Even with another baserunning blunder at Damon Field, the Punahou Buffanblu found some magic down the stretch.
Noah Goss delivered a two-run single to give No. 3 Punahou the lead in the top of the sixth inning and Riley Guieb hurled two scoreless innings in relief as the Buffanblu rallied past No. 4 Mid-Pacific 6-5 on Friday afternoon.
Goss pitched 5 innings (89 pitches) and permitted just three earned runs, but didn’t factor in the decision as a pitcher. He came up big at the plate with a 3-for-3 day, driving in two runs.
“It’s fun just going out there for the team, trusting my defense. The best part is the team wins,” he said.
Punahou overcame a missed base by a baserunner during the fourth inning, which also was the case on March 2 when the Buffanblu lost at Mid-Pacific.
Still, this was a thriller to the finish.
MPI’s Alex Oley singled with one out in the bottom of the seventh to become the potential game-tying run. He stole second and third bases, but after Guieb fanned Chase Wago, there were two outs. On a 2-2 pitch to right-handed batter Ryne Yamashiro, coach Dunn Muramaru sent the speedy Oley home. He slid head-first and appeared to have beaten the tag of Punahou catcher Codey Kitagawa, but was called out by the home plate umpire to end the game.
“He was in,” Muramaru said. “The ump said (Kitagawa) got the tag. It’s all right.”
Oley, who finished the game 1-for-3 with three stolen bases, echoed the same sentiment.
“It’s all right. Honestly, it wasn’t my best jump. I was on my back foot when I started running,” he said. “All I know is I got my hand out and everybody fell on me. I felt home plate. It was just a blur. It could’ve gone either way.”
Guieb saw Oley take off and tried to alter his pitch.
“I tried to pitch out to give Codey a chance,” he said. “He handled it.”
But was Oley out?
“It was hard to tell,” Guieb said.
The win pushed Punahou to 4-1 in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu. Mid-Pacific dropped to 3-3.
“The kids played tough, but we’re blowing leads,” Muramaru said. “We keep losing these games.”
The Owls jumped to a 4-0 lead in the first inning. Cameron Wong’s two-run double brought home Jacob Maekawa, who had singled, and Yamashiro, who was hit by a pitch.
With Kyle Layugan at the plate, Trevin Tengan scored on a wild pitch. Layugan then smacked a double to center, scoring Wong.
Easton Takamoto’s solo homer over the left-field fence put the Buffanblu on the scoreboard in the top of the second.
Mid-Pacific answered with a run in the bottom of the second. Oley reached base on a fielder’s choice, stole second base and scored on a throwing error by Punahou shortstop Andrew Matsueda to make it a 5-1 lead for the Owls.
The Buffanblu scored twice in the top of that fifth. Matsueda led off with a double and scored on Cole Cabrera’s triple to left. Goss’ sacrifice fly brought Cabrera home.
In the fourth inning, Logan Williams singled and Brent Shimoda ripped a double to left, apparently scoring Williams.
However, the Owls appealed and Williams was ruled out at third base for not touching the bag as he came home, nullifying the run.
MPI starting pitcher Ethan Fujikami departed after 5 innings with the lead. Punahou got to Maekawa, the reliever, right away. Takamoto socked a leadoff double in the top of the sixth and scored on Williams’ single to center, cutting MPI’s lead to 5-4.
With two outs, Goss came through with an opposite-field single to left, scoring Williams and Matsueda for a 6-5 Punahou lead.
“I was looking for any fastball I could hit,” Goss said of facing Maekawa, a sidearmer. “His pitches are from all angles, deceiving and the ball moves a lot.”
No. 3 Punahou 6, No. 4 Mid-Pacific 5
At Mid-Pacific |
Punahou (4-1) |
010 |
023 |
0 |
— |
6 |
12 |
1 |
Mid-Pacific (3-3) |
410 |
000 |
0 |
— |
5 |
8 |
0 |
Noah Goss, Riley Guieb (6) and Codey Kitagawa. Ethan Fujikami, Jacob Maekawa (6) and Kyle Layugan.
W–Guieb. L–Maekawa.
Leading hitters–Pun: Goss 3-3, 2B, 2 RBI, SF; Logan Williams 2-3, RBI, run; Jerick Nomura 2-4; Easton Takamoto 2-4, HR, 2B, RBI, run; Cole Cabrera 3B, RBI, run. MPI: Layugan 2-3, 2B, RBI; Cameron Wong 2-3, 2B, 2 RBI, run; Maekawa 2-4, run; Alex Oley 1-3, 3 SB.
No. 1 Saint Louis 10, Maryknoll 0, 5 inn.
Kai Alquiza drove in three runs, while Royce Hirayama and Dylan Spain combined on a no-hitter as the Saints shut out the Spartans.
At Ala Wai Field
Maryknoll (0-6) |
000 |
00 |
— |
0 |
0 |
2 |
Saint Louis (4-1) |
170 |
02 |
— |
10 |
10 |
3 |
Derrick Kurihara, Dylan Takara (2) and Chayson Dulatre. Royce Hirayama, Dylan Spain (5) and Taylor Meilleur.
W–Hirayama. L–Kurihara.
Leading hitters–StL: Kai Alquiza 2-2, run, 3 RBI; Charlie Lopez 2-3, run, RBI; Hunter Guarco 2B, RBI; John Kea run, RBI.
ILH DIVISION II BASEBALl
Damien 8, Pac-Five 6
Kaimana Cameron drove in three runs with the Monarchs’ only hit of the game en route to victory over the Wolfpack.
Despite getting just one hit, Damien benefited from 10 walks.
At Ala Wai Field |
Pac-Five (2-4) |
300 |
021 |
0 |
— |
6 |
5 |
1 |
Damien (3-3) |
001 |
250 |
x |
— |
8 |
1 |
4 |
Brandon Miyasato, Makoa Paresa (4), Brett Watanabe (5) and catcher not reported. Milton Gainey and catcher not reported.
W–Gainey. L–Paresa.
Leading hitters–P5: Lee Tanaka 2-4, run, RBI; Shandon Lagua 2B, 2 RBI; Brandon Miyasato 3 RBI. DMS: Kaimana Cameron 3B, 3 RBI.
ILH JUNIOR VARSITY
‘Iolani 8, Maryknoll 1
OIA DIVISION II BASEBALL
Radford 12,
McKinley 2, 5 inn.
Dylan Lewis drove in three runs as the Rams defeated the Tigers in a shortened game due to the 10-run mercy rule.
At Radford |
McKinley (1-2) |
000 |
02 |
— |
2 |
5 |
4 |
Radford (2-1) |
330 |
15 |
— |
12 |
5 |
1 |
Elijah Vincent, Noah Diaz (1), Cameron Fernandez (5) and catcher not reported. Carter Ogino and catcher not reported.
W–Ogino. L–Vincent.
Leading hitters–McK: Cameron Fernandez 1-2, RBI; Royden Espiritu 1-3, RBI. Rad: Dylan Lewis 2-3, 2B, 3 runs, 3 RBI; Dominic Albalos 2-3, 2 RBI; Tjader De Alba 3B, run, RBI.
biif baseball
Kamehameha-Hawaii 5, Hilo 4
MIL baseball
Molokai 19,
Lanai 9, 6 inn.
OIA EAST DIVISION I SOFTBALL
Moanalua 9, No. 9 Kailua 3
Na Menehune pounded out 17 hits, including four home runs, in the win over the previously unbeaten and ninth-ranked Surfriders.
At Moanalua |
Kailua (3-1) |
000 |
030 |
0 |
— |
3 |
6 |
2 |
Moanalua (2-2) |
205 |
200 |
x |
— |
9 |
17 |
4 |
Dyani Cummings and catcher not reported. Kyler Tsukada and catcher not reported.
W–Tsukada. L–Cummings.
Leading hitters–Kail: Delcie Willams 3-4, HR, 3 RBI; Jennika Odo 2-3. Moan: Taylor Takushi 3-4, 2 HR, 2 runs, 4 RBI; Summer Kamioka 3-4, HR, run, 3 RBI; Iyana Reed 2-3, HR, 2 runs, RBI; Makamae Kaleikini 2-4, 3B, run; Shanelle Lum 2-4, 2B, run, RBI; Raven Rosa-Lasco 2-4; Megan Oshiro 2B.
Castle 11, Kaimuki 1,
5 inn.
Jessica Kaupiko, Moana Hillen and Mele Turner all hit home runs to lead the Knights past the Bulldogs in a rout.
Cybele Murakami tossed a complete game to get the win for Castle.
Sirena Titer and Dacyleen Amond each had a hit to lead the Kaimuki offense.
At Kaimuki |
Castle (3-2) |
102 |
17 |
— |
11 |
11 |
1 |
Kaimuki (0-5) |
100 |
00 |
— |
1 |
2 |
3 |
Cybele Murakami and Jessica Kaupiko. Dacyleen Amond and Hokulani Takeyama.
W–Murakami. L–Amond.
Leading hitters–Cast: Shayla Young 3-4, 2B, 2 runs; Jessica Kaupiko 2-3, HR, 2 RBI; Moana Hillen 1-2, HR; Mele Turner 1-2, HR. Kaim: Sirena Titer 1-1; Dacyleen Amond 1-2.