March 28, 2008
By Jim Oshiro for Digital Sports Hawaii
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Moanalua scored five early runs, then withstood a furious
Kailua comeback, as Na Menehune hung on to defeat the
Surfriders, 6-5, in an OIA Red East battle at Moanalua.
Jared Coloma and Jordan Monico each hit homers to
lead a 10-hit attack, while Dae Yang Kim and Coloma com-
bined to limit the hard hitting Surfriders to just five hits.
Moanalua improves to 3-4.
Scotty Talaesea and Keenan Tanaka each drove in two runs
for Kailua, as the fourth ranked Surfriders fell to 5-2.
Na Menehune wasted no time against Kailua starter Kale Sum-
ner. Monico led off in the bottom of the first with a walk. One
pitch later, he was crossing the plate as Coloma jumped on a
Sumner fastball and socked it over the right center fence.
Moanalua led 2-0. Coloma would finish the day 2-for-4,
with 2 RBIs and a run scored.
Na Menehune continued to be aggressive at the plate in the
bottom of the second. Miles Higa and Ethan Isobe led off with
singles. After a sacrifice bunt by Jason Hironaka moved the
runners up, Monico answered by belting a 3-run home run
to left. Moanalua now led 5-0 after two innings, chasing
Sumner in the process. Monico ended 1-for-2, 3 RBIs, two
walks, and scored three times.
Meanwhile, the side-arming Kim was effectively keeping the
Surfrider bats at bay. The right hander held Kailua hitless
through the first three innings, allowing just three baserunners,
all on walks. Kim would allow just two hits in 4 2/3 innings of work.
It was in the fourth inning that the Surfriders began to touch up
on Kim. Sumner was hit by a pitch to start the inning. Talaesea then got Kailua’s first base hit of the day, banging a single up the middle, putting runners at first and second. Tanaka followed by going the opposite way and slapping a single just inside the first base bag, scoring Sumner and sending Talaesea to third. Rob DeMarsh then brought home Talaesea with a sacrifice fly.
Kailua trailed 5-2 with just one out. Kim, however, would
get Jordan Limahai to ground into a double play to end the
threat.
Kim began to labor in the top of the fifth. After getting the first
two outs, Ryan Kinoshita reached on an error. A walk and
hit batter then loaded the bases for Talaesea. Coloma came
in to relieve Kim, and promply walked the Surfrider designated
hitter, forcing in a run and cutting the Kailua deficit to 5-3.
Coloma would get out of the inning on a groundball out.
Moanalua got an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth, off
reliever Bryson Gauthe, as Monico scored on an RBI single
by Reid Matsumoto. Gauthe pitched well in relief of Sumner.
The righthander allowed only one run on five hits, while strik-
ing out four batters in 4 2/3 innings. An error by the Surfriders
prolonged the inning, giving Matsumoto the chance to give
Moanalua some breathing space and a 6-3 lead going into
the top of the seventh inning. Matsumoto went 2-for-2, with
a run batted in and two walks.
It was a run Moanalua would need, as Kailua mounted one
final comeback. Kinoshita led off the seventh with an infield
single. After a flyout, Sumner then ripped a double, putting
runners at second and third with one out. Talaesea drove
home Kinoshita with a sacrifice fly, and Tanaka then followed
with his second base hit of the game, bringing in Sumner.
The Surfriders were now down 6-5 with a runner on first, but
Coloma closed the door by getting DeMarsh to pop to short
to end the game and preserve the victory.
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