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The ILH put three teams into the state baseball tournament for the first time since 2012 and all three will play in today’s quarterfinals.
Punahou sophomore Kalae Harrison gave the Buffanblu their first lead with an RBI triple in the top of the seventh inning and Asa Kurasaki finished a home run shy of the cycle with two RBIs in a 6-2 win over Pearl City to close the first round of the Wally Yonamine Foundation/HHSAA State Baseball Championships at Les Murakami Stadium.
“They just kind of rallied up and we got lucky,” Punahou coach Keenan Sue said. “The hit-and-run that Kalae hit — I say the best type of hit-and-run is a home run — and that one was a triple. So he didn’t do his job, but it was a good mistake to hit it over the right fielder’s head.”
Punahou (14-6) got its first win in the state tournament since the 2010 state final that capped a seven-year run of state championships.
The Buffanblu, who finished third in the ILH, advance to play No. 1 seed Baldwin in today’s 4 p.m. quarterfinal.
‘Iolani, the ILH runner-up, will play No. 4 seed Mililani at 1 p.m. and ILH champion Mid-Pacific will take on Kailua at 7 p.m.
Matt McConnell worked two scoreless innings in relief of Kahi Bisho to pick up the win and exited in the seventh inning at 34 pitches to remain eligible to pitch today.
Kurasaki, who doubled in the third inning and tied the game with a one-out single in the fifth inning, added an RBI triple to right in the seventh to score Harrison for a 4-2 lead.
Ola Aina followed with a single to score Kurasaki and Jake Tsukada hit a sacrifice fly to right on a diving catch by Shawn Iwane to cap a four-run inning.
Pearl City’s Christian Pacrem, who had to come in to catch in the third inning when starter Joey Casarez left the game with an injury, walked and scored in the second inning and drove in the Chargers’ other run with an RBI single in the third inning.
At Les Murakami Stadium
Punahou (14-6) 001 010 4 — 6 8 0
Pearl City (9-7) 011 000 0 — 2 6 2
Kahi Bisho, Matt McConnell (5), Kyson Donahue (7) and Ryan Nishi. Cade Halemanu, Alika Almaraz and Joey Casarez, Christian Pacrem (3). WP—McConnell. LP—Almaraz.
Leading hitters—Pun: Aja Kurasaki 3-3, 2b, 3b, run, 2 RBIs; Kalae Harrison 1-1, bb, 3b, 2 runs, RBI; Kirk Terada-Herzer 2 runs. PC: Pacrem 2-2, run, RBI; Jensen Kaya 2-2, bb.
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