Boosted by the support of nearly the entire Maryknoll student body, the Spartans pulled out a 4-3 win over Kauai on Friday morning to advance to the Division II championship in the Wally Yonamine Foundation/HHSAA State Baseball Championship.
Maryknoll students and faculty filled the stands behind the third-base dugout, with many of the elementary school students behind the protective net in the upper level, providing a lively atmosphere for the 10 a.m. semifinal at Les Murakami Stadium.
They cheered sophomore Jarred Kaneshiro through a complete-game performance and senior Joshua Muneno drove in the deciding run with a two-out triple in the bottom of the fifth as the top-seeded Spartans earned a shot at a third straight Division II title.
"It meant the world having that school support," Muneno said. "It was everything we could ask for."
Maryknoll coach Randy Yamashiro was told if the Spartans advanced to the semifinals, the school would organize the short bus ride to Manoa for the students. They needed a three-run rally in the bottom of the seventh to edge Kapolei 6-5 on Thursday to give the rest of the school a couple of hours off campus.
"Tremendous," Yamashiro said of the atmosphere. "We don’t have a home field … we play everything on the road, so for the entire school to see our kids play in a venue like this is a special, special treat for us. It is unique and just awesome."
Kaneshiro held Kauai to three hits, walked two and ended the game with his third strikeout, stranding the potential tying run at third. He relied primarily on his fastball and changeup and mixed in a slider on his final pitch.
"He basically gutted everything out this whole season," Yamashiro said. "He has defied all odds and he’s only a sophomore. To play at this level and to do what he did, hats off to him. He earned it today."
The first four Maryknoll hitters reached base in the bottom of the first and the Spartans took the lead when Trevor Hirano scored on an error. Jason Nakamura’s looper to center fell in for an RBI single and Muneno scored on Chayson Dulatre’s grounder back to Kauai pitcher Brayden Abreu.
Abreu settled down from there and the Red Raiders battled back with two runs in the second and tied the game when Shane Ogata reached on an error to allow Douglas Miyasato to score.
Muneno broke the tie with two out in the fifth when he drove a two-strike pitch to center field to drive in Hirano from third.
"I was looking for anything in my zone I could drive to get the run in," Muneno said. "Lucky he came over with the fastball (and)
