Fast start lifts Maryknoll to final

Given the copycat nature of sports, don’t be surprised if no team in Hawaii warms up between the lines before a game again.

Maryknoll has refused to use its seven minutes on the field before its two state tournament games this year, and it has paid off in a combined nine runs in the first inning. The Spartans scored four in the first inning of a 6-1 win over Molokai in the Division II semifinals of the Wally Yonamine Foundation/HHSAA Baseball State Championships at Hans L’Orange Park on Friday.

Maryknoll coach Randy Yamashiro said his team was denied the chance to take in-and-out in last year’s tournament, so he has declined the chance ever since.

"We geared everything for the state tournament and the ILH tournament," Yamashiro said. "Sometimes we can take it, sometimes we can’t take it, so we decided to get the kids ready this way."

Maybe the Spartans, who take their pregame grounders in foul ground, think that by declining the chance to warm up they will get to bat sooner.

The Spartans, who scored five runs in the first in a win over Konawaena on Thursday, battered Molokai starter David Rapanot for four runs on three hits on Friday.

Rapanot was untouchable in the sixth and seventh innings of Thursday’s win over Radford and looked just as effective in the bullpen before the game on Friday. When he hit the mound for real, though, he walked Maryknoll leadoff man Trevor Hirano on four pitches. He would never find his rhythm.

"That was tough, they came out firing," Molokai coach Michael McCutcheon said. "Our pitcher wasn’t ready to go and came out a little flat and there is nothing more I can really say about that."

Neal Nakasone sacrificed Hirano to second, Jedd Andrade followed with a single and Justin Ushio walked to load the bases. Josh Muneno laced a single to center field to make the score 2-0, and Brent Hironaga walked to load the bases again.

Rapanot got the second out on a fly to center by Phillip Aylward, but catcher Matt Yap drove in two more with a seeing-eye single that evaded both the second baseman and shortstop on its way to center field.

Yap, a senior who nailed down Maryknoll’s win over Konawaena on the mound, was pressed into duty behind the plate because Nakasone was injured in a collision at the plate on Thursday. Nakasone was cleared to play, but Maryknoll limited him to duties as the designated hitter. All Yap did in his place was drive in three runs and nearly catch a shutout behind it. Yap swung at all three pitches he saw in the game, going 1-for-2 and hitting it solid each time.

"I just wanted to hit," Yap said. "It was the first time I hit in a long time and I just applied what I was taught."

Maryknoll added two more runs in the fifth on an RBI single by Aylward and a sacrifice fly by Yap. They wouldn’t need them with Muneno on the mound.

Muneno got Maryknoll into the tournament with a win over Pac-Five in the ILH championship and was even more effective Friday. He scattered six hits and needed only 88 pitches to get through Molokai. He got 12 of his 21 outs on ground balls and shook off four Maryknoll errors.

"Josh was pitching a really, really great game," Yap said. "Everything was working, but they weren’t really hitting his fastball, so we just stuck with that."

Muneno’s only worrisome innings were the second and seventh. He gave up three hits in the second frame, but got out of it by picking Trevor Takata off first, and stranding the other two runners when he got Koal Kaulia-Makaiwi to ground to short.

He gave up a run in the seventh on a long double by Rapanot and an error that followed it, but left runners on the corners when Codi Kamakana flew out to right field.

"He was locating his fastball well and kept us off balance," McCutcheon said. "He’s a good pitcher."

Almost as important as the win was the complete game Muneno gave the Spartans.

They now have the luxury of a full bullpen for today’s championship.

"He saved our pitching staff," Yamashiro said. "We had a makeshift lineup today and I was on pins and needles from the first pitch. It was very important for him to get off to a good start and he was consistent and I was going to ride him all the way if I could."

Kamehameha-Hawaii 7, Waianae 5

The Warriors pulled off their second upset in as many days, beating the top-seeded Seariders.

Kamehameha-Hawaii pounded Waianae starter Brandon Cambra, chasing him after only four batters. Chad Teshima led off with a triple off the fence in left, and Chay Toson followed with a double off the fence in right field. Bronson Pulgados and Jordan Hirae walked, and Cambra was finished.

Makoa Rosario greeted Waianae reliever Kekoa Kaluhiokalani Jr. with a double to left to drive in two runs, but Kaluhiokalani escaped the inning with no more damage.

Waianae loaded the bases on three walks in the bottom of the first, but Toson escaped the jam.

Kamehameha-Hawaii scored two more runs in the bottom of the second on a throwing error.

Waianae rallied for four runs in the bottom of the sixth, but Toson struck out Tavita Lalau with runners on second and third.

The Warriors beat fourth-seeded Kapaa in the first round before taking out top-seeded Waianae. They meet No. 2 seed Maryknoll in the final tonight at 6.