Rivals Waikiki Baseball Game Of The Week
Punahou avoided a mid-game collapse to hold off Kamehameha 6-4 on Thursday night at Central Oahu Regional Park in the semifinals of the Interscholastic League of Honolulu baseball championship tournament.
The Buffanblu (6-2-1) righted the ship just in time and will now meet Saint Louis (7-2) for the title Saturday at Hans L’Orange Park. The Crusaders eliminated Mid-Pacific 11-6 in Thursday’s other semifinal at the Owls’ home field.
An early 6-0 lead almost went completely out the window for Punahou when the Warriors (6-3) erupted for four runs in the fifth and were threatening to put even more on the board with the bases loaded.
Reliever Cade Terada-Herzer worked the Buffanblu out of that dangerous jam and later put an end to Kamehameha’s season in the seventh by pitching out of a situation with Warriors runners on the corners.
“We were doing well for the first few innings because our guys were throwing strikes and we were swinging the bat,” Buffanblu coach Keenan Sue said. “We kind of went to sleep for a little bit and they (the Warriors) came back … to their credit they fought.”
Rustin Katsura, Kikaha Nakamura and Cade Terada-Herzer were instrumental in leading Punahou
past Kamehameha 6-4 in the RIVALS WAIKIKI BASEBALL GAME OF THE WEEK on Thursday.
The Buffanblu (6-2-1) advanced to play Saint Louis (7-2) in the league championship game
Saturday at Hans L’Orange Park. (Bedrock Sports Hawaii photo by Nick Abramo).
Showing lots of spunk in the early going, Punahou looked like it might run away with it. In the first, Cody Kashimoto beat out a bunt and scored on the first of three Kamehameha errors in the game. Later, Kikaha Nakamura squeeze bunted a runner home for a 2-0 lead.
Kashimoto’s sacrifice fly in the second made it 3-0 before the score ballooned to 6-0 in the fourth on Kashimoto’s bases-loaded walk and Nakamura’s two-run single.
Punahou starting and winning pitcher Rustin Katsura left after four innings with that six-run lead. He gave way to eliever Rylan Burigsay, who gave up three singles and a walk that led to the Warriors’ four runs. Kobe Imai and Elijah Ickes came through by ripping RBI singles for Kamehameha and the two other runs scored on a wild pitch and catcher interference.
But those four runs were the last of the game as Terada-Herzer and Kamehameha’s Kainoa Holt shut the door the rest of the way.
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Terada-Herzer threw three innings of two-hit ball with six strikeouts for the save. Holt, the last of the Warriors’ four hurlers, pitched 2.2 innings and fanned five. Kamehameha starter Kodie Ecks Hanawahine, who gave up three unearned runs, was saddled with the loss.
“It was a tough one,” Warriors coach Daryl Kitagawa said. “Punahou was the better team tonight. It’s not that our kids weren’t ready, either, but you gotta have some want in you and some compete in you. You gotta want to be in those positions, gotta want the ball to be hit at you, gotta want to be the one on the mound that wants the ball, gotta be the one in the batter’s box that wants to be right there. It’s a learning thing. For me, we gotta be better at that. Seems like we go through the motion at times and it’s not the kids’ fault. This game is hard. When you have that opportunity to change the game in your favor, the team that does that wins games.”
Stranding three runners in the fifth was a golden opportunity lost.
“That was a big inning and opportunity,” Kitagawa added. “We could have had six. Shoot, we had bases loaded with our cleanup guy up. And it didn’t happen. And there is not even a hint of that being the kids’ fault. Not at all. That’s baseball. Those teams that come through in those situations more often than not are the teams that win.”
All three Punahou pitchers who went against Kamehameha will be available for duty on Saturday against Saint Louis.
“Those three guys have been rocks all year,” coach Sue said. “Katsura did a great job holding them to no runs and then Cade came in, battled a little bit and really bared down at the end. It’s a tough spot to be in for a young (junior) pitcher, so I’m really proud of him.”
Added Nakamura, who finished with three RBIs and whose two-run hit scored the eventual winning run: “Rustin has always been consistent. He was lights out and his splitter was working, Rylan, I feel like he had a tough break today, but he’s going to come back strong. I know it. Cade is the cornerstone of our later innings and we really appreciate him being there.
“We had a feeling of being kind of down in the middle innings, but we rebounded with solid pitching and good defense. I think that will propel us on Saturday.”
Sue knows it won’t be easy to beat Saint Louis.
“They all swing the bat, throw hard, play good defense and are athletic,” he said. “It’s going to be a battle. I was pleased and surprised how well we did when we played them (a 6-4 win on May 4).”
ILH Baseball Semifinals
Thursday, May 13, 2021
At Central Oahu Regional Park
Punahou (6-2-1). 210. 300. 1. — 6. 8. 1
Kamehameha (6-3). 000. 400. 0 — 4. 6. 3
Rustin Katsura, Rylan Burigsay (5), Cade Terada-Herzer (5) and Justin Tsukada. Kodie Ecks Hanawahine, Kaena Kiakona (1), Shaydan Lovediro (4), Kainoa Holt (5) and Beau Sylvester. W-Katsura. L-Ecks Hanawahine. S-Terada-Herzer.
Leading hitters: Punahou–Justin Tsukada 2 BBs; Cody Kashimoto 1-2, SF, 2 RBIs, 2 BBs, run, SB; Kaikea Harrison 1-5, run; Nolan Souza 2 BBs; Kikaha Nakamura 1-2, 2 SACs, 3 RBIs; Jacob Ornellas 1-3; Kila Kaniho 1-1, run; Joey Wilson 1-1; Kyler Saiot run; Ryne Umemoto 2-2, 2 runs, SB. Kamehameha–Elijah Ickes 1-3, RBI, run; Tui Ickes RBI, 2 BBs; Tyler Keanini 1-3; Ayden Lobetos 1-4, run, SB; Kade Yasui 1-2, run, SB; Kobe Imai 2-3, RBI, run.
