OIA Baseball
Moanalua mounts seventh inning rally to edge Kaiser


ScoringLive staff
March 9, 2022, 8:43pm

  


Wed, Mar 9, 2022 @ [ 3:00 pm ]

Moanalua

6

Kaiser

5

FINAL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Moanalua 2 001003672
Kaiser 1 0 10030571

W: Reyn Vidad    L: Bryson Toner

KAIS: Chaz Kagimoto 2-4 run rbi trp; Ty Komoda 5.0 IP 2 ER 2 K
MOA: Z Miyashiro 1-4 3 rbi; Koen Smith 5.6 IP 2 ER 6 K


Moanalua improved to 2-1 on the season with a key road win, 6-5, over Kaiser, helping Na Menehune keep pace atop the standings in the OIA East.

"Its a strong division, we just have keep grinding for every win," said Taven Hathaway of the victory.

Na Menehune trailed, 5-3, heading into the top of the seventh, as the Cougars rallied for three runs in the bottom of the sixth, highlighted by a triple to left by Chaz Kagimoto.

The Moanalua rally that ensued in the seventh was far from furious, but effective nonetheless.

Jake Ferreira led off the inning by getting on base after being hit by a pitch, then Shayde Koga drew a walk to put the tying run in scoring position. After reliever Bryson Toner recorded the first out by getting Kaiden Sonoda-Fukumoto swinging, the bases were loaded one batter later when Connor Dempsey also reached via four balls, setting the stage for Z Miyashiro with the bases loaded.

And the senior delivered for Na Menehune, lacing a line drive to center that brought home both Ferreira and Koga to tie the game up.

"I was just trying to hit the ball really hard up the middle, see what happens and that's what I did," said Miyashiro.

Taylin Oana took over for Toner and got Nate Alvaro swinging to get the Cougars with an out of ending the inning, but Taven Hathaway had other plans.

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Hathaway, who came on as a pinch hitter in the game, stepped up to the plate and lasered a 2-2 offering to center, scoring Dempsey with the go ahead run.

"I just came in thinking two strike stance the whole time, I was just trying to get a base hit," said Hathaway of the at bat.

Oana struck out the next batter to end the threat, but the damage was already done.

Reyn Vidad, who came on in relief of starter Koen Smith with two outs in the sixth, got the job done in the last of the seventh, getting Zach Ho to fly out for the first out, before going strikeout, walk, strikeout to end it.

"To see him do a job like this for his senior year, its a good feeling," said Miyashiro.

Hathaway agreed.

"Koen and Reyn did an amazing job on the mound today," he said. "We just got to keep this going on to the next game." 

Smith also had a strong outing, going 5 2/3 innings, giving up five runs on six hits, striking out six and walking none. Vidad needed just 23 pitches to record the final four outs.

Moanalua did not record an extra base hit in the game, but manufactured two runs out of a pair of walks in the first (both scored on ground ball outs) and a walk in the fourth into another run on a wild pitch which allowed Nate Alvaro to come home.

"A wins a win," chuckled Hathaway. "It just feels great to win, that's all I can say about it."

Next up for Moanalua is a home game against Castle on Mar 11 at 3 p.m., while Kaiser travels to Lanakila Field for a game against Farrington on Mar 16.




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