By Paul Honda

phonda@staradvertiser.com

Pilipo Kupahu tied the game with a two-run double and Dalton Kalama’s single brought home Kupahu for the winning run as Kailua rallied past Aiea 5-4 on Tuesday in the Division I first round of the Wally Yonamine Foundation/HHSAA Baseball State Championships.

The win by OIA runner-up Kailua (12-4) sets up a matchup with MIL champion Baldwin, the fourth seed, today in a 9 a.m. quarterfinal game.

“They held the fort down. We were down for a little while, but they never gave up on each other,” Kailua coach Corey Ishigo said.

It would’ve been Aiea in the next round if not for Kailua’s resilience and the clutch hitting of Kupahu, the No. 9 batter in the Surfriders’ lineup. In the bottom of the fifth inning, the senior delivered an opposite-field single that scored Jameson White, cutting Aiea’s lead to 4-2.

Then came the bottom of the seventh. Brandon Lono led off with a double to left, chasing Na Alii starter Dylan Madamba. Reliever Jansen Kudaishi followed by plunking White. Next, Dustin Imanaka advanced both baserunners with a sacrifice bunt.

Kupahu then sent a 1-2 pitch to the right-center gap for a double, scoring Lono and White to tie the game

at 4.

With just one out, Kudaishi issued intentional walks to Peter Kanoho and Brendan Odo to load the bases. Na Alii brought an outfielder into the infield, hoping for a forceout at home or maybe even a double play. But Kalama’s soft liner to the opposite field on a 1-2 pitch landed for a single and Kailua escaped.

“I was just trying to get the ball in play, look for a decent pitch,” said Kalama, sick with a cold since Friday. “It was a fastball a little bit away.”

It was especially tough for Madamba, a lefty whose curveball had the Surfriders off balance. He scattered seven hits over 61/3 innings with four strikeouts and two walks. He threw 85 pitches before yielding to Kudaishi.

“He was throwing everything for strikes,” said Ishigo, who wasn’t surprised by the move to Kudaishi. “He’s pitched a lot of big games. We just got lucky.”

Kailua’s third pitcher, Matthew Hanano, got the win. With starting pitcher Royce Komesu a late scratch due to a hamstring issue, things worked out for the Surfriders as they relied on a committee to outlast Aiea’s No. 1 arm. Hanano tossed four scoreless innings, allowing four hits.

At Les Murakami Stadium

Aiea (6-11) 013 000 0 — 4 9 0

Kailua (12-4) 100 010 3 — 5 8 1

One out when winning run scored.

Dylan Madamba, Jansen Kudaishi (7) and Hunter Yara. Kainoa Higa, Daniel Thomas (3), Matthew Hanano (4) and Dalton Kalama. W–Hanano. L–Kudaishi.

Leading hitters–Aiea: Chazdyn Quebral-Acosta 2-3, walk, run; Jayvin Alcantra 3-4, double, run; Shannon Fermahin 2-2, walk. Kailua: Kalama 2-4, double, RBI; Pilipo Kupahu 2-3, double, 3 RBIs.