Kauai comes through with state championship

In a sterling game for the Division II state championship, the Kauai Red Raiders nearly lost their chance to take the lead in the top of the seventh inning.

Instead, one of the most peculiar plays in recent memory was examined and rehashed and, ultimately, gave Kauai the opportunity it needed. Jacob Borrero’s infield single wound up tying the game, and after the umpires ruled that his ejection did not warrant a third out, an infield error by Damien allowed Sam Nakata to score the go-ahead run as Kauai edged Damien 5-4 in the D-II final of the Wally Yonamine Foundation/HHSAA State Championships at Les Murakami Stadium on Saturday night.

Kauai (13-3), the champion of the Kauai Interscholastic Federation, earned its first state title since 2011. Interscholastic League of Honolulu champion Damien, under coach Timo Donahue, was seeking its first state baseball crown. The Monarchs had prime opportunities, loading the bases with no outs in the first frame, and getting a runner to third base in the sixth. Both times, they came up empty.

“We had chances. I think that’s why it hurts more,” said Donahue, whose team saw an astounding 10-game win streak end.

The scenario in the top of the seventh began with Damien (17-6) ahead 4-3 after gaining the lead the inning before. Damien starting pitcher Javin Cortez walked the No. 9 hitter, Ethan Gray, who stole second base. After Hoku Parbo struck out, Tyler Oshima grounded to third, and Gray advanced to third base on the throw to first.

Damien intentionally walked Sam Nakata before Borrero came up to bat. On an 0-2 pitch, Borrero hit a chopper up the middle and beat the throw for an infield single, diving safely across first base as his helmet fell off. Gray came home to score the tying run, but Borrero inexplicably spiked his helmet as he laid on the ground with the play still alive.

The first-base umpire immediately ejected Borrero, but in the confusion of the moment, the play was also ruled the third out. As Damien left the field and the game tied at 4-all, the Red Raiders were percolating in the dugout, as were their fans in nearby seats. Kauai was actually on the field preparing for the bottom of the seventh inning when the umpiring crew convened for five minutes.

“We were just hoping the call would go our way,” said left fielder/pitcher Christian Manera, who pitched nine shutout innings against Kamehameha-Hawaii and Molokai earlier in the tourney.

The umpire crew changed the out call and Kauai raced off the field back to the dugout in one of the more bizarre turns in state-tournament history.

With the game tied at 4 and runners at the corners, Skyler Sadora’s ground ball was mishandled by first baseman Jayden Cabbab, allowing Nakata to score from third base with the go-ahead run.

That was all the Red Raiders needed. Keoua Sibayan, who had entered the game in the sixth inning in relief of the starting pitcher, Borrero, was perfect in the bottom of the seventh. He retired the top of the Damien lineup in order, all on ground balls, and Kauai had its third D-II state championship.

Longtime Kauai coach Hank Ibia didn’t pick up on the bizarro third out for a moment.

“It was (assistant coach) Gary Montalbo who brought it up, and one of our community coaches in the stands, Jason Koga, yelling to us that the umpires missed it,” Ibia said. “The umpires were willing to listen. I should’ve known that, but in the heat of battle, I was upset that we lost (Borrero). I knew once we told the umpires, they would change the call.”

Borrero pitched five innings and allowed three earned runs on nine hits with one strikeout and two walks. His play on the game-tying single, however, will never be forgotten.

“I usually don’t show my emotions on the field. The hype really got to me. I just wanted to do it for the team,” the sophomore said.

In the end, Kauai was one play better.

“We did well. We executed our plays pretty well. We saw Damien in preseason and they crush the ball. Their coach did a helluva job,” Ibia said. “The game could’ve gone either way.”

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