The hits keep coming for the Mid-Pacific Owls.
No. 3-ranked MPI sprayed 15 base hits, getting a 4-for-4 day from Kodey Shojinaga and a 3-for-3 performance from Chance Otsuka in a 12-4 win over ‘Iolani on Thursday afternoon at Damon Field.
It was the opener for both teams in the ILH’s double-elimination baseball tournament. Mid-Pacific (16-6 overall), the third-place team in the regular season, will meet second-place Kamehameha on Saturday at Hans L’Orange Park in a 3 p.m. matchup.
Kamehameha eked past Pac-Five 7-6 on Thursday. There were oohs and ahhs at Damon Field earlier in the afternoon when it was announced Pac-Five had a 3-2 lead on Kamehameha before eventually losing the edge. Mid-Pacific’s squad did what it could to focus on the job at hand.
“Just getting quality at-bats, one through nine, working the count and getting good pitches to hit,” Karter Wong said. “I was looking for the fastball over the plate. The pitcher wasn’t getting his curveball over, so I was hunting the fastball and making him pay.”
The Owls scored five runs in the first inning and five more in the second to open a 10-3 lead. Aaron Mills pitched the first 2 innings and Brayden Heatherly went 12⁄3 innings. Senior Jackson Keenan closed the game out with 3 1/3 innings.
“Besides the starters, no one really knows who’s going in. This is the longest I’ve gone ever. My fastball was working. I threw only one slider. That was Coach’s idea,” Keenan said, referring to pitching coach Craig Hayashi. “There’s been some ups and downs, but overall we’re really close together and we have a good chance of making states.”
Mid-Pacific coach Dunn Muramaru saw his bullpen step up nicely.
“We had a little problem in the second and third innings, and Keenan came in and regulated it, got it back to normalcy. When you’ve got a lead like that, basically you’re just trying to make guys hit the ball. Unless you make errors and walks and hit people, it’s hard to score 10, 12 runs,” Muramaru said.
The Raiders mustered just four hits, but had their chances. They left nine runners on base. ‘Iolani coach Kurt Miyahira declined to comment after the game. The Raiders will face Pac-Five on Saturday.
Draven Nushida led off the bottom of the first with a single and Nathaniel Wagner doubled. Wong doubled to left, scoring both baserunners. After Otsuka was hit by a pitch, Shojinaga drilled a long drive off the center-field fence for a double, scoring Wong for a three-run lead.
‘Iolani starter Trent Ihle struck out Chandler Murray, but a ground ball by Matthew Lawton led to a throwing error by shortstop Rylen Miyasaki. That allowed Otsuka to score. After Coen Goeas walked to load the bases, Tyler Young relieved Ihle.
Kash Choy grounded into a 4-6 fielder’s choice, scoring Shojinaga from third base for a five-run cushion.
The visiting Raiders responded with three runs in the top of the second frame. Makani Tanaka led off with an infield single, and Brandon Wada and Cole Ide walked to load the bases. Brock Makashima’s infield single scored Tanaka for ‘Iolani’s first run.
After Mills fanned Jonah Velasco, Wada raced home on a wild pitch, and Rylen Miyasaki’s sacrifice fly to left brought Ide home, cutting the lead to 5-3.
Mills retired Travis Ujimori on a grounder to second, ending the inning.
The Owls chased Young during their five-run second inning. Wong and Otsuka socked opposite-field singles and Shojinaga singled to center, loading the bases. Murray’s single to left scored Wong.
Lawton then doubled to deep left, clearing the bases for a 9-3 MPI lead.
After Young struck out Goeas, Choy doubled to right, with the ball glancing off the glove of the right fielder Ide on a diving attempt. Lawton scored on the play, opening the margin to seven runs.
Izack Takazawa took the mound and retired Nushida on a grounder to first.
Mills allowed an infield single to Bruin Agbayani and walked Mana Lau Kong, and was replaced by Brayden Heatherly. The senior right-hander retired Tanaka and Wada, but walked Ide to load the bases. Heatherly’s wild pitch allowed Agbayani to score on a close play at home plate, bringing the Raiders within 10-4.
Heatherly whiffed Makashima to end the top of the third inning.
Keenan took the mound with two outs in the top of the fourth and two ‘Iolani runners on base. He retired Lau Kong on a ground ball to short.
The Owls tacked on two runs in the bottom of the seventh. Otsuka singled to center and Shojinaga doubled to left. Murray’s sacrifice fly to center field brought in MPI’s 11th run, and a sac fly by pinch hitter Reyn Matsuzaki closed the scoring.
