Mason Lorenzo, the Kauai AJA All-Star shortstop, tapped a dribbler that drove in the winning run for Kauai in its 6-5 over the Oahu AJA All stars Sunday at Vidinha Stadium. The play drove in Scott Yamase, who’d hit in
Mason Lorenzo, the Kauai AJA All-Star shortstop, tapped a dribbler that drove in the winning run for Kauai in its 6-5 over the Oahu AJA All stars Sunday at Vidinha Stadium.
The play drove in Scott Yamase, who’d hit in place of Wendell Nonaka, for the winning run in the eighth inning of a see-saw matchup.
“This is the first,” said Leroy Nonaka, player-coach for the Kauai AJA All stars. “I’ve been playing AJA baseball since 1981, and this is the first time I’ve enjoyed a state win.”
April Shigemoto, wife of Kauai AJA President Tom Shigemoto, said it’s been more than 30 years since Kauai has earned the state title in the 79 years the league has been in existence.
Mamo Kaneshiro, a longtime AJA supporter, said Kauai earned the right to the title game for the 79th annual AJA state championships with a convincing win, 18-4, over the Maui AJA All Stars, Saturday, the opening day of the tournament.
“We should have saved some runs for today,” Kaneshiro said as Kauai faced a 3-0 deficit after four innings of play. “We could have used some hits.”
But Kauai’s bats woke in the fourth frame and came alive in the fifth and sixth innings, generating three runs on seven hits to tie the game 3-3.
Oahu AJA All star shortstop Landin Nakata had a hot bat, finishing the day with a solo homer in the third and a two RBIs double in the eighth, and scoring twice.
Following his score in the first inning, Nakata boosted the lead to 3-0 lead in the third inning with a no-doubt-about-it homer to left field.
Kauai answered in the fifth inning when Justin Ganaden crossed the plate on a Mason Lorenzo dribbler to make it 3-1.
Wendell Nonaka knotted the contest, 3-3 in the sixth inning when he laced a 2-run single to score Brandon Hew and Kainoa Santos.
Kauai upped the ante in the seventh inning, adding another pair of runs on four hits for the 5-3 lead as Micah Furtado and Jake Oketani, both singling first, crossed the plate.
Oahu answered in the eighth inning, pushing two runs on two hits to knot the contest, 5-5 as Nakata powered Shaun Kiriu and Derek Costigan across the plate with no outs.
The threat ended as Kauai retired the next three batters in order, including catcher Hew making back-to-back diving infield catches of pop-up foul balls.
Kauai got the go-ahead in the eighth inning when pinch hitter Scott Yamase singled and eventually scored off Mason Lorenzo’s hit ball which forced an Oahu error.
The Kauai defense shut down Oahu on a double play and a snag of an infield foul at the left field fence to preserve the win.
Mikey Cardinez, despite giving up three hits, including two homers, in the first three innings, went the distance for the win, finishing with the five runs allowed on eight hits with two hit batters, three strikeouts, and two walks.
Wendell Nonaka topped the Kauai AJA hitters with two RBI. Furtado finished with a pair of singles along with Kainoa Santos, Lorenzo had an RBI, Jake Oketani finished with a hit and an RBI along with Keith Nonaka, and Hew singled.
Hew was named MVP, the batting champion at a .545 average and five RBI for the tournament. The AJA is a recreational league where players of all ages for Americans with Japanese ancestry.
Tom Shigemoto, said the first Kauai state title came in 1948. Since then, Kauai earned state titles in 1963, 1971, and 1982 before Sunday’s win, Hanapepe leading the 1963 and 1971 titles.
• Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
