Mistakes add up for Leilehua in loss to Mililani

With two pitchers in control from beginning to end, Wednesday’s Mililani vs. Leilehua rivalry baseball game was bound to come down to a few mistakes.

The Trojans walked into Howard K. Oda Field in Wahiawa, took advantage of costly Mules miscues and went back home down the road with a 1-0 victory.

Mililani, the No. 1 ranked team in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s Top 10, did it with just one hit and one unearned run off of Leilehua ace right-hander Trayson Kubo.

The Trojans (8-0, OIA Red West) got their own pitching gem from junior southpaw Koa Eastlack, who scattered three hits and only walked one while striking out five.

"Koa battles," Mililani coach Mark Hirayama said. "He comes out and throws strikes, and it’s really good to have someone like that to go to (as the No. 2 behind Micah Chinen)."

With the pitchers dominating, the game lasted just 1 hour, 40 minutes.

Ty De Sa scored the only run in the fourth, when he reached on an error by second baseman Na’i Cordero, moved up two bases on two wild pitches and scored on a passed ball charged to catcher Kebi Dellatan.

"It’s cliche, but that’s the way the ball bounces sometimes," said Leilehua coach Lane Watanuki, whose Mules lost to the Trojans 2-1 in Mililani earlier in the season. "I feel bad for those two kids (Kubo and Dellatan). They’re the best of buddies. Out of everybody, (Dellatan) feels the worst. Mililani is the best team in the state, but we didn’t take care of our business."

In a postgame chat, Watanuki told his team to remember that "no one player lost the game for us."

Twice, the Mules (3-5) left two runners on base — on second and third in the fourth and on first and third in the fifth.

De Sa, who dove to his right to catch a line shot by Leilehua’s Nainoa Paragoso in the fifth, nearly allowed the Mules to score the tying run in the bottom of the fourth. Thanks to a perfectly placed eight-foot fence, the host team did not score.

"Ty is really effective defensively for us," Hirayama said. "He’s got a great glove and he’s got good size, and he moves well and gets a lot of balls in the dirt. Except today, he airmailed one."

On that play, the Mules’ Trey Yukumoto strayed off first, drawing a throw from Trojans catcher Sean Sonognini. Yukumoto started sprinting for second, so teammate Jared Academia bolted from second toward third, and then De Sa, who took the throw at first, fired one over third baseman CJ Ibara’s head. The ball hit the fence behind third, so Academia held up.

"That would have been a huge run for them there," Hirayama said. "Not all the fields have a fence there. Another three or four inches higher and the game is tied with another runner on third."

Said Eastlack, the winning pitcher who eventually got out of the inning: "I was really happy they didn’t get that one in."

Yukumoto had two of the game’s four hits, but he was cut down at second trying to stretch a single to a double in the sixth. The bloop hit dropped between shortstop Justice Nakagawa and left fielder Kainoa Wilson before Trojans center fielder Adam Connell retrieved the ball and fired to second to catch Yukumoto.

"I hate to lose to Mililani, our crosstown rivals," said Kubo, who walked four and struck out eight. "I grew up playing with half of them. It’s really frustrating."

Jarrin Morikawa had Mililani’s only hit, a rip to right field, and he was barely safe at first on a throw from Mules right fielder Christian Ontai.

"We’ve just faced what might be the two top pitchers in the state (Campbell started major league prospect Ian Kahaloa on Saturday in a 2-1 loss to Mililani)," Hirayama said. "We expect to see everybody’s best. With good pitching and good defense, we will hopefully keep on winning games. I’m not worried about our hitting other than some of the kids are pressing a little bit. I’ll take a victory over batting average any day."

Koa Eastlack and Sean Sonognini. Trayson Kubo and Kebi Dellatan. W–Eastlack.  L–Kubo.

Leading hitters–Leilehua: Trey Yukumoto 2-3; Na’i Cordero 2b.

OIA RED WEST BASEBALL

No. 3 Campbell 10, Radford 0 (5 inn.)

Markus Ramos and Dylan Florentine combined on a one-hitter as the Sabers beat the Rams.

Campbell’s Keola Himan drove in three runs and Tryzen Patricio scored three times.

Nickolas Martinez, Tayvis Passos (4), Jacob Nishitomi (4) and Dominic Albalos. Markus Ramos, Dylan Florentine (5) and TJ Takahama, Blayze Arcano-Llacuna (4). W–Ramos. L–Martinez. 

Leading hitters–Campbell: Dorrien Hermosura 2b, 2 runs; Tryzen Patricio 2-2, 2 2bs, 3 runs; Keola Himan 2-3, 3 RBIs. 

Pearl City 3, Waipahu 1

Trenton Darley pitched a three-hitter with nine strikeouts and Dane Kaneshiro had a go-ahead, two-run single in the fifth inning as the Chargers defeated the Marauders.

Trenton Darley and Shaye Higa. Justin Kaeka, Kobie Russell (6) and Graysen Fuentes. W–Darley. L–Kaeka.

Leading hitters–Pearl City: Brent Clymer 2-3; Dane Kaneshiro 2 RBIs. Waipahu: Khaine Viliamu 3b.

OIA RED EAST BASEBALL

No. 6 Kailua 5, Roosevelt 1

Matt Hanano and Isaiah Kaeo-Cash combined on a two-hitter and the Surfriders scored four runs in the sixth inning in a victory over the Rough Riders.

Matt Hanano, Isaiah Kaeo-Cash (5) and Dalton Kalama. Jonah Sasahara, Christopher Haida (7) and Aaron Emoto. W–Hanano. L–Sasahara.

Leading hitters–Kailua: Noah Auld 2-3; Noah Ah Yat 2b; Kalama 2b, 2 runs.

KAISER 18, KAIMUKI 1 (5 INN.)

Dylan Buck, Logan Scott, Chase Asuncion and Luis Omphroy combined on a one-hitter and Noah Sakatani hit a grand slam as the Cougars defeated the Bulldogs.

Austin Inouye, Trentt Mida (2), JC Palsis (2), Keith Masui (4) and Kobe Hedgar. Dylan Buck, Logan Scott, (3), Chase Asuncion (4), Luis Omphroy (5) and Emmett Garcia. W–Scott. L–Inouye.

Leading hitters–Kaiser: Noah Sakatani grand slam, 2 runs; Lincoln Lima 2-3, 3b, 2 runs; Keoni Pangan 3b, 2 runs; Omphroy 2 runs.

Moanalua at Castle, ppd.

The game between Na Menehune and the Knights was postponed due to traffic concerns.

OIA WHITE BASEBALL

Farrington 7, Nanakuli 0

Kody Leiu and Stanley Nishioka combined on a four-hitter as the Governors defeated the Golden Hawks.

Leiu struck out seven batters over six innings.

Kody Leiu, Stanley Nishioka (7) and Brett Walden. Nainoa Banks and Travis Lopes. W–Leiu. L–Banks.

Leading hitters–Farrington: Ranan Mamiya 2-4, 2 runs; Nishioka 2-4. Nanakuli: Josh Lincoln 2-4, 3b.

KAPOLEI 19, MCKINLEY 8 (5 INN.)

Four Hurricane pitchers combined on a two-hitter against the Tigers.

Kapolei’s Cobey Fujii batted 2-for-2 with two runs and two RBIs and Noah Lono-Soares went 3-for-5 with a triple and two runs.

Joey Ching, Noah Lono-Soares (3), Adam Berg (4), Bradyn Yoshida (5) and Mykah Kuratani, Evan Nakamura (3). Dennis Pearson, Noah Diaz (2), Kyle Coloyan (5) and Elijah Vincent, Royden Espiritu (3). W–Yoshida. L–Pearson.

Leading hitters–Kapolei: Lono-Soares 3-5, 3b, 2 runs; Corey Slade 2b; Cobey Fujii 2-2, 2 runs, 2 RBIs. McKinley: Diaz 3b, 3 RBIs.

Kalaheo 10, Waialua 0 (5 inn.)

Kekai Smith and Alfred Catimon combined on an abbreviated no-hitter as the Mustangs held down the Bulldogs.

Kalaheo’s Zachary Espinoza hit a three-run homer and Thomas Capllonch went 3-for-3.

Mila Lele, Logan Onizuka (4), Branigan Lee (5) and Matthan Hatchie. Kekai Smith, Alfred Catimon (5) and Kaliu Lapera. W–Smith. L–Lele. 

Leading hitters–Kalaheo: Zachary Espinoza HR, 3 RBI; Thomas Capllonch 3-3, 2b, 3b; Matthew Sasaki 2-3, 2b, 3 runs, 2 RBIs; Jack Bell 2-3, 2 RBI.

Aiea def. Kahuku (forfeit)

Na Alii improved to 5-0; the Red Raiders dropped to 0-6.