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Ty Ashimine scored on a bases-loaded error with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning as Kaiser escaped with a 12-11 win over Campbell on a windy, overcast Wednesday afternoon.
Campbell trailed 11-1 after two innings, but rallied with one run in the third, two in the fifth and seven in the sixth. The visitors had runners on second and third, the result of two Kaiser errors, in the top of the seventh, but failed to cash in. A key play was a tag by first baseman Cavin Lime on a close play at first base on an infield grounder.
Kaiser’s fourth pitcher, Ryan Wroe, then retired La‘akea Anders and Syrus Stephens to end the threat.
Kaiser then got a leadoff walk by Brock Perreira, and the pinch runner, Ashimine, stole second base. After Brandon Chun-Ming popped up, Ashimine advanced to third base on a wild pitch by Isaiah Nagamine.
The Sabers then intentionally walked Wroe, who stole second base. After Lime was granted a free pass, the bases were loaded for Taylin Oana. The right-handed batter sent a ground ball to shortstop, where Kamanui Saito reached to his right but didn’t come up cleanly with the ball, allowing Ashimine to score from third.
“I just ran for my life so they wouldn’t turn the double play,” Oana said.
Oana knew there was good news when his first base coach gave him a high five.
“It’s great. Any time you see the kids battle through something like that, it’s exciting to see,” Kaiser coach Josh Halemanu said. “Both teams played well.”
Halemanu was generous. Each team committed three errors, but a short preseason meant limited reps for teams across the state. No lead is safe.
“We don’t feel comfortable. With COVID, we didn’t get a lot of work in, so we’re trying our best to survive and win every inning,” Halemanu said.
“We played horrible in the beginning,” Campbell coach Wayne Nagamine said. “We needed a good game. We’ll figure it out.”
The teams combined to issue 21 walks, including 12 by Campbell.
Kaiser improved to 3-0 as Campbell slipped to 1-3-1. It was a similar scenario to the season opener against Kailua, when Kaiser scored 10 runs in the first inning and hung on for a 13-9 victory. Wroe, a right fielder and pitcher, closed that game as well.
“I was just trying to find the zone, get my team in it, throw strikes and get to the bottom half (of the seventh) tied,” the 6-foot-4 senior said.
Campbell took a 1-0 lead on an inside-the-park homer to left in the top of the first by Anders off Kaiser starting pitcher Ty Komoda.
Then came Kaiser’s bizarre 11-run outburst in the second inning. The Cougars were issued six walks, struck out three times and reached base twice on the K’s thanks to passed balls. Campbell generously misfired with two wild pitches and committed two errors as Kaiser sent 16 batters to the box.
Lime’s inside-the-park grand slam was Kaiser’s first hit of the second inning. Three runs had already scored without a hit by the time Lime drilled a line drive deep to the left-field fence. Komoda walked twice and scored twice in the inning. Vance Hiraki also scored twice and drove in a run with a double.
Campbell tied the game with a seven-run rally in the sixth, taking advantage of a hit batter and four consecutive walks. Wroe took the mound during the inning, replacing Gyson Oshiro, and walked Syrus Stephens.
After striking out Jayden Flores, he walked Tyrus Stephens with the bases loaded to force in a run. Bresen Chang followed with a two-run single to tie the game at 11.
The game took 3 hours and 9 minutes and could have ended in a tie after seven innings due to COVID-19 restrictions.
At Kaiser
Campbell (1-3-1) 101 027 0 — 11 8 3
Kaiser (3-0) 0(11)0 000 x — 12 6 3
One out when winning run scored.
Syrus Stephens, Julius Guano (2), Deion Jones (3), Isaiah Nagamine (6) and Cason Eliptico-Quinata. Ty Komoda, Taylin Oana (5), Gyson Oshiro (6), Ryan Wroe (6) and Brock Perreira. W—Wroe. L—Nagamine.
Leading hitters—Campbell: Kamanui Saito 1-2, double, 3 runs, 2 RBI, 3 walks; Eliptico-Quinata 1-3, RBI, walk; La‘akea Anders 1-3, HR, RBI, 2 runs, 2 walks; S. Stephens 1-3, RBI, run, 2 walks; Bresen Chang 2-4, double, 2 RBI, run; Dallas Alapai 2-4, run; Nagamine 1-2, double, run. Kaiser: Oshiro 1-3, triple, 3 RBI, run, 2 walks; Wroe 1-3, triple, run, 2 walks; Cavin Lime 1-3, HR, 4 RBI, run, walk; Jonah Oku 1-3, double, run; Vance Hiraki 2-4, 2 doubles, RBI, 2 runs.
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