The Buffanblu pulled off a second straight Interscholastic League of Honolulu baseball upset Saturday, nudging past the Crusaders 5-4 in nine innings and pushing them out of a first-place tie with the Warriors.
Saint Louis (11-4) woke up Saturday with a chance at the ILH regular-season title, but by the end of the day at Ala Wai Community Park, the Crusaders were resigned to second place after Kamehameha (12-3) topped Mid-Pacific to finish one game ahead in the standings, thereby clinching a berth in the upcoming state Division I tournament.
“Punahou didn’t have anything to lose, and give them credit, they played everyone,” Saint Louis coach George Gusman said. “We obviously needed a win and we were playing with that pressure, so the stakes were higher on our end. We had a number of chances to take the lead and we had the right guys up, but nobody clutched up. Hopefully, playing with that kind of pressure helps us down the road.”
The Buffanblu (9-5), coming off a rousing 7-3 win over Kamehameha on Friday, broke a 4-4 tie in the top of the ninth (second extra inning). With the bases loaded, Cole Cabrera was hit by a pitch to drive home the game-winner.
“It grazed my shirt, so basically it kind of hit me,” Cabrera said, pointing to the school name emblazoned on his chest. “Not the ideal way to get an RBI, but hey, we needed this and I’ll take it. Momentum coming into the (league postseason) tournament is huge. This was a great win for us.”
All six ILH teams will enter the tournament starting next weekend, and one more squad will emerge with a spot in states.
On three separate occasions, a spectacular defensive play preserved the 4-4 tie. The Buffanblu turned a 6-4-3 double play with the bases loaded to end Saint Louis’ chance to go ahead in the bottom of the seventh. In the same inning, Punahou catcher Ryan Nishi sprawled to his left like a hockey goalie to stop what may have been a game-ending wild pitch.
The other game-saver was by Crusaders shortstop Keith Torres, who dove deep in the hole to nab a grounder, got up and fired to first to swat down Punahou’s bases-loaded rally in the top of the eighth.
“I thought Keith Torres was phenomenal at shortstop,” Gusman said. “He’s been doing that all season.”
Amazingly, Punahou used eight pitchers to get ’er done. Starter Duke Clemens and closer Riley Guieb went two innings each, with six others combining to throw the other five frames. Guieb earned the win, allowing two hits and striking out three.
Saint Louis’ Richie Vidal, in relief of Chase Meilleur, took the loss, but gave up just two hits.
Early on, the Crusaders built a 2-0 lead before the Buffanblu stormed for four runs on seven hits in the fifth to make it 4-2. Colin Freeman’s two-run double was the biggest blow, and Noah Loughlin and Nishi connected for RBI singles.
With one run in the sixth and another in the seventh, Saint Louis battled into the 4-all tie. Charles Lopez doubled and wound up scoring on a fielder’s choice in the sixth. Then, in sort of a reverse foreshadowing of things to come, a bases-loaded balk allowed Torres to score to keep the Crusaders alive.
“We’ve just got to prepare for the next game and make sure we come out fine instead of coming out flat like we did today,” Torres said. “Just because Punahou wasn’t throwing any top gun, we kind of took them lightly and thought we could roll them over. As you can see, we didn’t really perform as well as we should have.”
OIA EAST BASEBALL
No. 8 Kalani 5, Moanalua 4
At Moanalua
>> Moanalua (6-4) 200 200 0 — 4 11 2
>> Kalani (8-2) 201 011 x — 5 8 1
Noah Kang, Christian Capinia (1), Skyler Yamamoto (6) and Andrew Oasay. Harrison Moy, Micah Kawano (5) and Bronson Matsumoto. W—Kawano. L—Yamamoto.
Leading hitters—Moan: Cody Isa 2-4; Kamuela Labasan 2-4; Oasay 2-3, 2b; Tyler Trim 2-3; Alex Heacox 2b. Kaln: Kohl Suehiro 2 runs; Matsumoto 2-3, 2 RBIs; Kekoa Gabriel 2-3; Travis Toyama 3b.
Kaiser 1, Castle 0
At Castle
>> Kaiser (6-5) 000 100 0 — 1 3 0
>> Castle (2-9) 000 000 0 — 0 4 1
Pono Lyman and Kainoa Torres. Keoki Gaspar-Takahashi and Jabe Kahawaii. W—Lyman. L—Gaspar-Takahashi.
Leading hitters—Kais: Kainoa Craig 3b; Antonio Omphroy 2-2. Cast: Kahawaii 2b.
Roosevelt 6, Kalaheo 2
At Kalaheo
>> Roosevelt (5-5) 010 230 0 — 6 6 5
>> Kalaheo (1-9) 010 001 0 — 2 4 6
Kekoa Lima, Matthew Schewe (6), Makalii Lily (7) and Noah Nakamura, Noa Mena (7). Curtis Chung Jr., Evan Goad (4) and Lono Hussey, Noa Lapera (6). W—Lima. L—Chung.
Leading hitters—Roos: Jared Tamashiro 2-3, 2b, 3b, 2 RBIs; Hiram Kaikaina 2 runs. Kalh: Chung 2-3.
OIA WEST BASEBALL
No. 3 Campbell 5, Pearl City 3
At Pearl City
>> Campbell (10-0) 001 020 2 — 5 10 2
>> Pearl City (4-6) 000 001 2 — 3 6 1
Jamin Kalaola, Dayton Robinson (7), Ayzek Silva (7) and TJ Takahama. Dillon Hasegawa, Carson Okada (1) and Joey Casarez. W—Kalaola. L—Okada. S—Silva.
Leading hitters—Camp: Ikaika Ganancial 2-3; Dylan Ramon 2-2, 2b, 2 RBIs; Shane Shimizu 2-3, 3 runs; Justin Fernandez 2b. PC: Christian Onomura 2b; Cade Halemanu 2b.
Aiea 6, Leilehua 1
At Leilehua
>> Aiea (4-6) 003 101 1 — 6 9 1
>> Leilehua (4-6) 100 000 0 — 1 4 0
Bronson Nekomoto, Kobe Kato (7) and Jake Nakamoto. Jansen Dangaran, Raven Demmert (5), Kawai Phifer (7) and Jaxon Hotta, Jason Cook (7). W—Nekomoto. L—Dangaran.
Leading hitters—Aiea: Nakamoto 3-4; Kato 2-3. Lei: Kaika Cordero 2b.
Kapolei 8, Waipahu 3
At Waipahu
>> Kapolei (5-6) 400 300 1 — 8 9 2
>> Waipahu (4-7) 000 003 0 — 3 5 5
Zachary Collins, Garrett Wong (6) and Landon Kuroda. Kobie Russell, Jaron Sugimoto (4), Ethan Guevara (6) and Cole Phillips. W—Collins. L—Russell. S—Wong.
Leading hitters—Kapo: Cobey Fujii 2-4, 2b, 2 runs; Adam Berg 3-4; Corey Slade grand slam, 4 RBIs; Kyler Nakashima 2-3. Waip: Russell 2-3, 2b; Khaine Viliamu HR, 2 RBIs.
OIA DIVISION II BASEBALL
Waianae 15, Radford 5, 5 inn.
At Waianae
>> Radford (7-2) 302 00 — 5 5 4
>> Waianae (9-0) 027 15 — 15 12 4
Richard Akana, Jack Dillon (4), Carter Ogino (5) and Cole Courtney. Kaleo Akiona and Earl “EJ” Keamo-Young. W—Akiona. L—Akana.
Leading hitters—Rad: Matthew Lukins 2-2; Bradley Benito 2 runs; Isaac Grant 2-2, 2b, 3b, 2 RBIs. Wain: Braiden Ayala 3-3, 2 runs, 2 RBIs; Matt Orian 2-3, 3b, 2 runs, 4 RBIs; Rudyjay Keopuhiwa 2 runs; Teva Foster 4 runs; Kaleo Akiona 3-4, 4 RBIs; Brayden Chong 2b.
Kaimuki 14, Kahuku 7
At Kaimuki
>> Kahuku (2-7) 060 001 0 — 7 11 7
>> Kaimuki (4-5) 150 206 x — 14 6 2
Andrew Kohlert, Elvis Vakapuna (5), Pua Falemau (6), Moon Pilaca-Parkin (6) and Keola Baily. KB Palsis, Bailey Uehara (2) and Troy Tirbak, Palsis (2). W—Uehara. L—Kohlert.
Leading hitters—Kah: Vakapuna 4-4, 2 runs; Hala Latu 2-4. Kaim: Raymundo Gomez Jr. 2-3, 2 runs, 2 RBIs.
Farrington 8, McKinley 4
At Farrington
>> McKinley (0-9) 130 000 0 — 4 7 3
>> Farrington (7-2) 204 101 x — 8 7 1
Koolau Anderson, Dennis Pearson (3), Elijah Vincent (4), Noah Omori (5), Keanu Bolkeim (6) and Noah Diaz. Reese Shioji, Bishop Rapoza (6) and Treven Isobe. W—Shioji. L—Pearson.
Leading hitters—McK: Omori 2-3, 2b, 2 runs. Farr: Rapoza 2-3, 2 runs; Shioji 3-5; Cisqo Sagucio 2b.
Nanakuli 5, Waialua 4
At Waialua
>> Nanakuli (4-5) 000 030 2 — 5 6 2
>> Waialua (3-6) 001 002 1 — 4 3 5
Shayden Arindain-Pojas, Lexsen Kunukau (4), Clyde Enos (7) and Chyson Hoopai. Matthan Hatchie, Kyven Dicion (7), Gabe Baptista (7) and Mana Benz. W—Kunukau. L—Dicion. S—Enos.
Leading hitters—Nan: Austin Souza 2-4; Kunukau 2 runs. Wail: Hatchie 2 runs.
ILH DIVISION I BASEBALL
No. 7 Punahou 5, No. 4 Saint Louis 4, 9 inn.
At Ala Wai Field
>> Punahou (9-5) 000 040 001 — 5 13 1
>> Saint Louis (11-4) 100 101 100 — 4 10 3
Duke Clemens, David Zane (3), David Whittaker (4), Dustin Peters (5), Slater Pang (6), Evan Powers (7), Michael Robichaux (7), Riley Guieb (8) and Matthew Nakamoto and Ryan Nishi (5). Chase Meilleur, Richie Vidal (6) and Kai Perreira-Alquiza. W—Gueib. L—Vidal.
Leading hitters—Pun: Colin Freeman 2-4, 2b, 2 RBIs; Nakamoto 2-2, 3b. StL: Dylan Pagente 2-3; DJ Stephens 2-4; Charles Lopez 2-4, 2b.
‘Iolani 8, Maryknoll 3
At Hans L’Orange Park
>> ‘Iolani (5-10) 012 200 3 — 8 10 3
>> Maryknoll (1-13) 012 000 0 — 3 7 3
Micah Miyahira, Trevor Ichimura (5) and Carter Uechi, Blake Hiraki (6). Shane Himeda, Payton Grant (4), Justice Yamashita (6), Bryce Otsuka (7), Justin Shimomi (7) and Tyler Quinn. W—Miyahira. L—Grant.
Leading hitters—‘Iol: Shane Sasaki 2 runs; Reid Yamashiroya 3b, 2 RBIs; Micah Yonamine 2 RBIs; Zack Kon 2 RBIs; Uechi 2-2; Chad Suga 2b. Mryk: Quinn 2-2, 2b; Trey Deponte 2b.
ILH JV BASEBALL
>> Punahou 10, Maryknoll 1
>> Kamehameha 17, Damien 1, 5 inn.
BIIF BASEBALL
>> Kamehameha-Hawaii 14, Honokaa 0, 5 inn.
>> Kealakehe 12, Keaau 2, 5 inn.
MIL BASEBALL
>> Kamehameha-Maui 5, King Kekaulike 1
>> Molokai 16, St. Anthony 3, 5 inn.
