KAPA‘A — Kanoe Pelekai’s sacrifice fly with one away drove Ben Schofield across the plate to give Kainalu a 10-9 win over Kailua, yesterday. Trailing two runs entering the bottom of the sixth frame, Kailua pitcher Bryce Ah Sam was
KAPA‘A — Kanoe Pelekai’s sacrifice fly with one away drove Ben Schofield across the plate to give Kainalu a 10-9 win over Kailua, yesterday.
Trailing two runs entering the bottom of the sixth frame, Kailua pitcher Bryce Ah Sam was already running lean, moving Chaz Inouye to the mound as the redshirts clung to their new-found lead. That lead came from a grand slam homerun from Ah Sam in the fifth inning.
With one away, Schofield smashed into a 2-RBI shot to score Eli Davidnen and Quintin Love, both runners getting first on walks. That tied the contest 9-9. Two more walks filled the pads before Pelekai’s fly to centerfield for the win.
Kainalu opened early as Tommy Morris smacked a grand slam homer, the first of two in the contest, en route to a 5-0 lead.
But Kailua wouldn’t stay down. Working against the chanting of “A-O, A-O,” the redshirts battled back in the second inning as Racesen Nakagawa opened with a double. Joseph Whiting and Inouye walked to load the pads. Keawe Olds was hit by a pitch for Kailua’s first run as Nakagawa crossed. Kelle Miyama singled to score Whiting, and Royce Komesu beat out the throw from the Kainalu shortstop to first base, scoring Inouye on the play.
That tight action, peppered with a lot of up-lifting from coaches Jerry, Burton and Gaylord, kept the redshirts chipping away, adding a run in the third and fourth innings before the big Ah Sam bang in the fifth.
Kainalu added two runs in the second as Chris Seiple (2-4) scored his second run along with Davidnan.
Ah Sam’s pitching, in relief of Niklas Ajifu, allowed only one run and one hit while striking out four Kainalu batters and giving up eight walks.
Inouye suffered the loss in the final frame with three runs allowed on one hit with three walks, two being intentional.
Kainalu, picking up the win on five hits, meets the Kaneohe Nationals in a rematch of Sunday’s 10-9 Kaneohe win in extra innings, for the championship in the 2007 District 1 Majors Tournament.
First pitch goes off at 4 p.m. at the main diamond at the Kapa‘a Ball Park with the winner advancing to the state tournament on O‘ahu.
