Justin Ogasawara’s pinch-hit, opposite-field bloop single brought home Thomas Nakatsukasa for the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning as Mililani rallied from a seven-run deficit for a 9-8 win over Pearl City on Tuesday afternoon at the Trojans’ field.
The senior-day win pushed Mililani to 6-5 in the OIA West, where it is now the sole possessor of second place. Every team but Campbell (10-0) is in a scrum — six squads within a two-game margin.
“It was huge for us to have this win,” Trojans coach Mark Hirayama said. “We didn’t give up. We have 30 guys and every day we tell them everybody is important.”
Micah Kaohu was clutch with four RBIs, including a three-run triple in the sixth inning. Ogasawara was cold when he stepped out of the dugout, a former ace pitcher-turned-pinch hitter because of a torn labrum.
“He’ll do anything it takes to help his team win,” Hirayama said.
The count was 1-2 on Ogasawara with two outs and the bases loaded against Pearl City’s second pitcher of the game, Matt Aribal.
“It was a fastball, middle away,” Ogasawara said. “I kind of chipped it.”
The ball looped toward second baseman Noah Domogsac, but kept carrying toward the edge of the outfield grass. With the wind blowing in now at a standstill, the ball was just out of the reach of Domogsac, falling in for the game-winning base hit.
Seth Thomas, Mililani’s third hurler, pitched the seventh inning and was the winning pitcher.
For six frames, the visiting Chargers and starting pitcher Dillin Hasegawa were in firm control. They scored a run against Mililani starter Shane Griffin in the second inning, when Davin Kapuras doubled and scored on Carter Hirano’s two-out triple.
In the third, Sam Prentice (2-for-3, two RBIs) led off with a single and came home on Aribal’s single to right, giving Pearl City a 2-0 lead.
With Hasegawa cruising along — one run allowed and 52 pitches thrown in the first five innings — the Chargers plated five runs in the fourth inning. Four of their five hits in the inning were consecutive, including a two-run single by Prentice to score Joey Casarez and Hirano. With two outs, Aribal blooped a single to right, scoring Kulia Neal and Prentice. On the same play, a throwing error by right fielder Austin Dela Cruz allowed Prentice to race home from third base, and the catcher Nakatsukasa hustled for the ball and misfired on a throw back to the plate, allowing Prentice to score.
Pearl City led 7-0 after four frames.
In the bottom of the fourth, an error by Pearl City opened a door for the Trojans. Korrey Siracusa reached base on a fielder’s choice, stole second and third, and scored on Nakatsukasa’s infield single.
In the top of the sixth, Prentice led off with a walk and advanced to second on a Jensen Kaya sacrifice bunt. Aribal followed with a groundout to first, but on the toss from first baseman Taylor Inouye to pitcher Cole Mayeshiro, Mayeshiro stepped on first base and dropped the ball. Prentice rounded third base and scored to give the visitors an 8-1 lead.
Then came the bottom of the sixth, when Mililani scored five runs to get close. Bryson Arakaki and Siracusa singled with one out, and Inouye walked to load the bases. Nakatsukasa’s single to left scored Arakaki, cutting the lead to 8-2.
Aribal moved from third base to pitcher, and on his first pitch, Kaohu drilled a triple to left center, clearing the bases and cutting the game to 8-5. After Bryce Yonemori walked, Zach Lafata socked a single up the middle, scoring Kaohu from third to make it an 8-6 game.
Mililani’s Thomas, got out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the seventh.
The Trojans got a leadoff walk by Arakaki in the bottom of the inning. Siracusa then sent a ground ball to short, but the normally sure-handed Kapuras bobbled the ball and Arakaki slid into second base safely. After a sacrifice bunt by Arakaki, Nakatsukasa walked on a full count to load the bases.
Kaohu then flew out to center, scoring Arakaki from third base, cutting the score to 8-7.
Yonemori then singled to center, scoring Siracusa from second base to tie the game at 8. The throw home from the outfield was off-target, allowing Nakatsukasa to advance to third base and Yonemori to second. That’s when Ogasawara stepped into the box and came through.
ILH Baseball
Punahou 4, Maryknoll 0
At Maryknoll
Punahou (10-5) 000 020 2 — 4 6 0
Maryknoll(1-14) 000 000 0 — 0 4 2
Kyle Uemura, Chris Amemiya (7) and Manny Nakamoto. Dreydon Yamaguchi, Matthew (5), Noah Kinder (6) and Noah Hata.
W—Uemura. L—Yamaguchi. S—Amemiya
Leading hitters—Pun: Andrew Matsueda 2-3; Nakamoto 2-2; Colin Freeman 2 runs.
OIA West Baseball
Mililani 9, Pearl City 8
At Mililani
Pearl City (4-7) 011 501 0 — 8 11 2
Mililani (6-5) 000 105 3 — 9 10 4
Two outs when winning run scored.
Dillin Hasegawa, Matt Aribal (6) and Joey Casarez. Shane Griffin, Cole Mayeshiro (4), Seth Thomas (7) and Thomas Nakatsukasa.
W—Thomas. L—Aribal.
Leading hitters—PC: Aribal 2-4, SB, 2 RBIs; Cade Halemanu 1-4, double, HBP; Davin Kapuras 1-2, double, 2 HBP, run; Joey Casarez 1-2, 2 BB, run; Carter Hirano 2-3, triple, RBI, run; Kulia Neal 1-3, run; Sam Prentice 2-3, BB, 2 RBIs, 3 runs. Mil: Bryson Arakaki 1-3, BB, 2 runs, SB; Korrey Siracusa 1-4, 3 runs; Nakatsukasa 2-3, BB, 2 RBIs, run; Micah Kaohu 2-3, SF, 4 RBIs, run; Bryce Yonemori 1-3, BB, RBI; Zach Lafata 2-3, RBI.
OIA East softball
Kailua 13, Farrington 3, 6 inn.
at Farrington
Kailua (5-3) 202 540 — 13 10 0
Farrington (3-6) 300 00x — 3 1 4
Dyani Cummings-Lani and Keani Yamamoto. Kelia Miller, Kylie Carganilla (5) and Kaycie Okada, Krislon Philpot-Rosa (4).
W—Cummings-Lani. L—Miller.
Leading hitters—Kail: Desiree Chang 3-4; Harley Texeira 2-3, 2 runs, 4 RBI.
OIA Division II softball
Radford 21, Waialua 4, 5 inn.
at Radford
Waialua (2-5) 102 01 — 4 5 9
Radford (5-2) 509 7x — 21 18 4
Honey Jose-Woods and Lea’a Puleiala. Abby Wilson and Mahea Hetrick.
W—Wilson. L—Jose-Woods.
Leading hitters—Wail: Puleiala 2-2. Rad: Wilson 3-4. 2 runs; Ciera Farias 2-3, 2 runs; Selina Tavarez 3-4, 3 runs, 3 RBI; Baileigh Susak 2-3, 4 runs; Hetrick 2-2, 2 runs, 2 RBI; Puni Seei 2-3, 2 runs.
