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With three shutouts in five days, No. 2 Saint Louis has taken control of the ILH regular-season race for a state berth.
Seniors Kahiau Schenk and Ray Seabury combined on a four-hitter and the Crusaders extended their scoreless innings streak to 23 in a 6-0 win over Maryknoll on Saturday afternoon at Goeas Field.
Nu’u Contrades tripled and scored in the first inning and Makamae Du Pont clutched up with a two-out RBI single in the fourth inning for Saint Louis (9-1-1), which tacked on three runs in the sixth and one more in the seventh to take a two-game lead over the Spartans (7-3-1), who are one of four teams within a half-game of each other.
Kamehameha (7-3), Mid-Pacific (7-4) and Punahou (7-4) all won on Saturday, but only have three or four games left to catch Saint Louis, which has won seven in a row since playing Maryknoll to a 2-2 tie in eight innings that was called due to darkness on March 17.
The winner of the regular season is guaranteed a state berth.
“It’s been hard, man. We’ve faced every team’s best pitcher,” Saint Louis coach George Gusman said.
The week started on Tuesday with senior Xander Sielken, who is part of Rich Hill’s first full recruiting class at Hawaii for 2023, outdueling ‘Iolani’s Zach Tenn, who signed with Washington, in a 2-0 win.
Two days later, junior Spencer Rego threw a two-hit shutout to beat Kamehameha senior lefty Kaena Kiakona, who has struck out 15 in 12 2/3 innings this season with a 1.67 ERA.
On Saturday, Schenk struck out seven in 4 1/3 innings to earn the win over Maryknoll ace Parker Grant, who signed with Kansas.
“Just following what the boys are doing,” said Schenk, who allowed only two hits. “We’re staying relaxed out there. We have the best pitching coaches, and I think we’re just following their guidance and taking it into the game.”
Contrades, who signed with Arizona State, missed three games with an injury last month but is back to full health and managed to both hit and play in the field against Maryknoll.
He led off the game punching an 0-2 pitch from Grant inside the bag at first for a triple and scored on Sean Yamaguchi’s RBI single.
Du Pont, one of 10 seniors on the Saint Louis roster, snapped a 3-for-21 streak when he singled back up the middle with two outs in the fourth inning to drive in a run after a Maryknoll error kept the inning alive.
Du Pont singled and scored one of Saint Louis’ three runs in the sixth inning and finished 2-for-3 with a walk.
“We’re so happy for Makamae. He’s such a nice, young man,” Gusman said. “He’s been struggling but you know, you can work hard but you don’t see the results and you don’t know if you’re doing the right thing so I’m just super happy for him that he was able to get a couple of hits today.”
Schenk, who struck out four of the five Maryknoll batters who got an at-bat against him with runners in scoring position, walked two of the first three batters he faced in the bottom of the fifth.
He fell behind 2-0 to Maryknoll leadoff hitter Nico Low when Gusman made the pitching change mid at-bat.
Seabury came in and threw two strikes to get to 2-2 before getting Low to hit into a 6-4-5 double play with the final out coming at third when the runner at second had to hold up on a ball hit into the air that fell just in front of Aiva Arquette’s glove at shortstop.
Arquette, one of three ILH players who signed to play at Washington next season, made the quick toss to Contrades at second, who had plenty of time to get the runner at third.
“I didn’t want to load the bases and if I was going to bring in a guy, at least I could give him a little bit of rope to find it,” Gusman said. “Sometimes you just get lucky.”
Grant, who has pitched into the sixth inning in all three of his starts this season, allowed two earned runs on five hits with one walk and five strikeouts.
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Saturday’s scores
ILH
Saint Louis 6, Maryknoll 0
W–Kahiau Schenk. L–Parker Grant.
Leading hitters—StL: Nuu Contrades 2-4, run, RBI; Aiva Arquette 2-4, 2 runs; Ryder Okimoto 2-4, run, RBI; Makamae DuPont 2-3, run, RBI.
Mid-Pacific 9, ‘Iolani 2
W–Aaron Mills. L–Kaleb Tenn.
Leading hitters—MPI: Nathaniel Wagner 3 runs; Karter Wong 2-3, 3 runs, 2 RBI; Chance Otsuka 2-3, 3 RBI; Chandler Murray 2-4, 2 RBI; Kash Choy 2-3.
Kamehameha 7, Damien 1
W–Ethan Waikiki. L–Brandon Deth.
Leading hitters—DMS: Rustyn AhYat 2-3, RBI; Nainoa Begonia 2-3. KS: Aydan Lobetos 2-3, 2 runs; Beau Syvlester 2-3, run, RBI; Aukai Kea run, 2 RBI; Dane Palimo’o run, 2 RBI; Kiai Kawai 2-2, RBI.
Punahou 15, Pac-Five 2
W–Braden Blackwell. L–Hunter Belmodis.
Leading hitters—Pun: Cody Kashimoto 2-3, 3 runs, RBI; Kaikea Harrison 4-4, run, RBI; Joey Wilson 2 runs, 2 RBI; Nolan Souza 2-3, 2 runs; Kila Kaniho 2-3, run, 7 RBI.
OIA EAST
Kaiser 9, Moanalua 6
W–Bryson Toner. L–Coy Sasano. Sv–Chaz Kagimoto
Leading hitters—Kais: Taylin Oana 3-3, 2 runs; Kanoa Morisaki run, 2 RBI; Bryson Toner 2-2; Ian Tsukiyama 2-3, run, 2 RBI. Moa: Kaiden Sonoda-Fukumoto 2-3, 2 runs, RBI; Rylan Li 2 RBI; Jake Ferreira 3-4, 2 runs.
Castle 8, Roosevelt 2
W–Sebastian Weeks-Lapinad. L–Nathaniel Kurano.
Leading hitters—Cast: Diesel Goya 2-4, 3 RBI; Zayden Uyemura 2-3, run, RBI; Sean Niblock 2-3, run, RBI
OIA WEST
Mililani 6, Aiea 3
Pearl City 13, Kapolei 1
OIA DIVISION II
Kalaheo 14, McKinley 4
W–Alika Amasiu. L–Dylan Takanaka.
Leading hitters—Kalh: Eric Hufstetler 3 runs; Major St. John Gregson 2 RBI; Jaydan Fargas 2 RBI; Vincent Bandini 2 runs, RBI. McK: Michael Murata 2 RBI; Vincent Dimaya 2-2, 2 runs.
Also:
Kahuku 5, Kaimuki 1
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