Saint Louis’ mistakes give Kamehameha the victory

The opening day of the ILH baseball regular season came down to mistakes.

No. 3 Saint Louis made a bunch of them in the bottom of the sixth inning, committing four errors that led to the go-ahead runs in No. 6 Kamehameha’s 3-1 victory on Tuesday at Goeas Field.

A well-pitched game between juniors Chase Meilleur of Saint Louis and Kamehameha’s Blaze Pontes was decided in the final full inning of play.

Meilleur, who threw a five-inning no-hitter against Aiea in the preseason, walked the first two batters in the inning.

Reliever Dawson Yamaguchi came in with runners on first and third and got the first out on a grounder to second.

Third baseman Ricky Costa hit a double-play ball to short, but the Crusaders botched it when the throw to second pulled Kai Perreira-Alquiza off the base. His throw to first then got away, allowing the runner to score from third.

Nick Penzetta, who had three of Kamehameha’s seven hits, followed with a slow grounder down the third-base line. Yamaguchi got to it first, but sailed his throw over the first baseman’s head, allowing an insurance run to cross.

Saint Louis had five errors in the game. Kamehameha didn’t make any.

“(Zero errors) was one of our goals for this game,” Kamehameha coach Thomas Perkins said. “We’ve had a tough preseason with some injuries and are a bit short-handed, so to beat a team as good as Saint Louis is a good start.”

Third baseman Brendan Uchima had three of the Crusaders’ eight hits and drove in their only run with an RBI single in the third inning.

Kamehameha tied the game on Micah Hee’s two-out RBI double in the fifth inning and went ahead in the next frame.

“That’s a double play that we turn 99 out of 100 times,” Saint Louis coach George Gusman said.

Meilleur gave up six hits in five-plus innings with four walks and two strikeouts.

Kamehameha was 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position when Hee drilled his second double of the game to drive in Penzetta, who doubled to lead off the fifth.

Pontes scattered eight hits over 51⁄3 innings with one walk and one strikeout.

He was lifted after giving up a one-out double to Matt Wong. Center fielder Chase Miyasato came on in relief and walked the first batter he faced before getting a double play to get out of the sixth.

He gave up a leadoff walk in the seventh inning before recording the final three outs in five pitches to earn the win.

“I just had to focus up and I had (catcher) Reven (Wong) settle me down,” Miyasato said. “We (played) very selfless too.”

Kamehameha gets No. 1 Mid-Pacific next on Friday, while Saint Louis plays Maryknoll at Ala Wai.

At Goeas Field

Chase Meilleur, Dawson Yamaguchi (6) and Taylor Meilleur. Blaze Pontes, Chase Miyasato (6) and Reven Wong. W—Miyasato. L—C. Meilleur.

Leading hitters—StL: Brendan Uchima 3-4, RBI; Matt Wong 2-3, 2b. KSK: Micah Hee 2-3, 2 2b, RBI; Makoa Mau 1-3, 2b, run; Nick Penzetta 3-3, 2b, run.