WAILUKU >> Les Murakami Stadium. Iron Maehara Stadium. JR Suehisa knows them well.
The speedy second baseman did it again, scoring on a wild pitch in the bottom of the eighth inning to give Mililani a stunning 2-1 win over defending state champion Baldwin on Friday night at Iron Maehara Stadium.
Fourth-seeded Mililani advanced to the championship game of the Wally Yonamine Foundation/HHSAA Baseball State Championships. The Trojans (19-6 overall) will meet Interscholastic League of Honolulu champion Punahou, the second seed, for the state crown today at 6 p.m.
“It’s just like OIAs, but we’re going for the (state) ’ships, so we’re not stopping now,” Suehisa said. “I was looking for the (wild pitch), but I wasn’t expecting it. When it came, I scored.”
Just two weeks earlier in the Oahu Interscholastic Association final against Campbell, it was Suehisa who was on third base, racing home on a wild pitch to give the Trojans a win that night.
“Coach Mark (Hirayama) said the same exact thing. He said, ‘Be sure. You have two more opportunities to score.’ It was far from the plate, so I just went,” Suehisa said. “It wasn’t as close as the one at OIAs.”
Vance Oshiro, pitching in relief of Kaiwi Winchester, got the win with two scoreless innings. Mililani last made the state finals in 2013 and ’14.
“This is what we came to Maui for, the koa head, and taking it home,” Suehisa said.
It was awfully bad timing for the Bears, whose starting pitcher, Roy Meinen, was a late scratch due to a stomach virus. Meinen was the winning pitcher in last year’s state final.
Baldwin drew first blood in the top of the second. Ben Ziegler-Namoa singled with one out, then raced around second to third base on a throwing error by Mililani catcher Hunter Faildo on a pickoff attempt. Mochi Dukelow singled deep in the hole at shortstop, scoring Ziegler-Namoa.
Mililani tied the game in the fourth. Suehisa and Oshiro walked, and after Suehisa was forced out at second, Oshiro reached third base on a steal. Winchester’s sac fly brought Oshiro home to make it 1-all.
