LIHU`E—Hawai`i Kai, unbeaten up until Day Four of the 2000 PONY Baseball Hawai`i Region Mustang tournament, was eliminated leaving undefeated Mililani to face Maui for the state championship in a 10 a.m. game at the Lihu`e County Park. Maui, with
LIHU`E—Hawai`i Kai, unbeaten up until Day Four of the 2000 PONY Baseball
Hawai`i Region Mustang tournament, was eliminated leaving undefeated Mililani
to face Maui for the state championship in a 10 a.m. game at the Lihu`e County
Park.
Maui, with one loss, could force a second playoff that would start at
12:30 p.m. in the event they can win Mililani in the morning
encounter.
Mililani bats came alive in the third inning of their encounter
with Hawai`i Kai as they generated 6 runs on 9 hits to best Hawai`i Kai 6-1,
their winning pitcher Dustin Antolin holding Hawai`i Kai to just three hits in
the match.
Paul Sneider suffered the loss for Hawai`i Kai.
Joshua
Meikle and Kevin Curd were 2-for-3 for Mililani, each batter coming up with a
pair of singles. Kanalu DeMello, also 2-for-3, whacked a single and a double in
the win, and also scored twice.
Mike Gonzales rounded out the Mililani
hitting leaders on a 1-for-3 performance, and scoring one run.
Waylen Sing
Chow, Meikle, and Antolin also scored for Mililani.
Hawai`i Kai’s bats were
led by Breland Almadova who generated a single in his 1-for-2 showing with
Hiroshi Metzker scoing the only run in the first game.
Brent Kim, going
1-for-1, picked up the win behind the plate for Maui in the bottom half of the
final inning by cranking an RBI single that broke a 5-5 tie to give Maui the
right to face Mililani for the state title.
Both teams lost little time
getting onto the scoreboards as Hawai`i Kai opened with a pair of runs only to
have Maui answer with three.
Hawai`i Kai responded with another pair of
runs in the second inning, while holding Maui at bay, and then added another
run in the 3rd inning on two walks for the 5-3 nod that was answered in the
bottom of the frame by a single run crossing for Maui.
Defensive changes
had Maui shutting down Hawai`i Kai in the final three innings while coming up
with two runs for the win. Shaun Shima picked up the Maui win on the hill while
Dustin Shitanishi suffered the loss.
Metzker, Shitanishi, Almodova, Patrick
Akana, and Reyn Kimura scored for Hawai`i Kai while Maui saw Jordan Rego
scoring twice, Erwin DeCoite scoring twice, Jensen Takiguchi and Jordan Bosque
each adding a run each.
Dillion Dooney whacked a double and a single to
lead the Hawai`i Kai hitting with Shitanishi adding a single towards their
6-hit outing.
Rego, 1-for-3, doubled along with DeCoite and Kim singling to
lead the Maui hitting that saw 6 runs cross on 7 hits.
