HHSAA Baseball
Hilo edges top-seeded Kailua, 3-2


  



Wed, May 9, 2012 @ [ 7:30 pm ]


FINAL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Kailua 0 000110262
Hilo 0 0 1020X321

W: Nick Fukunaga    L: Jacob Cobb-Adams    SV: Jordan Tagawa

HILO: Chayce Kaaua 2-3 2 runs; Nick Fukunaga 6.0 IP 2 ER 2 K
KAIL: Kea Vierra 1-1 run; Jacob Cobb-Adams 2.7 IP 2 ER 4 K


Pretty much without having to take the bats off their shoulders, the Hilo Vikings pulled out a 3-2 win against top-seeded Kailua Wednesday night in a quarterfinal of the Wally Yonamine Foundation Division I state tournament at Les Murakami Stadium.

Jodd Carter drew two bases-loaded walks and Micah Ka'aukai was hit by a pitch with the bases full to account for all of Vikings' scoring to send them to Thursday's semifinal against Baldwin.

"To hold these guys down is a gigantic task," Hilo coach Tony Desa said of the Surfirders. "We've been hearing about them all year long. We know they've got great hitters. We got lucky tonight. We got some extra help, maybe, from higher powers. You know what I mean? That's how we look at it. That's why we keep on playing."

Chayce Ka'aua had Hilo's only two hits -- both singles -- and scored two of the three runs.

Nick Fukunaga pitched into and out of jams in six innings, allowing two runs, six hits and five walks, while striking out two for the win. Jordan Tagawa gave up a one-out single in a scoreless seventh for the save. Right fielder Randall Iha made a sliding catch of a foul fly by Kahaku Iaea to end the game.

"I trust my defense," Fukunaga said. "They made all the plays."

"I was thinking, 'Oh, please, let me get under it," Iha said of the sliding catch. "I was pushing as hard as I can. I knew the fence was close and I have it all I had."

With the game tied at 1, Jacob Cobb-Adams issued three of his four walks in the Vikings' two-run fifth. One of the walks was intentional to cleanup hitter Koa Matson.� But he walked Carter to force in a run and an out later, hit Ka'aukai with a pitch to bring home another. Cobb-Adams gave up two runs in 2 2/3 innings of relief of starter Eli Davidann, who allowed a run in 2 1/3 innings.

The Vikings took a 1-0 lead in the third when Davidann walked three of the first four batters he faced to load the bases. The only out he recorded in the inning was on Iha's sacrifice after Kian Kurokawa led off the inning with a walk.� Davidann was pulled for Cobb-Adams and got Matson to hit into a fielder's choice grounder to third that forced out a runner at home, but reloaded the bases. That's when Carter drew his first bases-loaded RBI walk.

Kailua tied it in the top of the fifth. Vierra singled with one out, stole second and went to third when D'Alessio grounded out to third. Kila Zuttermeister was intentionally walked, but Davidann's RBI single pulled Kailua to 3-2 before Kaipo Oamilda-Scholtz popped out to second to end the inning.

After getting Corey Louis-Soares to pop out to first, Kea Vierra was internationally walked and Wyatt D'Alessio was hit by a pitch to load the bases. But Zuttermeiser flied out to center to strand the runners.

The Vikings regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth. Iha led off with a walk and took second on Ka'aua single to right. The runners advanced on Keenan Nishoka's sacrifice to the pitcher. Matson was intentionally walked to load the bases before Carter drew his second RBI walk. After striking out� Tyler Higa-Gonsalves, Cobb-Adams hit Ka'aukai with a pitch to bring home another run before Cruz lined out to first to end the inning.

The Surfriders threatened in the top of the sixth when seven batters came up to the plate against Fukunaga. Bryce Ah Sam led off with a single to right and went to second when Iaea reached on third baseman Elijah Cruz's fielding error. Ah Sam stole third, as pinch runner Royce Komesu held first. Ah Sam scored on Tyler Takata's sacrifice squeeze that moved Komesu to second.

The Vikings are looking for their first state title since 1985, but need to get by Maui Interscholastic League champion Baldwin, which last won the crown in 1995. But Hilo's pitching might be running on fumes. It began the tournament without the services of Cody Kaniho, the team's No. 2 pitcher, Desa said, because of eligibility issues.

"For the most part, it will be by committee," Desa said. "We'll see how we feel. If pitch count is up. we have to bring somebody else in. I'm not going to hurt the guys, even if the state title is on the line."



Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at [email protected].




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