The Campbell Sabers repelled what could’ve been Pearl City’s chance to seize control of the OIA West. Jamin Kalaola hurled five scoreless innings as No. 4 Campbell overwhelmed No. 10 Pearl City 10-0 on Friday in a game shortened to six innings due to the 10-run rule.
Campbell improved to 8-1 and strengthened its hold on first place, inching closer to a first-round bye in the playoffs. Pearl City dropped to 6-3. A win by the Chargers would have put the teams in a tie, and Pearl City would’ve had a tiebreaker edge by virtue of a win at Campbell three weeks ago. Instead, the Sabers took command in the dusty, wild West. When they met on March 7, Pearl City pulled out a stunning 7-6 win in 12 innings.
“Today, our offense got hits in clutch situations with two outs,” Kalaola said.
“It was a big game. Last time, we couldn’t clutch up. Today, we hit with men on base,” said Campbell coach Rory Pico, whose team is on a six-game win streak.
“What’s different this time is we had three games in five days,” Pico said. “Sometimes (opposing) pitchers make good pitches, but we’ve been working hard on those situations.”
“This was a big game for us,” Pearl City coach Wes Yonamine said. “It is what it is. That’s how the ball bounces. Campbell is a great team and they made big hits. We’ve just got to come back.”
Kalaola was generally untouchable until his final inning, when he got out of a bases-loaded jam. The right-hander finished with three strikeouts and one walk, permitting a paltry three hits. He threw just 71 pitches.
“In the ’pen, my curve wasn’t working, but during the game it came as we went along,” the 6-foot-3 senior said.
Four Sabers had at least two hits. Nicholas Sampson (three RBIs, three runs) and Rory Escuadro (RBI, stolen base) each went 3-for-3 against a trio of Charger pitchers. Pearl City’s Jansen Shigeta went 22⁄3 innings, allowing four runs on six hits with one strikeout and one walk.
The Sabers pounced on Shigeta with a run in the top of the first. With two outs, Sampson’s two-out single scored Ansley Isaacs-Costa (walk).
In the third, the Sabers scored three times and chased Shigeta from the mound. With two outs, Sampson lined a single to left, plating Dylan Ramon (single) and Ikaika Ganancial (bunt single). After Escuadro singled, Kalaola followed with a single to center, scoring Sampson from third for a 4-0 Campbell lead.
On the mound, Kalaola was in a groove, retiring 11 of 12 batters.
In the top of the fifth, the visitors added four big runs. Roy Clemons Dias (double) scored on Escuadro’s sacrifice fly to center. Sampson (single) hustled to third on the play and then scored on Kalaola’s sac fly to center.
With the bases loaded, Ganancial then slapped a single to left, scoring Charles Monell (walk) and Shayden Sabangan, who had re-entered after pinch hitter Maka Malama walked. That gave the Sabers an 8-0 lead.
Campbell scored twice in the top of the sixth off Pearl City’s third pitcher Kulia Neal. Escuadro socked a run-scoring single and pinch hitter Shayden Banaay added a sacrifice fly.
Darien Robinson pitched the final inning for Campbell, getting out of a bases-loaded jam.
