WAILUKU » Hilo’s Kian Kurokawa scattered six hits for a complete-game shutout, sending the BIIF champions to the semifinal round with a 3-0 victory over Kailua in the Wally Yonamine Foundation Division I baseball tournament Thursday at Iron Maehara Stadium.
Kurokawa fanned two and walked one. He was hugged by his mother after the game and was wiping away tears.
"It’s the last start of my high school career. It’s a good way to end it, I guess. I was just spotting my fastball. Chayce (Kaaua) was calling a really good game," said Kurokawa, who also spotted his curves and sliders effectively.
DIVISION I BASEBALL STATE TOURNAMENT
At Iron Maehara Stadium
THURSDAY, MAY 9
Consolation
‘Iolani 3, Waipahu 0
Quarterfinals
Hilo 3, Kailua 0
Mid-Pacific 5, Waiakea 1
Campbell 5, Maui 1
Mililani 5, Baldwin 1
FRIDAY, MAY 10
Consolation
10: Leilehua vs. Pearl City, 9 a.m.
11: Kailua vs. Baldwin, 11:30 a.m.
12: Waiakea vs. Maui, 2 p.m.
Semifinals
Mid-Pacific vs. Campbell, 4:30 p.m.
Hilo vs. Mililani, 7 p.m.
SATURDAY, MAY 11
Consolation
‘Iolani vs. G10 winner, 9 a.m.
Fifth place
G11 vs. G12 winners, noon
Third place
Semifinal losers, 3 p.m.
Championship
Semifinal winners, 6 p.m.
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The fourth-year starter was a model of efficiency.
"He’s right on the plate all the time and with two strikes, he pitches to contact," coach Tony DeSa said.
Kailua starting pitcher Bryce Ah Sam was in command in the first two innings with four strikeouts, but Hilo reached him in the bottom of the third. Tyler Higa-Gonsalves singled, Chayce Kaaua walked and Jodd Carter tripled to deep right to give the Vikings a 2-0 lead.
"Today, during batting practice, I said he looks like he’s got that wood-bat power back," DeSa said. "During fall, he hits with power and during basketball season, he loses that muscle."
Kurokawa retired the first nine batters and permitted just two hits going into the sixth inning. Kailua loaded the bases with three singles, but Kurokawa got Kahuku Iaea to ground out — with help from shortstop Micah Kaaukai deep in the hole — to end the threat.
"I just told myself, I gotta get this out. I gotta do this for the team. We worked too hard just lose in the (quarterfinal) round," Kurokawa said.
Kaaukai was a major factor defensively.
"Micah, he’s amazing. We’ve got a saying, we’ve got each other’s back and that’s what we do. We pick each other up and that’s what a great team does," Kurokawa said.
Hilo added an insurance run in the sixth when Drew Kell socked a two-out double and Kaaukai followed with a single to center, scoring Kell.
Ah Sam was solid in 52/3 innings, allowing three runs on five hits. The lefty struck out five and walked four.
Kurokawa used 21 of the 35-out limit (three-day period) on Thursday, but he doesn’t expect to pitch today or on Saturday.
"Maybe if the situation calls for it, but we have a couple other pitchers and I have faith in them to do the job," he said.
at Iron Maehara Stadium
| Kailua (11-6) |
|
000 |
000 |
0 |
— |
0 |
6 |
0 |
| Hilo (12-4) |
|
002 |
001 |
x |
— |
3 |
6 |
0 |
Bryce Ah Sam, Keola Himan (6) and Royce Komesu. Kian Kurokawa and Chayce Kaaua. W–Kurokawa. L–Ah Sam.
Leading hitters–Kailua: none. Hilo: Jodd Carter 1-2, double, 2 RBIs; Drew Kell 2-3, double, run.
Campbell 5, Maui 1
The battle of Sabers versus Sabers went to the OIA champs, thanks in part to six errors by the MIL runners up, including three in the first inning.
Senior Jasten Smeigh pitched 52/3 innings to earn the win. His fastball, changeup and slider were effective.
"My curveball was here and there," he said.
He also contributed at the plate with a two-run single in the first inning. Tryzen Patricio had a run-scoring groundout in the first as the visitors opened a 4-0 lead.
Maui chipped away in the fifth with one run, a sacrifice fly by Dustin Kokubun to bring home Jacob Tiu.
But Maui, which finished with six errors, never got closer.
Campbell tacked on an insurance run in the sixth when Rayven Kahana reached on an error and scored on a single by Patricio.
Maui pitcher Samuel Sutton finished with a three-hitter, retiring 13 of 14 Campbell batters during a mid-game stretch. All five Campbell runs were unearned.
| Maui (12-4) |
000 |
010 |
0 |
— |
1 |
7 |
6 |
| Campbell (15-1) |
400 |
001 |
x |
— |
5 |
3 |
2 |
Samuel Sutton and Jaylan Suda. Jasten Smeigh, Kila Kapihe (7) and Tryzen Patricio. W–Smeigh. L–Sutton.
Leading hitters: Maui: Jacob Tiu 3-3, run; Sutton 2-3. Campbell: Alii Pedrina 2-2, run; Smeigh 1-3, 2 RBIs, run.
Mililani 5, Baldwin 1
Kanoa Hironaka pitched the game of his life, a four-hitter against the top-seeded Bears before a packed house.
Hironaka struck out two and walked one to stifle coach Jon Viela’s MIL champions, who dropped to 11-3.
"My slider was working for me today. It was kind of shaky in the pen (before the game), but I made my adjustments and I was ready," said Hironaka, who threw 94 pitches and benefited from two double plays.
Baldwin’s No. 2 starter, Joshua Nobriga, lasted 32/3 innings, giving up two runs — both unearned — and three hits. He fanned two and walked five.
The Trojans took advantage of two bases-loaded walks — which came after an error — and a botched double-play throw to score three runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Then came two more runs in the sixth courtesy of a Baldwin error.
| Baldwin (11-3) |
010 |
000 |
1– |
1 |
4 |
1 |
| Mililani (11-7) |
000 |
212 |
x– |
5 |
9 |
1 |
Joshua Nobriga, Anoai Moe-Keahi (4), Patrick Turner (6) and Makana Victorine. Kanoa Hironaka and Jamesson Madrid. W–Hironaka. L–Nobriga.
Leading hitters–Baldwin: Makana Victorine 2-3. Mililani: Troy Kakugawa 2-3, double, RBI, run; Sean Sonognini 2-4, RBI, run.
CONSOLATION I
‘Iolani 3, Waipahu 0
| Waipahu (9-8) |
000 |
000 |
0 |
— |
0 |
1 |
5 |
| Iolani (9-10) |
000 |
012 |
X |
— |
3 |
4 |
1 |
Joshua Maglangit and Graysen Fuentes. Austin Jimon (3), Joshua Inouye (5), Corey Nakakura (6) and Josh Inaba. W–Jimon. L–Maglangit. Sv–Nakakura.
Leading hitters–Waip: Maglangit 2b. Iol: Tanner Nishioka: 2-3, 2B, RBI.
