Mililani pitcher Kaleb Wada overcame a fifth-inning blip that threatened to make his perfect first four innings for naught and finished strong in a 2-1 win over Kaiser as the Trojans captured the OIA Division I baseball championship on Saturday night at Hans L’Orange Park.
The senior gritted through as the Cougars claimed the lead in the fifth inning, got picked up by his offense in the bottom half, and pitched his best in the final two frames as No. 4 Mililani rallied past No. 7 Kaiser to earn the OIA’s seeded berth in the upcoming state tournament.
The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Wada finished with a one-hitter, allowing no earned runs while striking out six without issuing a walk.
“He’s got a great baseball IQ, and with Yosh (catcher Ryne Yoshimura) back there calling pitches, everybody looks at the metrics these days, but Caleb just goes and changes speeds and throw strikes,” Mililani coach Mark Hirayama said. “It’s all about having the command and being able to hit your spots, and offset the hitter’s timing. He did great at that and not to mention, he’s a super competitor.”
It was a hard-luck loss for his counterpart, Poata Pratt-Faitu, who went the distance and allowed two earned runs on seven hits with six K’s and two walks. Mililani needed a flawless performance to get past the Cougars.
“Poata did a heck of a job. He was able to command them. Just like Wada. It was a play here or there that could make the difference,” Kaiser coach Josh Halemanu said.
With the state tourney roughly 11 days away, Halemanu may give his players a well-earned break.
“I think a lot of people would be surprised. Before we came into this (playoff) tournament, our last game was Wednesday. We took off Thursday, Friday, Saturday. We came hard Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,” Halemanu said. “It’s a long season. All you can do is fine-tune things now. We’ll see.”
Sophomore first baseman and cleanup hitter Jonah Parker provided the key hit in Mililani’s comeback in the bottom of the fifth. Parker delivered a two-run single to score Malosi Mata‘afa-Alferos from third base and Koa Marzo from second.
“Coach Gainor (Nitta) told me to stay loose. I got into the box, looked for my pitch, stayed loose and just flicked my hands at it,” Parker said. “It was a good fastball, a little bit low and out.”
Mililani now has four OIA baseball titles, including three earlier championships under Hirayama (2018, ’19, ’22).
“I have total respect for Coach Josh and his staff, and what they do over there. It’s fun playing them. They’re always well-prepared and they’re going to battle,” Hirayama said. “That’s baseball. You’ve got 21 outs, but it could come down to one play here or there. Fortunately, it came out on my side.”
Even sweeter for the Trojans, their softball team won its second straight OIA softball title 24 hours earlier. Parker’s twin sister, Emma, is a starting first baseman who had an RBI and scored a run in the Lady Trojans’ title-game win over Moanalua.
“Shout out to my sister. She’s having a great season. I love her. I always support her,” Jonah Parker said.
Wada was an ace at Waiakea before transferring to Mililani, bolstering an already tough pitching staff. In Friday’s 1-0 semifinal win over Kailua, Kai Hirayama had a perfect game, striking out 10.
The Trojans will have an opening-round bye at the Wally Yonamine Foundation/HHSAA Division I State Championships on Maui from May 7 to 10. Kaiser (17-6 overall) will be one of five OIA teams in the field.
The pitchers’ duel lasted into the top of the fifth inning. Wada had a clean sheet — no hits, no walks, two K’s — until Caleb Hamasaki led off with a double to the right-field corner. Hamasaki advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Mana Shigehara-Pang, then went to third when Brennan Higa’s ground ball was mishandled by Mata‘afa-Alferos.
Hamasaki came home on a sacrifice fly to left by Jackson Wood, breaking the scoreless stalemate.
The joy of Kaiser’s faithful fans occupying the first base bleachers was short-lived. In the bottom of the fifth, a defensive lapse was part of a two-run rally that allowed Mililani to gain the lead.
Mata‘afa-Alferos led off with a single and Marzo laid down a sacrifice bunt. Both first baseman Brennan Higa and Pratt-Faitu charged the ball, and when Pratt-Faitu scooped it up to throw to first base, nobody was there. Shigehara-Pang, the second baseman, didn’t get to the bag in time.
“I just want to get the bunt down, move my runner over. I wanted to push it more toward first base, get the first baseman moving and nobody at first to cover,” Marzo said. “I ran as hard as I can.”
The speedy junior didn’t know whether the base was covered as he stepped on the bag.
“When the umpire called me safe, it was good. I didn’t see anybody there,” he said.
With two runners on base, Pratt-Faitu plunked Aukai Araujo-Waiau to load them up. Parker followed with a single to center, scoring Mata‘afa-Alferos and Marzo for a 2-1 Mililani lead.
—
OIA
Saturday
Division I Tournament
Final
At Hans L’Orange Park
Mililani 2, Kaiser 1
W—Kaleb Wada (one-hitter, unearned run, no walks, six strikeouts). Leading hitters— Mil: Jonah Parker 2-3, 2 RBIs; Kamea Chun 2-2. Kais: Caleb Hamasaki 2b.
Third Place
At Kailua
Kailua 6, Leilehua 1
W—DJ Kauahi. S—Rayvin Pagan. Note: Ka’alekahi Kuhaulua (three innings), Kauahi (two) and Pagan combined on a three-hitter with seven strikeouts. Leading hitters— Kail: Ka’alekahi Kuhaulua 3-4, 2b, 3 runs; Pagan 2-4, 2b; Masao Minami 2-4, 2b, 3 RBIs; Ryce Aoki 2-3. Lei: Titan Pasco 2b.
Fifth Place
At Stevenson Intemediate School
Roosevelt 12, Kalani 0, 5 inn.
W—Matthew Chung (two-hitter, no walks). Leading hitters—Roos: Luke Tuasivi 2-3, 3 RBIs; Riki Uyeno 2b, 2 RBIs; Mackenzie Doi 2-3, 2b, HR, 2 runs, 2 RBIs; Tokujiro Wada-Goode 2-3, 2b; Brayden Higa 2 runs; Bryson Momotomi 2b, 2 runs, 3 RBIs. Kaln: Warner Ishii 2b.
MIL
Varsity Tournament
Friday
Baldwin 1, King Kekaulike 0
W—Jayden Perry-Waikiki (four-hitter, seven strikeouts). Leading hitters—Bald: Kai Watanabe 2b; Koltyn Sergent 2b. KK: Stone Amsden 2-3; Taydem Hashimoto 2-3.
