‘Iolani’s run to clinch a state-tournament berth with four wins in eight days was stunning in itself.
Getting to a winner-take-all game for the ILH tournament title on Wednesday after trailing by six runs is maybe the most shocking achievement yet.
It’s turning into an April fairy tale for the ‘Iolani baseball team, which won its fifth straight game on Monday night, battling back to defeat Kamehameha 16-13 at Hans L’Orange Park in a game that lasted 3 hours, 22 minutes.
Travis Ujimori finished 3-for-3 with a triple, two walks, four runs and three RBIs, but in a game that featured 29 runs and 29 hits, the pitching of Matthew Kaneshiro, Brandon Wada and Trent Ihle made all the difference.
The three juniors combined to throw four innings of shutout relief after Kamehameha batted around twice in the first three innings and led 13-8.
“They just had to go out there and compete,” ‘Iolani coach Kurt Miyahira said of his pitchers. “I’m just proud of all of them. I’m proud of everybody from the first guy to the last guy and all the way through. They have stuck together and they believe in each other.”
The Raiders (9-11) have won more games (five) in the ILH double-elimination tournament than they did in the entire regular season to steal the league’s third berth into states.
With a win over Kamehameha (12-5-1) on Wednesday, the Raiders would find themselves in the ILH championship game against Saint Louis on Friday — on the line will be a first-round bye in the state tournament that begins a week from Wednesday.
“Our motto from the beginning of the year was to be relentless,” Miyahira said.
Wednesday’s game will be ‘Iolani’s seventh in 14 days, with four of them must-win games.
“I don’t know, brah, we’re going to find out,” Miyahira said when asked if his team had anything left. “We’re going to let it all hang out there and see what happens.”
Kamehameha catcher Beau Sylvester hit a three-run homer and drove in five runs for Kamehameha, which scored all of its runs in the first three innings.
‘Iolani strung together seven consecutive two-out hits in the top of the third inning to tie the game 8-8 before Sylvester’s blast highlighted a five-run bottom of the third to make it 13-8.
Ujimori drew a bases-loaded walk to drive in a run and Makana Tanaka, who finished with four RBIs, was hit by a pitch to make it 13-12 in the top of the fourth.
Tanaka tied the game in the top of the sixth when his pop-up to shallow center fell behind the glove of the center fielder, allowing one run to score.
Jonah Velasco added a sacrifice fly to center and pinch hitter Isaac Ahokovi singled back up the middle to drive in another run with two outs to make it 15-13.
Tanaka added an insurance run with a two-out RBI single in the top of the seventh to make it 16-13.
Kaneshiro entered the game as ‘Iolani’s fourth pitcher with the bases loaded in the bottom of the third. He hit a batter to force in a run, but then got a pop-up to get out of the inning.
He settled the game down with the first 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the fourth. Wada came in after Kaneshiro walked back-to-back hitters in the fifth inning and got two straight outs.
After throwing a 1-2-3 sixth inning, Wada was replaced by Ihle, who gave up a one-out single and a two-out walk, but struck out two to end the game and earn the save.
The teams combined to use 12 pitchers.
‘Iolani 16, Kamehameha 13
WP—Brandon Wada. LP—Ethan Waikiki. SV—Trent Ihle.
Leading hitters—Iol: Travis Ujimori 3-3, 3b, 4 runs, 3 RBIs, 2 bb’s; Bruin Agbayani 2-6, 2b, run, 2 RBIs; Makani Tanaka 3-5, run, 4 RBIs; Wada 3-6, 2b, run; Jonah Velasco 2-4, 2 runs, RBI, bb; Brock Makishima 1-3, 2b, run, RBI, bb; Rylen Miyasaki 2-5, 2b, 2 runs, 2 RBIs; Cadence Ueyama 1-3, 2 runs, bb. KSK: Elijah Ickes 1-3, 2b, 2 bb’s, 3 runs, RBI; Aydan Lobetos 1-4, 2b, bb, 2 runs, RBI; Beau Sylvester 2-5, 2b, HR, 5 RBIs; Miecah Andres 3 bb’s, 2 runs; Jace Souza 2-3, 2b, 2 bb’s, 3 RBIs; Pono Nakano 1-1, bb, 2 runs.