Michael China had simple instructions from his coaches on Tuesday.
Get outs. The left-hander did just that, permitting just three hits over three innings while delivering a run-scoring single as No. 2 Mid-Pacific overwhelmed Damien 13-3 in five innings on a cool, overcast Tuesday afternoon at Damon Field.
MPI improved to a league-leading 6-1 in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu. Damien, the defending D-II ILH champion, dropped to 4-2 after its first matchup with a D-I foe in league play.
The Owls, who share first place with Kamehameha, will meet the Warriors on Thursday. The recipe for success has been a heaping dose of simplicity.
“We won. It doesn’t matter how we win, get the win and try to play the right way,” Owls coach Dunn Muramaru said. “However (China) can get guys out, just do it. Sometimes we can get too fancy.”
China wasn’t perfect, walking five in his stint, but the southpaw got out of each situation unscathed by using a mix of fastballs and curves.
“I don’t really care about strikeouts. I just want to get my team back into the dugout,” said China, who threw 65 pitches and struck one out.
The Monarchs needed a clean start, but struggled against the perennial powerhouse Owls.
“We thought our game plan today would’ve worked, but we kept falling behind in the count,” Damien coach Timo Donahue said. “I was hoping for us to show better. All we can do is for our guys to compete in every at bat, on every pitch.”
Damien starting pitcher Kaysen Kajiwara’s sidearm action tested the Owls’ patience. However, he hung a curve ball to Kyle Layugan, who blasted it over the center-field fence for a two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning.
McKenzie Higuchi followed with a single and Cameron Ching walked. With Jett Uechi at the plate, Higuchi stole third base and came home on a throwing error by Monarchs catcher Shiloh Kaeo. After Uechi singled to right, Bryce Uyeno replaced Kajiwara on the mound. Cale Yoshino singled to center, plating Ching from third for a 4-0 lead.
The Owls scored three times in the second frame, capitalizing on a bad-hop triple. Hunter Hirayama led off with a walk, moved to second on a sac bunt by China, and after Micah Pi singled, MPI had runners at the corners. Jacob Yoshino then drove a ball to left for an apparent single, but the ball took a wicked, high hop over left fielder Kamakani Motas and kept going to toward the fence. Hirayama and Pi scored on the freaky triple.
With Layugan at the plate, Yoshino scored on a wild pitch and the Owls led by seven runs.
In the third, MPI added two unearned runs. Uechi was hit by pitch and Cale Yoshino reached base on a dropped line drive in center by Akila Arecchi. With one out, China slapped a single to right, scoring Uechi.
Yoshino later scored on a bases-loaded walk by Layugan for a 9-0 lead.
Damien scored a single run in the top of the fourth. River Iaea reached on a fielding error by second baseman Zaine Gushiken. After Matthew Valencia relieved China on the mound, Iaea later scored on a single to right by Akila Arecchi.
MPI then scored four times in the bottom of the fourth against Damien’s third pitcher, Kaycee Natividad.
Avery von Hermann singled with the bases loaded, scoring Ching. With the bases loaded, Pi drew a walk, forcing Uechi home from third for an 11-1 lead. Jacob Yoshino then doubled to the left-field corner, bringing home Cale Yoshino and von Hermann for a 12-run margin.
Damien tacked on two runs in the top of the fifth on a bases-loaded forceout by Iaea and two-out single by Paul Mezarushi. On Mezarushi’s hit, however, Iaea was tagged out off third base to end the game.
