Campbell erupted for seven runs in the second inning on the way to upending Kalani 11-1 on Friday night in the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I baseball semifinals.
The undefeated and second-ranked Sabers (14-0) rode the seven-hit pitching of Jamin Kalaola at Les Murakami Stadium to secure a title-game matchup tonight against Kailua, which beat Mililani 13-3 in the other semifinal a few hours earlier.
“We had some good swings today and we swung at good pitches,” said Campbell coach Rory Pico, whose team pounded 15 hits. “We had a better approach at the plate and were able to score some runs.”
Eleven Campbell batters came to the plate during the bottom of the second inning. Dylan Ramon drilled a two-run double to lead the way, and TJ Takahama and Nick Sampson added RBI singles, with Ikaika Gancancial helping the cause with a sacrifice fly. One error by the Falcons proved to be crucial, and it turned out that all seven Sabers runs in the inning were unearned off of starting and losing pitcher Eddie Lee.
“You can’t do anything when you give up that many hits,” Falcons coach Shannon Hirai said. “I thought we came out swinging the bats, but couldn’t sustain it. That big inning (by the Sabers) just killed us. I thought we were on the right track, getting four hits (and a run) in the (top of the) first inning, but we gave up seven runs the next inning.”
Sampson and Ramon had the extra-hot bats for Campbell. Sampson went 4-for-4 with a double, a stolen base and three runs scored. Ramon cracked two doubles and finished with three RBIs.
After giving up four hits and a run in the first inning, Kalaola put it on cruise control the rest of the way in front of a sparkling and errorless Sabers defense. After yielding two Kalani hits in the sixth, the junior right-hander fanned the side to finish the night with five strikeouts.
“My fastball and curveball were working the best,” Kalaola said. “I mixed in my change-up, but I couldn’t find my split. We got hits with runners in scoring position and we needed that. Against Kailua, we’ve got to be in the zone on defense and hit like we did today. We prepared for this the whole season; we gotta go out and take it.”
Campbell led 8-1 after two innings and 9-1 after four before finishing it on the mercy rule in the sixth with two runs on Kalaola’s RBI single and Chuck Monell’s bases-loaded walk.
Despite the lopsided loss, the eighth-ranked Falcons (10-4) take on Mililani in the league third-place game today and — just like all the OIA semifinalists — can look forward to appearing in the upcoming state tournament.
The two teams in tonight’s league title game have combined to win the past five crowns. Kailua (12-2) took it in 2012 and 2016, and Campbell captured it from 2013 to ’15.
“It’s going to be interesting,” Kalani’s Hirai said about tonight’s big game for the championship. “Both teams like to run, both teams exploded today and they’ve got a lot of confidence going into it.”
Said Campbell’s Pico: “It’s the league championship. It doesn’t get much bigger than that. Kailua’s a really good team year in and year out and we’re looking forward to the challenge.”
Kailua 13, Mililani 3, 6 innings
The fifth-ranked Surfriders unloaded on the Trojans with seven runs in the fifth inning to break open what had been a close contest and then scored four more in the sixth to end it by the mercy rule.
Kalua Neves’ two-run double that landed on the warning track near the 365-foot mark in left field at Les Murakami Stadium was the big blow in the fifth-inning rally that pushed Kailua (12-2) into the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I championship game tonight against Campbell.
Three errors in that fifth inning also proved to be devastating for the Trojans (7-7), who — like Kailua — have already qualified for the upcoming state tournament. They’ll play in the third-place game today against Kalani.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Surfriders scored four times and walked away winners with a 10-run margin on Matthew Kaleiohi’s three-run triple to right.
Kailua right-hander Stone Parker went the distance for the win, allowing just six hits and striking out seven.
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OIA BASEBALL DIVISION I PLAYOFFS
No. 2 Campbell 11, Kalani 1, 6 inn.
At Les Murakami Stadium
>> Kalani (9-5) 100 000 — 1 7 1
>> Campbell (14-0) 170 102 — 11 15 0
Edward Lee, Jarod Kaneshiro (2), Ian Higa (4), Noah Ching (6), Pablo Ruelas (6) and Bronson Matsumoto. Jamin Kalaola and Todd Takahama, Jace Fusco Kupukaa (6). W—Kalaola. L—Lee.
Leading hitters—Kalani: Kohn Suehiro 2-2; Matsumoto 2-3; Micah Kawano 2-3. Campbell: Shane Shimizu RBI; Ikaika Ganancial SF, SB; Justin Fernandez 2-2, 2 runs, SB; Dylan Ramon 2-4, 2 2Bs, 3 RBIS; TJ Takahama 2-3, RBI; Nick Sampson 4-4, 2B, RBI, 3 runs, SB; Roy Clemons SF; Kalaola RBI; Chuck Monell RBI.
No. 5 Kailua 13, Mililani 3, 6 inn.
At Les Murakami Stadium
>> Mililani (7-7) 020 101 — 3 6 3
>> Kailua (12-2) 002 074 — 13 12 0
Stone Parker and Jalen Ah Yat. Ryan Ancheta, Ethan Muller (5), Anthony Ano (6) and Thomas Nakatsukasa. W—Parker. L—Ancheta
Leading hitters—MIL: Nakatsukasa 2-3. KAIL: Matthew Kaleiohi 2-5, 3b, 3 RBIs; Joey Cantillo 2-4, 2 runs; Dylan Kurahashi; Jalen Ah Yat 2-4; Kalua Neves 3-4, 2 RBIs.
Moanalua 5, Pearl City 2
At Moanalua
>> Pearl City (6-9) 000 011 0 — 2 5 0
>> Moanalua (9-6) 010 301 X — 5 7 0
Marcus Boyles, Caleb Young (3), Kulia Neal (5) and Kaleb Nishijo. Christian Capinia, Skyler Yamamoto (5) and Andrew Oasay W—Capinia. L—Boyles.
Leading Hitters—PC: Davin Kapuras 2-3, run. MOA: Cody Isa 2-3, run, RBI; Tyler Trim 1-2, run, 2 RBIs.
OIA BASEBALL DIVISION II PLAYOFFS
Kaimuki 7, Nanakuli 2
At Nanakuli
>> Kaimuki (5-6) 010 041 1 — 7 4 0
>> Nanakuli (4-7) 000 010 1 — 2 4 3
Kamaha’o Keoho, Raymundo Gomez (7) and catcher not reported. Lexsen Kunukau, Clyde Enos (5), Nainoa Banks (6) and catcher not reported. W—Keoho. L—Enos.
Leading Hitters—Kaim: Kaulana Kaluna 2-4. Nan: Lexsen Kunukau 1-4, RBI.
Waianae 3, Kaimuki 2
At Waianae
>> Kaimuki (5-7) 011 000 0 — 2 2 1
>> Waianae (11-0) 011 000 1 — 3 5 2
KB Palsis, Jamon Young (6), Bailey Uehara (7) and catcher not reported. Brayden Chong, Macaiyah Borling (5) and Kaleo Akiona. W—Akiona. L—Uehara.
Leading Hitters—Kaim: Palsis 1-3, RBI. Wain: EJ Keamo-Young 1-3, RBI; Chong 1-2, RBI.
Radford 5, Farrington 4
At Waianae
>> Farrington (9-3) 200 200 0 — 4 7 1
>> Radford (9-2) 300 020 X — 5 5 6
Bishop Rapoza, Trey Kaawa (5), Treven Isobe (6) and Treven Isobe, Reese Shioji (6). Jack Dillon, Richard Akana (7) and Cole Courtney. W—Dillon. L—Rapoza. S—Akana.
Leading Hitters—Farr: Chasen Castilliano 2-4, run; Kaawa 1-2, run, 2 RBIs. Wain: Courtney 1-2, 3 RBIs, Akana 1-1, RBI, run.
MIL
>> Maui 7, Kamehameha-Maui 6
>> Molokai 10, Seabury 9
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