Damien stuns Kamehameha to stay alive in baseball

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KAT WADE / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-ADVERTISER

‘Iolani’s Shane Sasaki stole third as Punahou’s Asa Kurasaki closed in for a tag during the early going of the game played at Ala Wai field on Friday. The game was rained out and will be resumed on Thursday.

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The Damien Monarchs refused to surrender, and with a stunning 7-6 win over No. 6 Kamehameha on Friday afternoon, they’ve kept hopes alive for a regular-season Division II title.

Pinch hitter Milton Gainey III came through with a single to the left-center gap, scoring Mana Cameron with the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Damien’s chances? A long shot. Damien is 7-5 in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu with one game left in the regular season — against ‘Iolani on Monday at Goeas Field.

St. Francis is 7-4 with games against Kamehameha (today) and Pac-Five (Monday). If the teams finish tied atop the D-II standings, a tiebreaker game will follow.

Sophomore Braden Joines was solid in his first start. Damien was ahead 5-4 in the sixth inning when he left.

“He was awesome. He threw his curve over for strikes,” Monarchs coach Timo Donahue said. “He has no fear.”

For now, the Monarchs are riding momentum. They took advantage of three infield errors by Kamehameha to score five runs in the third inning and seize a 5-1 lead.

Kamehameha already had run-scoring singles from Chaesten Chon and Li‘i Pontes when Jonny Shimabukuro smacked a two-run single to left off new pitcher Kaysen Kajiwara to give the Warriors a 6-5 lead.

Joines’ sweeping curveball was effective enough. He allowed eight hits, struck out three, walked four and hit one batter.

Kamaha‘o Arita, in relief of Christian DeJesus, was superb. The right-hander hurled 3 1/3 scoreless innings, permitting just one hit with three strikeouts and one walk.

However, Arita left before the seventh inning. He had thrown 45 pitches.

“I think my coaches might pitch me tomorrow,” he said.

Kapono Rawlins gave up singles to Jordan Donahue and Mana Cameron, and Donahue advanced to third base when the center fielder, Josiah Pekelo, fumbled the ball.

Kamalu Tuasivi then took the mound. Kamakani Motas laid down a perfect bunt on the first-base side of the mound for a single, scoring Donahue to tie the game. Tuasivi struck out Pomai Kim, but Gainey, a pitcher, showed the value of his offseason work as a hitter.

“He worked on his hitting since last fall,” Donahue said.

And now the wild and wacky ILH gets even more dramatic. Mid-Pacific (11-3) lost to Saint Louis on Friday, which keeps Punahou (9-3) in the chase. The ‘Iolani-Punahou game at Ala Wai was rained out. The game will resume on Thursday with the score 1-1 in the top of the second.