Kaiser starting pitcher Michael Austin could not get his off-speed pitches to work, but fortunately for the junior hurler, he threw just enough fastballs for strikes to get his job done.
The Cougars blanked visiting Moanalua 2-0 Monday afternoon and leaned on three pitchers who combined to scatter four hits while stranding nine Na Menehune runners. Noah Sakatani threw two innings of scoreless relief and Kelan Yoshioka left the bases loaded to end the seventh inning en route to notching the save for Kaiser.
“Moanalua is pretty talented, so I just came out with the mentality of throwing strikes,” said Austin, who walked three and struck out two through four innings. “My off-speed pitches weren’t working, but I had faith in my defense to make the plays, and they did. They were hitting me, but right to my defense thankfully.”
Moanalua (2-2) threatened in the final frame as Drake Fukushima was hit by a Sakatani fastball, and Yoshioka proceeded to walk Joshua Dulaney — his first batter faced. However, the junior southpaw struck out Nicholas Enrico, and after walking Na Menehune catcher Elijah Monis on a full count, the closer got Kristian Yap and Jaraad Salas to line out and fly out to end the game.
“If we were going to lose, it was going to be with our best guy on the mound, and Kelan is our best guy in that situation” said Kaiser skipper Mark Rasmussen. “He’s not going to strike a lot of people out, but it’s a lot harder to hit his fastball. We had the right guys in the right spots, and (Sakatani) was able to eat up some innings in the middle.”
Kaiser (3-1) only managed three hits in the game but picked up the runs it would need in the third inning, thanks in part to two costly Moanalua errors. Jordan Simao led off the frame with a walk, and ensuing batter Jake Torigoe reached on an error by Salas, who dropped a sacrifice bunt attempt that sailed right back at the pitcher. Austin helped his cause by bunting the runners over, and Salas uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Simao to score.
Salas appeared poised to get out of the inning with just one run allowed after getting Makana Lyman to fly out to center, but Torigoe came home to score on an error by Na Menehune third baseman Tyler Fujimoto, who could not corral a hard grounder off the bat of Yoshioka, who started the game for Kaiser at first base.
“Like I tell these guys, all the games are going to be like this,” Rasmussen said. “We try to push runners over any way we can with bunts and hit-and-runs, and two-out hitting. All we ask for is singles. That’s what we work on every day.”
The 5-foot-11, 210-pound Salas took the hard-luck loss despite striking out three through five innings, in part because his offense could not take advantage of five walks and a hit batter allowed by the Kaiser pitchers.
At Kaiser
Moanalua (2-2) 000 000 0 — 0 4 3
Kaiser (3-1) 002 000 x — 2 3 2
Jaraad Salas, Jorden Takushi (6) and Elijah Monis. Michael Austin, Noah Sakatani (5), Kelan Yoshioka (7) and Makana Lyman. W-Austin. L-Salas. S-Yoshioka.
Leading hitters—Moa: none. Kais: none.
ILH softball
No. 1 Kamehameha 1,
No. 9 Punahou 0
Rachel Dumlao scored on Maelia Zablan’s sacrifice fly to left field in the bottom of the fifth inning as the Warriors edged the Buffanblu.
At Kamehameha
Punahou (2-2) 000 000 0 — 0 0 0
KS (4-0) 000 010 X — 1 3 1
Jaci Young and Kylie Popovich. Kamalani Dung and Rachel Ogasawara.
W—Dung. L—Young.
Leading hitters—Pun: none. KS: Rachel Dumlao, run.
Mid-Pacific 2, No. 8 ‘Iolani 1
Nicole Lopez homered and drove in two runs to lead the Owls over the Raiders.
At Mid-Pacific
‘Iolani (2-2) 001 000 0 — 1 5 0
MPI (2-1) 000 020 X — 2 5 0
Taylor Garcia-Perreira and Cassie Ho. Kayla Au and Nicole Lopez.
W—Au. L—Garcia-Perreira.
Leading hitters—Iol: Alyssa Liilii 2-3; Ho 2b; Brielle Asato, run. MPI: Nicole Lopez, HR, run, 2 RBIs; Jenna Kumabe 2-3, run.
OIA WHITE SOFTBALL
Kalani 25, Anuenue 9,
5 innings
The Falcons plated 12 runs in the third inning on their way to a rout of Na Koa.
At Kalani
Kalani (2-3) 72(12) 40 — 25 7 2
Anuenue (0-3) 201 06 — 9 3 12
Nicole Omai and Jacianne Furuya. P. Silva and Kanilehua Moepono-Techur.
W—Omai. L—Silva.
Leading hitters—Kaln: Kelli Muramaru 2 hits, 3 runs, 2 RBIs; Shaye Yoza 5 runs, RBI. Anue: none.
