Wise words help Saint Louis pitcher win

A few words from a former Saint Louis ace helped current Crusaders pitcher Jordan Yamamoto shape his approach for Thursday’s matchup with Mid-Pacific.

Yamamoto chatted with Chris Chung, the All-State pitcher of the year in 2010 and one of his mentors last season, early in the game and heeded the advice in crafting a complete-game performance in Saint Louis’ 7-2 win.

“He was just saying let the defense work against these guys, grounders, pop flys, whatever,” Yamamoto said.

Yamamoto got 14 outs on groundballs, six on flyballs and one on a popup to the catcher as Saint Louis (6-5) handed the Owls their second loss of the ILH baseball season.

Yamamoto held Mid-Pacific to four hits and the Crusaders took control with a six-run fourth inning highlighted by catcher Iolana Akau’s two-run double followed by an RBI triple by Jacob Gribbin.

Mid-Pacific (9-2) had already clinched the league’s regular-season title and a state tournament berth with a 5-3 win over the Crusaders on Tuesday. So Thursday’s rematch was far more crucial to Saint Louis in its pursuit of a second-place finish behind the Owls.

Finishing second could take on significance in determining the ILH’s second state tournament representative if Mid-Pacific wins the upcoming double-elimination tournament as well.

“We control our own destiny,” Saint Louis coach George Gusman said of the race for second, with Punahou (4-5) and Kamehameha (3-6) also still within reach.

Mid-Pacific closes the regular season today against Kamehameha at Hans L’Orange Park, and head coach Dunn Muramaru used Thursday’s game to give a few younger pitchers a chance to throw.

“They’re getting their other guys ready … that’s a smart thing to do. I wish we had that luxury,” Gusman said.

Saint Louis leadoff batter Rayson Romero opened the game with a double and later scored on a wild pitch. Mid-Pacific freshman Chase Wago was effective over the next two innings and the Owls tied the score on Isaiah Kiner-Falefa’s RBI single in the bottom of the third.

Saint Louis then sent 10 batters to the plate in the fourth, pulling away on run-scoring singles by Ricky Ahlo-Pinera and Romero. Akau delivered his double with two out, and Gribbin’s triple into the right-field corner capped the rally.

“It’s about time I got out of my slump, I hadn’t gotten a hit since last week against ‘Iolani,” said Akau, who also singled in the first inning. “Today my two hits were really big for me, got my confidence up and hopefully it’ll carry on to next Tuesday (against Punahou).”

Mid-Pacific got a run back in the fifth on back-to-back doubles by Marcus Doi and Daniel Fentriss. But Yamamoto persevered to finish out the complete game.

“He just trusted in his pitches and trusted in his defense,” Akau said.

“He has enough velocity,” Gusman said, “we’re trying to get him to be a pitcher instead of just somebody who throws the ball. The more he can learn to be a pitcher, he can be very, very good.”

At Mid-Pacific Institute
Saint Louis (6-5)    100    600    0    —    7    10    3
Mid-Pacific (9-2)     001    010    0    —    2    4    1
Jordan Yamamoto and Iolana Akau. Chase Wago, Nick Bottom (4), Derick Valoroso (4), Ryan Murata (5) and Marcus Doi.
W—Yamamoto. L—Wago.
Leading hitters—Saint Louis: Rayson Romero, 2-4, 2B, RBI; Akau, 2-4, 2B, 2 RBIs; Jacob Gribbin, 3b, RBI; Ryder Kuhns, 3-3; Ricky Ahlo-Pinera, RBI. MPI: Isaiah Kiner-Falefa, RBI; Marcus Doi, 2b; Daniel Fentriss, 2b, RBI.