Kolby Gushiken drove in five runs and Shannon Fee went the distance on the mound as No. 2 Saint Louis routed No. 1 Kamehameha 12-2 in five innings to capture the ILH regular season crown at Patsy T. Mink Central Oahu Regional Park on Tuesday.
The victory sealed an automatic berth into the Walter Yonamine Foundation/HHSAA Baseball State Championships for the Crusaders.
“It’s a good feeling. The kids put the hard work in and wanted it badly. We just guide them through and coach them up,” Crusaders coach Benny Agbayani said. “Just believing in themselves and getting the job done, that’s what we told them. Put the bat on the ball, do the best you can. It’s great to get pitching like that from Shannon Fee again against a great team like Kamehameha. The kids showed they wanted it the most.”
Gushiken, the second batter in the Crusaders’ lineup, cranked a two-run single in Saint Louis’ four-run second inning against Kamehameha starting pitcher Kainoa Kaneshiro. The senior added a bases-loaded triple in the fifth frame, one of the final daggers in a six-run inning.
“Honestly, I’ve been struggling. It’s been hard. I just haven’t been myself, but my teammates have my back and always believe in me,” said Gushiken, a left fielder.
Fee was highly effective and looked like a slightly different pitcher from the one who lost a pitchers’ duel with Kamehameha’s Greyson Osbun last week. Relying much less on a wicked 12-6 curveball, Fee scattered five hits, struck out five and walked two in his complete-game win.
“Today, we swung the bats real well. My teammates rallied behind me and we got the win,” Fee said. “We fixed up a couple of timing things at practice. It felt good in the bullpen. I threw a lot of sliders (today).”
Agbayani noted the work Fee did with pitching coach Codie Paiva.
“Codie Paiva does a great job with these pitchers. He wants a lot from them, and the pitchers, believing in themselves, taking the mound and competing, that’s a big factor,” he said.
After four teams finished in a tie for first place to end the regular season, Saint Louis edged Mid-Pacific 5-4 on Monday to reach the final of the tiebreaker. Kamehameha advanced by beating ‘Iolani 5-1.
“We play Friday. We’ll get back to work. Saint Louis beat us today, no doubt about it. We just got to get better, prepare as best we can prepare for the tournament,” Kamehameha coach Daryl Kitagawa. “The playoffs are a grind for sure. It’s a battle of attrition. Everyone’s got a chance. The prize is to get into the state tournament. Saint Louis punched their ticket already.”
The ILH double-elimination (round two) playoffs begin on Friday with two more state-tournament berths for the taking. ‘Iolani claimed the third seed with a 4-2 win over MPI at Ala Wai Field on Tuesday.
On Friday, Saint Louis will have a bye while second seed Kamehameha plays seventh seed Pac-Five at CORP. Sixth seed Maryknoll will visit ‘Iolani, and fourth seed MPI will host fifth seed Punahou. All three games will begin at 3:30 p.m.
On Saturday, the second round commences. Saint Louis will play the Mid-Pacific/Punahou winner at Ala Wai Community Park at 10 a.m. Two more playoff games will be played on Saturday.
The Crusaders, shut out in their previous game with Kamehameha, scored four times in the bottom of the second inning on Tuesday. The bases were loaded when Gushiken singled to right off Kaneshiro, scoring Jadon Murakami and Kahanu Martinez. Designated hitter Kaili Kane followed with an opposite-field single to right, scoring Tanner Chun.
Sean Yamaguchi then singled to center, plating Gushiken for a quick 4-0 Crusaders lead.
Four of the Crusaders’ first five hits were to the opposite field.
Kamehameha had a runner in scoring position twice in the first four innings, but did not capitalize. Meanwhile, Saint Louis pushed single runs across the plate in the third and fourth frames.
In the third, Chase Sutherland led off with a single against new pitcher Logan Sanchez. Courtesy runner Isaiah Streadbeck advanced to second base on a groundout and went to third base on a sacrifice bunt by Kaiser Lemau. With Martinez at the plate, Sanchez crossed wires with his catcher, leading to a passed ball that allowed Streadbeck to score from third base for a 5-0 Saint Louis lead.
In the fourth inning, Chun led of with one of his three walks, stole second base, then scored on Mana Heffernan’s single to left.
Kamehameha got on the scoreboard with two runs in the fifth. Jace Souza’s single scored Cole Sylvester and Jayden Montero to bring the Warriors within 6-2.
Saint Louis then put the win away with six runs in the sixth. Martinez’s single scored Sutherland, and Gushiken’s triple brought home Lemau, Martinez and Chun.
Yamaguchi’s double brought Gushiken home, and Heffernan’s single brought Gushiken home to end the game by 10-run mercy rule.
At CORP
Kamehameha (11-5) 000 02 — 2 4 1
Saint Louis (12-4) 041 1(6)x — 12 15 0
Kainoa Kaneshiro, Logan Sanchez (3), Koen Mizukami (5), Nakoa Moses-Gomera (5) and Bruce Boucher. Shannon Fee and Chase Sutherland. W—Fee. L—Kaneshiro.
Leading hitters—KS: Jace Souza 2-3, double, 2 RBIs. STL: Tanner Chun 0-1, 3 walks, 3 runs; Kolby Gushiken 3-4, triple, 5 RBIs, 2 runs; Kaili Kane 2-2, HP, walk; Yamaguchi 3-4, double, 2 RBIs, run; Mana Heffernan 2-4, RBI; Sutherland 2-3, 2 runs; Kahanu Martinez 2-3, 2 runs, SB.
