The magical run of the team in green came to an end on Thursday, and with it, Saint Louis and Kamehameha are booking their flights to Maui.
No. 3 Saint Louis overcame a five-run second inning by Mid-Pacific for a 9-6 win at Patsy T. Mink Central Oahu Regional Park, clinching a state-tournament berth. Saint Louis will meet Kamehameha, the only remaining unbeaten team in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu double-elimination tournament, today at CORP.
Saint Louis (20-9 overall) had beaten the Owls twice in the regular season, each time by a one-run margin. Facing the hot Owls on Thursday, the Crusaders turned to versatile JT Navyac, who made his first ILH start and went the distance. His curveball was sharp, and his location was very good, except in the big second inning by the young Owls.
Navyac, who also had a two-run single, allowed six earned runs on eight hits with two strikeouts and just two walks. He made his first career start last week against Bishop Gorman (Nev.), going three innings and allowing just one unearned run.
“This is what we’ve planned for all year,” Crusaders coach George Gusman said of Navyac, who orally committed to Cal State Fullerton last week.
MPI (17-11-2 overall), the regular-season fifth-place team, knocked out Maryknoll and ‘Iolani on consecutive days before meeting Saint Louis. The Owls were kryptonite to the Raiders, beating them in their final three matchups.
“We’re young. They started to figure it out. At this point of the year, they’re veterans. It takes a while,” Owls coach Dunn Muramaru said. “We did as well as we could have with this group.”
The Crusaders scored three runs in the first inning off MPI starting pitcher Breyndon Nakamura. Cole Kashimoto, Noah Tory and Caleb Lomavita singled to load the bases. Mathew Saelua’s single scored Kashimoto, and Navyac walked to force in Tory from third base. Lomavita came home on a double play.
MPI showed its big-inning capability moments later with five runs in the top of the second. With two runners on base, Cade Yoshimura doubled to center, scoring Travis Ito and Cameron Ching. After Bryson Ho singled, Navyac fanned Mackenzee Higuchi for the second out. Lee Matsuzaki followed with a triple to center, bringing two runs home for a 4-3 Owls lead.
Matsuzaki then scored on a wild pitch to give MPI a two-run cushion.
“(Pitching) coach Dudie (Douglas Dureg) said to keep it down, you can’t mess with these guys or they’ll attack. I missed high in that inning,” Navyac said. “But that just set me on fire.”
From that point on, he permitted just one run on two hits in the final five innings. Saint Louis regained the lead in the bottom of the second, chasing Nakamura. With two outs, Kashimoto reached on a bunt single, Tory singled and Lomavita walked to load the bases.
Zarek Kon replaced Nakamura with the count 2-0 on Saelua, who drew two more balls for a walk, scoring Kashimoto from third. Navyac followed with a single to left, plating Tory and Lomavita for a 6-5 Saint Louis lead.
Saint Louis tacked on single runs in the third, fourth and sixth innings, each time using sacrifice bunts. In the third, Hunter Peneueta singled with one out, advanced to second on a bunt by Jonah Zembik, and scored on a single by Kashimoto.
In the fourth, Saelua was hit by a Kon pitch with one out. Navyac’s sac bunt moved Saelua to second, and he came home on a single by Austin Teixeira for an 8-5 lead.
In the top of the fifth, the Owls scratched out a run. Matsuzaki led off with a single, Landon Hakkei walked, and Matsuzaki came all the way home on a double-play ground ball.
Saint Louis got its final run in the the sixth. Lomavita led off with a single, advanced to second on a Saelua sac bunt, went to third base on a wild pitch by Payton Tanaka, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Navyac.
