There’s a smidgen of difference between No. 4 Saint Louis and No. 5 Punahou, and Crusaders senior left-hander Dawson Yamaguchi proved to be it Saturday in a 3-0 victory.
Yamaguchi finished with a complete-game six-hitter and struck out seven in an Interscholastic League of Honolulu baseball postseason tournament game at Ala Wai Community Park.
By holding off the Buffanblu, Saint Louis (12-4) advanced in the winners bracket, where it faces No. 1 Kamehameha on Tuesday. Punahou, meanwhile, dropped to the losers bracket and plays ’Iolani in an elimination game Tuesday.
“Today, I felt great and my arm felt great,” said Yamaguchi, who didn’t walk a batter. “I think it’s all a credit to our team. Our defense played solid — the infield made plays, the outfield made plays. We had a whole week of preparation, we practice hard, we gave it our all and we got the win.”
Just one week earlier, Punahou (11-6) eliminated Saint Louis from the regular-season title chase with a 5-4 win at the same Ala Wai site.
In this one, the Buffanblu were never out of it, but they failed to capitalize on opportunities in the fifth and seventh innings.
Leading just 2-0 with two outs and runners on second and third in the fifth, Yamaguchi got Punahou’s Kai Terada-Herzer to pop out to first.
In the seventh, with Saint Louis holding a three-run cushion, the Buffanblu’s Andrew Matsueda led off by lacing a single to center. Matthew Nakamoto then grounded to short, where the black hole of a defender Keith Torres resides, and that quickly turned in to a 6-4-3 double play. Kyson Donahue and Noah Loughlin followed with singles that would have been more dangerous had there been no double play.
Instead of unraveling in crunch time, Yamaguchi coerced a fastball to catch the outside corner for a called third strike on Jerick Nomura to end it.
“These kids battle,” Punahou coach Keenan Sue said. “The only critique I have of us is we wait a little too long to get something going. That’s something we’re going to have to try and figure out. If we’re going to advance in the postseason, that’s something that we’re going to need.”
Crusaders coach George Gusman was not a bit surprised that the Buffanblu were knocking on the door in the seventh.
“All across the state, you have great, talented kids and great coaches and guys put in a lot of work in the offseason and during the season,” he said. “Guys just don’t give up, especially when you get into our tournament. It can be so final on you, so the kids understand the importance. They just don’t give up.”
Dylan Pagente’s RBI single in the third and Aaron Renaud’s sacrifice fly in the fourth off of Punahou starter Kyle Uemura put Saint Louis up 2-0. That second run — scored by Matt Wong — was a gift. Wong led off the inning with a single and made it all the way to third on an outfield misplay before coming home.
Hunter Peneueta was a big part of the Crusaders’ final run in the fifth for the 3-0 count. He singled, stole second, took third on Makana Ontai’s sacrifice and then scored on Torres’ sacrifice.
“Dawson was great, especially in the (fifth) inning with runners on second and third and he manages to get us out of the inning,” said Gusman, who acknowledged that it was a bad decision that led to an error on a failed pickoff attempt that deepened the jam Yamaguchi was facing. “And that ground ball (double play) in the last inning came at a great time to snuff out that rally.”
Punahou’s Sue wants his team to thrive despite the pressure of facing elimination Tuesday.
“Hey, man, win or go home is the best possible (way) to play baseball,” he said. “Why else do you play? We’ll practice on Monday and tighten up a few things.”
Added the Buffanblu’s Donahue: “We still have a good team. We’re still hitting. We’re fine. It was a good pitcher we faced today. But we’re going to come back strong and try to win this thing.”
ILH BASEBALL DIVISION I PLAYOFFS
No. 1 Kamehameha 3, ‘Iolani 2
At Ala Wai Field
>> ‘Iolani (6-11) 000 200 0 — 2 3 0
>> KS (13-3) 100 100 1 — 3 9 2
Logan Yee, Jordan Hara (7) and Blake Hiraki. Blaze “Lii” Pontes and Dylan Salcedo. W—Pontes. L—Yee.
Leading hitter—KS: Logan Salcedo 2-3.
No. 4 Saint Louis 3, No. 5 Punahou 0
At Ala Wai Field
>> Punahou (11-6) 000 000 0 — 0 6 3
>> Saint Louis (12-4) 001 110 x — 3 5 1
Kyle Uemura, Riley Guieb (6) and Matthew Nakamoto. Dawson Yamaguchi and Kai Perreira-Alquiza. W—Yamaguchi. L—Uemura.
Leading hitters—Pun: Kyson Donahue 2-3; Noah Loughlin 2-3.
BIIF BASEBALL
>> Waiakea 13, Keaau 1, 5 inn.
OIA EAST SOFTBALL
Roosevelt 12, Kalaheo 1, 5 inn.
At Kalaheo
>> Roosevelt (8-2) 240 42 — 12 11 1
>> Kalaheo (2-8) 010 00 — 1 1 4
Mari Foster and Hayley Uetake. Michelle Sakaki and Skyla Bain. W—Foster. L—Sasaki.
Leading hitters—Roos: Maya Nakamura 2-3, 2 RBIs; Kylie Kawamura 2-4; Mika Emoto 2-4, 2b, HR, 3 RBIs; Foster 2-4, 2 RBIs.
Kailua 14, Kaiser 0, 6 inn.
At McKinley
>> Kailua (7-3) 032 225 — 14 17 0
>> Kaiser (6-3-1) 000 000 — 0 2 2
Dyani Cummings-Lani and Denise Nagayama. Tahani Kahawai-Robertson, Kayla Russell (6) and Precious Aholelei. W—Cummings-Lani. L—Kahawai-Robertson.
Leading hitters—Kail: Desiree Chang 2b, 2 RBIs; Kamaile Hanawahine 2b, 2 RBIs; Cummings-Lani 2-5, HR, 3 RBIs; Harley Texeira 3-5, 2b, 2 runs; Akamulei Makua 2-3, 2 2bs, 2 runs; Jennika Odo 4-4, 2b, 3 RBIs; Gwen Villanueva 2-2, 2 runs; Alohi Alameda-Koanui 2 runs.
Also >> Moanalua 12, Farrington 7
OIA WEST SOFTBALL
Nanakuli 7, Waianae 4, 12 inn.
At Waianae
>> Nanakuli (2-8) 001 011 000 103 — 7 12 7
>> Waianae (0-10) 000 000 300 100 — 4 9 3
August McCoy, Chalyssa-Ann Belford (7) and Kaila Burnette. Hepua Tambaoan, Kayla Hensley (8) and Tyra Pai. W—Belford. L—Hensley.
Leading hitters—Nana: Keani Brown-Nahinu 3-6, 2b, 4 RBIs; McCoy 2-5, 2b, 3b, 2 RBIs. Wain: Xailey Kamealoha 2-5.
OIA DIVISION II SOFTBALL
Kalani 20, Kahuku 0, 5 inn.
At Kahuku
Game 1
>> Kalani (7-1) 862 40 — 20 11 0
>> Kahuku (1-6) 000 00 — 0 6 1
Cherise Horita, Toni-Lynn Ibara (3) and Jazlyn Furuya, Kylie Pagud (3). Kouipo Aumua, Tiara Letoi (5), Trinity Seguritan (5) and Napua Fernandez. W—Horita. L—Aumua.
Leading hitters—Kaln: Diamond DeMello 3-3, 2 HRs, 3 runs, 6 RBIs; Ibara 3-3, 2b, 3 runs, 3 RBIs.
Kalani 15, Kahuku 0, 5 inn.
At Kahuku
Game 2
>> Kahuku (1-7) 000 00 — 0 6 1
>> Kalani (8-1) 573 0x — 15 9 1
Trinity Seguritan, Kouipo Aumua (2), Tiara Letoi (3) and Jolyn Ull, Segutian (3). Cherise Horita and Jazlyn Furuya. W—Horita. L—Seguritan.
Leading hitters—Kaln: Shandi Matsumoto 4-4, 2 2bs, HR, 2 runs, 4 RBIs; Diamond DeMello 3b, 2 RBIs; Chelsie Nakamura 3 runs.
Also >> Kaimuki 13, McKinley 0, 5 inn.
ILH SOFTBALL
No. 2 Kamehameha 13, Pac-Five 6
At Ala Wai Field
>> KS (8-1-1) 003 046 0 — 13 13 3
>> Pac-Five (2-8) 005 010 0 — 6 9 2
Reese Mokuau, Alyssa Mahoe (7) and Kyler Stephens. Megan Yoshioka, Krystal Akagi (5), Kiara Peterson (6) and Mikayla Chun. W—Mokuau. L—Akagi.
Leading hitters—KS: Maiah Motta 2-3, HR, 2 runs, 5 RBIs; Shaylee Alani 2-3, 3 RBIs; Tausani Tavale 3-3. P5: Chun 2-3, 2 RBIs.
Maryknoll 14, Mid-Pacific 0, 5 inn.
At Mid-Pacific
>> Maryknoll (5-4) 242 51 — 14 7 0
>> Mid-Pacific (0-10) 000 00 — 0 1 4
Kahilu McNicoll, Sydney Kamakaiwi (4) and Kiana Arcayena. Michaela Fonoti, Ka’ale’a Hanawahine (2) and Lia Nakamoto. W—McNicoll. L—Fonotoi.
Leading hitters—Mryk: Kiana Arcayena 2-3, HR, 3 runs, 5 RBIs; Kamalei Labasan HR, 2 RBIs.
