Pomai Kim had the green light.
The bases were loaded in the bottom of the eighth inning, with one out and his Damien Monarchs in a 1-1 tie with defending league champion St. Francis.
All that was at stake for both teams was the Interscholastic League of Honolulu Division II baseball championship and the league’s lone state-tournament berth.
“Coach said, ‘Swing at your pitch,’ ” Kim said.
His pitch never came. Instead, St. Francis relief pitcher Zach Alcos threw four balls in a row, Kim walked, Jordan Donahue scored from third base and Damien had its first state-tournament berth in baseball with a 2-1 thriller over St. Francis at soggy Ala Wai Field.
“As long as I can remember, not in my time,” said Monarchs coach Timo Donahue, a 1985 Damien graduate. “I feel happy for the kids. They set their goal and they reached it.”
Damien’s dream took a twist after St. Francis won the regular season. Then Damien lost its first game of the ILH D-II double-elimination tournament and had to run the table to win the tourney and have the right to play St. Francis. It took two wins over St. Francis in a format that favored the regular-season winner — the Saints needed to beat Damien just once.
Instead, Damien (15-5) won eight games in a row after that loss to Pac-Five back on March 22. In nine meetings with St. Francis, the Monarchs lost the first three, but won the past six, including Friday’s win. Damien will play in the upcoming Wally Yonamine Foundation/HHSAA Baseball State Championships. The season is over for St. Francis (14-7).
“It’s not so much heartbreak for me. We had our chances. It was a championship game, a 15-round knockdown kind of game,” Saints coach Kip Akana said. “Damien capitalized. I’ve got nothing but praise for Timo, his staff and their players.”
Senior Javin Cortez pitched a gem, allowing just four hits in eight innings with three strikeouts and five walks. The cake-like surface on the mound caused some problems for St. Francis starter Jared Yara (6 2/3 innings, one run, two hits, five Ks, five walks) and Alcos. After a drizzle began to pelt the field in the sixth inning, Yara completely slipped on his windup on a pitch. Later, Alcos spent a chunk of time jabbing mud out of his cleats.
Cortez showed no similar effects in what Donahue called his best — and most clutch — performance of the season.
“Everything was working today, other than the second and third innings. I was too relaxed,” the 6-foot right-hander said.
He finished with 107 pitches, just under the limit. That made his later innings an exercise in trust.
“My coaches said to let them hit, I’m out soon, just let my reliever do his job.”
Though Cortez and Yara threw a lot of high-pressure innings later in the season, they pitched fresh on Friday. Through three innings, Yara had faced the minimum number of batters, thanks in part to two double plays turned by his infield. Cortez got out of the second and third after allowing runners into scoring position.
In the bottom of the fourth, Akila Arecchi drew a leadoff walk off Yara, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Kaimana Cameron and went to third on a wild pitch. With two outs, Jayden Cabbab walked and Shiloh Kaeo drilled a single to center, scoring Arecchi for the game’s first run.
In the bottom of the fifth, Grayson Bueno walked and headed to second base when a pickoff attempt by Yara sailed overhead. The ball caromed directly back from the fence to first baseman Shawn Ellis, whose throw to second base was in time to get Bueno out. Bueno left the bag and headed to the dugout, but Damien coaches asked for fielder’s interference.
After all four umpires conferred, the safe signal was indicated, but Bueno was still removed from second base, apparently for leaving the base paths before the play was ruled dead.
In the top of the sixth, Bubba Akana doubled to left with one out and went to third base on a wild pitch with two outs. Shawn Ellis then singled to to left, scoring Akana with the tying run.
Damien had runners at first and second against Yara with two outs when Alcos took over. Yara was at 107 pitches by then. Alcos then struck out Arecchi on a full-count curveball to keep St. Francis’ hopes alive.
In the top of the eighth, Tilley was hit by a pitch, but Akana’s sacrifice bunt attempt was caught in mid-air by Cortez, who tossed the ball to first base to double off Tilley.
In the bottom of the eighth, Donahue singled with one out and Cabbab singled to left. After the runners advanced on a wild pitch, Kaeo was walked intentionally to load the bases, setting up Kim’s biggest plate appearance of the season.
At Alai Wai Field
>> St. Francis (14-7) 000 001 00 — 1 4 2
>> Damien (15-5) 000 100 01 — 2 4 0
Two outs when winning run scored.
Jared Yara, Zach Alcos (7) and Makana Poole. Javin Cortez and Kana Schuman. W—Cortez. L—Alcos.
Leading hitters—STF: Bubba Akana 1-4, 2b, run; Poole 2-4. DMS: Akila Arecchi 1-2, 2 BB, run; Jordan Donahue 1-3, BB, run; Jayden Cabbab 1-3, BB; Shiloh Kaeo 1-2, HBP, BB.
