Sometimes, there are omens.

     In the 7th inning of the ILH
tournament game between Iolani and Punahou Monday, a passing shower rained
on the first base dugout occupied by the Raiders.  Ironically, at the same
time in the third base dugout where defending state champion Punahou hung
out, it wasn’t raining at all.  Such is Hawaii.  And such were the fortunes
of this game. 

     The Buffanblue, fighting back in the
loser’s bracket in the double-elimination tourney, whipped the Raiders, 9-1
at Ala Wai Field.  It was the first loss for Iolani.  The Punahou victory
sets up a winner-take-all tournament championship game on Wednesday, also at
the Ala Wai. 

     Punahou struck first in this one,
with Matt Suiter belting just the third pitch in the bottom of the first
inning, all the way to the fence in left-centerfield.  Suiter ended up with
a triple and scored moments later on a single by Josh Bninski. 

     Iolani tied it at 1-1 in the top of
the third with singles by Daniel Takami and Case Miyahira.  But the tie
didn’t last long. 

    In the bottom of the third, the
Buffanblue broke the game wide open.  Bninski followed back-to-back walks
with a two-run double and then scored later on a ground out to give Punahou
a 4-1 lead. 

     The Buffanblue scored a run on a Paul
Snieder single and a sacrifice fly in the fourth, another run on two Iolani
errors in the fifth, and three runs in the sixth on a Matt Suiter double
followed by four walks and a hit batsman to run their lead to 9-1. 

     Punahou reliever Reese Kiriu then
finished up the game with a double play ball.  Kiriu and starting pitcher
Jeeter Ishida combined on an impressive 4-hitter for the victory.