HHSAA Baseball
Small ball goes long way in No. 4 Baldwin's win over No. 7 Hilo


  



Wed, May 15, 2024 @ [ 10:00 am ]


FINAL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Baldwin 0 000050550
Hilo 0 0 00013463

W: Kade Fujioka    L: Jaydon Geraci    SV: Isaac Imamura

HILO: Kamren Agpalza 1-3 run rbi dbl; Jaydon Geraci 5.0 IP 2 ER 4 K
BAL: Laakea Ko 2-3 run; Kade Fujioka 6.7 IP 2 ER 7 K


MANOA - No. 4 Baldwin endured two delays en route to its 5-4 win against No. 7 Hilo in the quarterfinals of the Wally Yonamine Foundation Division I state baseball tournament Thursday at Les Murakami Stadium.

The Bears (14-3) advance to Thursday's semifinal at 7 p.m.

The Bears took a 5-1 lead entering the bottom of the seventh inning when the game was delayed 11 minutes because of rain. When play resumed, the relentless Vikings (14-2) prolonged the Bears' victory by sending nine batters to the plate, scoring three runs, but leaving the bases loaded when Isaac Imamura came in from second base to strike out Jayden Geraci the preserve the win for the save.

"It's hard," Imamura said of entering the pressure situation from a position since he can't take warmups until he is summoned to the mound. "Everything is all squeezed, tight, so I was just trying to throw strikes."

He did. After two called strikes on Geraci, Imamura dropped a curve on the outside corner to the right-handed hitter for strike three.

It was his second save in as many games. He pitched a scoreless seventh in Tuesday's first-round win against Moanalua. Imamura relishes the pressure.

"I felt good," Imamura said. "I wanted to pitch. I pitched yesterday, last inning, same thing, I struck out the last guy."

Geraci and Baldwin starting pitcher Kade Fujioka engaged in a duel through five scoreless innings. The Bears sent nine batters up in a five-run sixth using small ball. Of their three sacrifice's in the inning, batters reached on errors twice.

"We do this all year," Imamura said. "Bunting off the machine and practicing our defense every day."

The Bears broke the scoreless duel in the sixth. Laakea Ko led off with a single, and took second on Isaiah Chaves' single to short. Christian Dommino bunted to third to move the runners, but a throwing error scored Ko and Chaves, as Dommino made it to third. He scored on Caleb Miyake-Matsubayashi's single to make it 3-0. Kaden Anderson then dropped a bunt and reached safely on an error. The two runners advanced on Fujioka's sacrifice. After Imamura struck out, Douglas Mortensen was hit by a pitch to load the bases. An error scored the tying run before a runner was gunned down trying to steal third.

The Vikings finally got to Fujioka in the bottom of the sixth on back-to-back doubles by Kamren Agpalza and Baba Lancaster. 

Hilo started a rally in the home seventh. Talus Sato led off with a walk and after one one, took second on Jarren Sakamoto's single. Koa Marzo Jr.'s single loaded the bases. Agpalza was hit by a pitch to force home a run. After Lancaster fouled out to first for the second out. Fujioka was pulled for Rabor, who walked Zion Palea to bring another run in to make it 5-3. Imamura was brought in with a 1-0 count on Dylan Villanueva and walked him to force home another run to make it 5-4. But Imamura struck out Geraci to end the threat and save the game.



Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at [email protected].




Show your support

Every contribution, no matter the size, will help ScoringLive continue its mission to provide the best and most comprehensive coverage of high school sports in the state of Hawaii and beyond.

Please consider making a contribution today.

ADVERTISEMENT


IMAGE GALLERY



MORE STORIES

Photo extra: 2024 OIA Awards Banquet

Photos from the 2024 Oahu Interscholastic Association Awards Banquet Friday night at the Ala Moana Hotel...

Mililani's Duranceau headlines All-OIA West selections

The senior outside hitter helped lead the Trojans to the OIA Division I championship match and state...

Castle's Pili-Rumusod named All-OIA East POY

The senior setter set the table with over 300 assists and 100 digs for the Knights, who reached the OIA...

HMSA honors 19th class of Kaimana Awards & Scholarship Program

The ceremony recognized 15 high school seniors and nine high schools for all-around excellence in academics,...

Aiea's Souza headlines All-OIA D2 softball honorees

The Na Alii junior was dominant in the circle and at the plate to help Aiea win the OIA Division II championship.

Kalani sweeps top honors in OIA Division I-East softball

Naomi Stremick's versatile play helped the Falcons represent the OIA D1 East in the state tournament.