and an early reversed call portended trouble for Radford from the start.

Joshua Lee drove in three runs with a two-run home run and RBI double to lead Waipahu over host Radford, 9-4, Wednesday to clinch the top seed in Oahu Interscholastic Association Division II baseball.

The Marauders, coming off a 1-11 record in Division I last year, won their ninth in a row to open a two-game lead on the Rams (7-2) with one game to play in the regular season.

"This is amazing compared to last year when we were 1-11," Lee said. "Now we're 9-0. It feels good to be in this spot."

The top two teams from D2 advances to the six-team OIA tournament and draws first-round byes. The six teams will play for two berths for the D2 state tournament, which will be held on Kauai. Despite the loss, the Rams have clinched the second seed regardless if Kaimuki ends with the same record as Radford. The Rams beat the Bulldogs for the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Jencen Villanueva allowed four runs (three earned) in 4 2/3 innings. He gave way to Brendan Kumasaka, who walked and hit a batter, before giving way to Makana Quia-Estanique, who earned the save with 2 1/3 hitless and scoreless innings of relief and four strikeouts.

Radford's Tommy Tereschuk was tagged with the loss, allowing six runs (half unearned) in 3 2/3 innings.

The Marauders wasted little time getting a jump on the Rams. In the top of the first, Noah Takayama reached on an error and took second on a pick-off throwing error before Jayden Borja grounded out to third, freezing the runner at second. On a 3-1 pitch, Lee smashed a fly down the left-field line over the 315-foot sign. The home plate umpire initially called the ball foul. After Waipahu coach Ian Ferris argued the call, the umpires convened and the base umpire ruled the ball fair and a home run. The home plate umpire told the Radford bench that he did not see the flight of the ball. Radford argued to no avail.

"Was a 3-1 count," Lee said. "I was looking for fastball, challenged me. Got my hands through and hammered it."

In the third, Lee increased the Marauders' lead on an RBI double to left. After stealing third, he was lifted for a courtesy runner, who scored an out later on Chad Cadiente's double to left to give Waipahu a 4-0 lead.

The Rams got an unearned run back in the bottom of the third. With two out, Shane Vogt was hit by a pitch, took second on a pick-off throwing error and scored when Matt Lukins reached on an error.

Waipahu increased its lead in the fourth on Borja's two-run single with two outs.

The Rams made it a game with a three-run fifth that chased Villanueva. Vogt double home a run, Richard Akana III had a sacrifice fly and Carter Ogino was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

But Waipahu got those three runs back in the top of the sixth. An error brought home two runs and Borja's double brought in the other to extend Waipahu's lead to 9-4.

"That recap inning, where we scored three and they scored three," Radford coach Jacob Sur said. "That was huge. Huge momentum back on their side."

Quia-Estanique retired six of the last seven batters to seal the Rams' fate.

There was a strange play in the Rams' third with two out and a Vogt at second. Lukins reached on an error by second baseman Javin Barcenilla that rolled out to center field. Center fielder Radlee Ferreira tried to gun down Vogt trying to score. But Ferreira's throw caught the side of the head of Barcenilla, who went down. He left the game but remained with the team.

"He's OK," Ferris said. "The trainer was checking him out ... When I got out there, he wasn't out; he was up. He was just in a lot of pain. His mom was here, (the trainers) had him checked out. They might take him (for examination) later tonight."

Waipahu travels to Waialua Friday to close out the regular season while Radford travels to Nanakuli Saturday in an 11 a.m. contest.



Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at [email protected].




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