Mililani opens wild OIA West with win over Campbell

People who know Mililani baseball head coach Mark Hirayama say he rarely voices his displeasure with umpires.

Hirayama feels he had reason to complain Wednesday with his team holding a slight edge over No. 6 Campbell during what turned out to be a 2-1 victory in the Oahu Interscholastic Association opener for both teams.

“What are you watching?” he questioned the umpires after the bottom of the fifth, moments after the visiting Sabers pulled off an uncommon triple play. “That’s terrible. That’s terrible.”

With the second-ranked Trojans’ Korrey Siracusa at third base and pinch runner Noah Domogsac at first, Hunter Kirahara hit a liner to left that Campbell outfielder Charles Monell dove to his right for. It was hard to tell if Monell caught it or trapped it and there was a delay in the call. Siracusa tagged up and went home. When Monell got up, he fired to first to nab Domogsac, who had gone to second.

First baseman Roy Clemons then threw to third, where teammate Justin Fernandez stepped on the bag to get a confused Siracusa.

The umpires ruled it a triple play, but Hirayama thought Siracusa should have been awarded a run for tagging up and crossed the plate legally.

If the run had counted, Mililani would have taken a 3-0 lead. Instead, the Trojans were ahead just 2-0 and more vulnerable against a comeback attempt.

Neither Hirayama nor Campbell head coach Rory Pico questioned the call on whether Monell trapped or caught the ball, and both said it was hard to tell from their vantage points.

“We told him (Siracusa) over and over to tag up and he did,” Hirayama said afterward. “I don’t know why the run didn’t count.”

The defending state champion Sabers immediately scratched for a run to make it 2-1 in the sixth, when Jordan Macias singled, stole second and third and scored on Markus Ramos’ two-out infield hit. The threat ended when Monell, pinch-running for Ramos, was caught stealing.

“Any one-run game comes down to the little things,” Pico said. “They just had more clutch hits than we had. We didn’t come up with the clutch hits when we needed to.”

In the seventh, Mililani starting pitcher Koa Eastlack and reliever Justin Ogasawara both walked a batter.

Ogasawara got out of the one-out jam and earned the save by fanning Shane Shimizu and then getting Kainoa Ganancial to swing at a low strike three.

Earlier, Mililani grabbed that 2-0 lead in the second inning on Siracusa’s RBI triple and a run-scoring hit by Keolu Ramos.

Eastlack struck out eight, walked four and only allowed five hits in his six-plus innings for the win. Campbell pitcher Nick Sampson went the distance and only walked one while giving up five hits.

Hirayama knows his Trojans — who made it to the state semifinals a year ago — were fortunate to get past the opener with a win.

“Campbell is always a thorn in our side,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of respect for what coach Rory does. They never give up and always compete. It’s a good team win.”

About the pitch fooled Ganancial and ended the game, Ogasawara said, “I gave him a fastball and it was my first inside pitch of the inning. He was looking for all outside and high, so I tried to jam him up.”

Said Campbell’s Pico: “The two pitchers they threw at us today, they’re the better ones, if not the best in the (OIA) West, at least. And (Sampson) did a pretty good job. Any time you hold Mililani to two runs, you’ve done a pretty good job.”

OIA RED EAST

No. 8 Kailua 8, Castle 3

The Surfriders scored two runs in the fifth inning to take a commanding lead over the Knights, en route to victory. Keiki Kanahele-Santos went 2-for-four with two RBIs and a run scored for Kailua.

At Kailua

Maui Gaison, Inoa Robello (4) and Jordan Harvest. Matthew Hanano, Stone Parker (6) and Dalton Kalama, Cameron Dudoit-Kamai.

W—Hanano. L—Gaison.

Leading hitters-Cas: Logan Madrona 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI; Jordan Harvest 2-3. Kail: Keiki Kanahele-Santos 2-4, 2 RBI, run; Dustin Imanaka 2-4, 3B, run, RBI.

Kalani 3, Moanalua 2, 9 inn.

Payton Awaya scored on a sacrifice fly by Kohl Suehiro in the top of the ninth and the Falcons edged Na Menehune in extra innings.

Hunter Lau paired hits for the Falcons and Andrew Oasay did the same for Na Menehune.

At Moanalua

Connor Zalewski, Christopher Nam (8), Micah Kawano (9) and Chad Kagawa. Tanner Inouye, Skyler Yamamoto (5), Tyler Nakata, Brandon Ikehara, Andrew Oasay and Kekaulike Kalua.

W—Nam. L—Nakata. S-Kawano

Leading hitters—Kaln: Hunter Lau 2-4; Kohl Suehiro 2 RBI. Moa: Oasay 2-4, run.

Kaimuki 2, Roosevelt 1

Andrew Neves scored the go-ahead run in the seventh on a passed ball, giving the Bulldogs the win over the Rough Riders.

Neves scored both of Kaimuki’s runs.

Kamahao Keoho was dominant for Kaimuki, pitching a complete game with eight strikeouts.

At Roosevelt

Kamahao Keoho and Kobe Hedgar. Dylan Nakatsuka, Matt Schewe (6), Hiram Kaikaina (7) and Jared Tamashiro.

W—Keoho. L—Schewe.

Leading hitters—Kaim: Andrew Neves 1-2, 2 runs; Keith Matsui 1-2, RBI. Roos: Shayne Cazinha 1-2, RBI.

OIA RED WEST

No. 2 Mililani 2, No. 6 Campbell 1

At Mililani

Nick Sampson and Bronson Burr; Koa Eastlack, Justin Ogasawara (7) and Hunter Kirahara.

W— Eastlack. L—Sampson. S- Ogasawara

Leading hitters—Camp: Jordan Macias 2-3, 2 SB. Mil: Rico Sallas 2-3, SB; Korrey Siracusa 3B, RBI.

Leilehua 2, Waipahu 1

The Mules jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, then held the Marauders scoreless until the final inning. Leilehua’s Shayce Cordero allowed just three hits.

At Leilehua

Jaron Sudimoto and Cole Phillips. Shayce Cordero and Jaryn Kanbara.

W—Cordero. L—Sudimoto.

Leading hitters—Wap: Michael Price 2-2, run. Lei: Christian Ontai 2-3, run; Jaryn Kanbara 2B, RBI, Jason Kook 2B, RBI.

Pearl City 4, Waianae 1

The Chargers held the Seasiders scoreless through six innings of play, before an error plated Waianae’s only run. Colby Hirano had two hits and an RBI to lead Pearl City’s offense.

At Waianae

Sam Prentice, Chase Yoshida (4), Matt Yokota (6), Carson Okada (7) and Kaleb Nishijo, Dillon Kaneshiro. Thomas Kaauwai, Quinn Searle (6) and Ejay Kuakini.

W—Yoshida. L—Kaauwai.

Leading hitters—PC: Colby Hirano 2-3, RBI; Yokota 2-4, RBI. Wain: Kaleo Chun 2-2, 2B; Drayden Coyaso 2-3.

ILH

No. 1 Mid-Pacific 3, No. 4 Punahou 2, 9 inn.

At Mid-Pacific

Noah Goss, Riley Guieb (7), Kahi Bisho (8) and Codey Kitagawa. Chase Wago, Daniel Nishihara (6), Carter Rustad (7), Ethan Fujikami (8) and Michael Yamamoto.

W—Fujikami. L—Bisho.

Leading hitters—Pun: Goss 2-5, run; Easton Takamoto 2-4, RBI. MPI: Alex Oley 1-4, HR, RBI, run; Trevin Tengan 2-3, 2B.

Also

No. 9 ‘Iolani 14, Maryknoll 6