Kaiser moves to quarters by downing Maui | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

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CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARADVERTISER.COM
Kaiser’s Jeshua Bitanga gestured from second base after hitting a line drive for a double on Tuesday.

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Kaiser’s Jeshua Bitanga anticipated the ball during a run-down of Maui’s Micah Jio in the third inning of the Wally Yonamine Foundation/HHSAA Baseball State Championships on Tuesday.

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Kaiser’s Michael Austin pursued Maui’s Micah Jio during a run down in the third inning of the first round of the Wally Yonamine Foundation/HHSAA Baseball State Championships on Tuesday.

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Kaiser’s Noah Sakatani delivered a pitch against Maui in the third inning of the Wally Yonamine Foundation/HHSAA Baseball State Championships on Tuesday. Kaiser advanced with 8-3 win over Maui.

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Kaiser’s Luis Omphroy went back on the ball and tracked it down for an out in the sixth inning of the Wally Yonamine Foundation/HHSAA Baseball State Championships on Tuesday against Maui.

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Maui's Jorda Yaji-Kawaha caught a fly ball hit by Kaiser’s Luis Omphroy in the fifth inning of the Wally Yonamine Foundation/HHSAA Baseball State Championships on Tuesday. Kaiser advanced with 8-3 win over Maui.

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Kaiser teammates greeted Luis Omphroy back to the dugout after he brought in a run in the seventh inning fof the Wally Yonamine Foundation/HHSAA Baseball State Championships against Maui on Tuesday.

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Kaiser’s Luis Omphroy dove back to first base as Maui's Chazz Ishikawa anticipated the ball during a pick-off attempt in the third inning of the Wally Yonamine Foundation/HHSAA Baseball State Championships on Tuesday.

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Maui's Callen Beeson dove to second base as Kaiser’s Shawn Miyashiro awaited the ball in the seventh inning of the Wally Yonamine Foundation/HHSAA Baseball State Championships on Tuesday.

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By Billy Hull

bhull@staradvertiser.com

The best medicine for a sick Noah Sakatani was a four-run lead before he set foot on the mound.

Curt Clivio’s two-run single helped the Kaiser Cougars grab an early lead and Sakatani took a shutout into the seventh inning before cruising to an 8-3 victory over Maui on Tuesday night in the Division I first round of the Wally Yonamine Foundation/HHSAA Baseball State Championships at Les Murakami Stadium.

Jeshua Bitanga doubled twice and Kelan Yoshioka and Aaron Oda each scored twice in the first two innings as Kaiser (12-5) blitzed Maui early to advance to the quarterfinals against No. 2 seed Campbell on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m.

“For not having his best stuff, (Sakatani) got by and of course (Maui) made some errors,” Kaiser coach Mark Rasmussen said. “It was good to jump out on them early.”

Sakatani struck out five and took a three-hitter into the seventh before Maui

(11-5) scored three times to avoid the shutout.

The Sabers committed six errors, including four in the first two innings to allow Kaiser to get out to a big lead.

“The kids battled back, but any time you commit six errors, you’re not going to get away with that,” Maui coach Chase Corniel said.

Maui starter Jacob Tiu gave up six runs — three earned — in 12/3 innings. The first four Kaiser batters reached base to start the game as Tiu fell behind 2-0 to the first three batters.

Yoshioka and Michael Austin singled and Oda drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases for Clivio, whose two-run single put Kaiser in front.

Shawn Miyashiro hit a one-out grounder off Tiu’s glove that was bobbled by Kao Mindoro at second and eventually thrown away by Micah Jio, allowing two more runs to score.

Oda added an RBI single in the second and scored on an error to push Kaiser’s lead to 6-0, which was plenty of support for Sakatani, who gave up six hits and four walks.

“My mom had bronchitis and I got sick over the weekend, so I’m not 100 percent, but I felt all right,” Sakatani said. “I feel like I jinxed (the shutout) myself in the fifth inning when I thought about it, so I’m a little bummed about that.”

Maui’s Callen Beeson held Kaiser to only three hits over the final 51/3 innings as he tried to keep the Sabers in the game.

Beeson’s RBI single with one out in the seventh ended Sakatani’s shutout bid and Maui scored two more times on two Kaiser errors.

Kaiser has won 10 of its past 12 games and finished fifth in the OIA, losing only to Campbell, 3-2 in nine innings, in the quarterfinals of the OIA tournament.

“This is what we were waiting for,” Bitanga said. “We want redemption.”

At Les Murakami Stadium

Kaiser (12-5) 420 001 1 — 8 8 2

Maui (11-5) 000 000 3 — 3 5 6

Noah Sakatani and Kelan Yoshioka. Jacob Tiu, Callen Beeson (2) and Bryant Nakagawa, Tiu (2) and Nakagawa (4). W–Sakatani. L–Tiu,

Leading hitters–Kais: Jeshua Bitanga 2-3, 2 2b’s, run. Maui: Jordan Yaji-Kawaha 2-3, run.