Academia’s 15 K’s get Leilehua a ‘W’

Leilehua’s Cody Academia could only take so much losing.

Academia struck out 15 batters and gave up only two hits as Leilehua shut out Mililani 3-0 at Fred Wright Park on Friday.

It was the Mules’ first win after an 0-3 start.

"It’s like we hit rock bottom," Academia said. "It’s not a good feeling at all, so to come back with something like this, it is awesome."

Academia provided his own offense in the bottom of the first when he doubled to right field to score Ian Kaopua. It was all the offense the Mules would need, but they tacked on another run in the third when Ryan Ramos stole second with Coryn Iwamasa on third. Mililani catcher Jamesson Madrid threw the ball into center field to score Leilehua’s second run.

The Mules scored again in the fifth on a home run into the gap by Ricky Van Gelder that just eluded Mililani center fielder Ekolu Ramos’ diving attempt.

Van Gelder was rounding third by the time Mililani tracked down the ball in the spacious park.

Academia struck out Kanoa Wong with his 101st pitch to escape a jam in the top of the inning and pumped his fist, but he appeared to be done. Leilehua’s bullpen got busy during the jam, but when Academia reached the dugout he told his coaches that he wanted to stay in.

Even though Academia lost much of his stuff and loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth on his fifth walk of the game, a single and a hit batsman, his catcher was back there to nurse him through.

Kaopua calls the pitches for Academia with a little help from the coaching staff, and talked Academia through a strikeout of Gavin Shon on a ball high above the zone and a ground ball to third by Adam Connell that Leilehua third baseman Trey Yukamoto lollipopped to first but was bailed out on by a nice stretch by Jonah Paas at first.

"He had everything today," Kaopua said. "I could see when it comes later in the game he kind of needs that motivation to drive and finish the game. I just had to go out there and remind him to hit his spots. It was all him."

Academia and Kaopua closed out Mililani with a clean seventh inning, including strikeouts of Ramos for his 14th K and pinch hitter Kanoa Hironaka for his 15th. Academia threw 138 pitches in the win, but every one of them was worth it.

"It was killer," Academia said. "I don’t think I will be able to lift my arm tomorrow, but we were 0-3 and really needed to pick it up today."

Mililani drops to 2-1 early in the season. The loss leaves Pearl City and Campbell as the West’s lone unbeatens. The Trojans, who wasted a three-hit effort by pitchers Presley Alcover and Cole Nakachi, head into a big game at Pearl City on Wednesday and hope to have a better approach after a weekend of practice.

"Cody had a hell of a game," Mililani coach Mark Hirayama said. "He threw everything for strikes and kind of wanted it a little bit more than we did."

OIA EAST

Kalani 7, Roosevelt 5

The Falcons scored five runs in the sixth inning to defeat the Rough Riders.

Kalani’s Kaluna Kamakawiwoole hit a two-run double in the bottom of the sixth to tie the score, and Sean Romo followed with an RBI single to secure the Falcons’ first conference win.