Mililani's pitcher Kayden Suma (6) throws during the first inning against Campbell at Patsy T. Mink Central Oʻahu Regional Park. CJ Caraang | SL

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Mililani's Malosi Mataafa-Alferos (5) heads to home plate scoring on a bases-loaded walk in the first inning against Campbell. CJ Caraang | SL

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WAIPIO — Kayden Suma threw five shutout innings of three-hit ball to lead Mililani to a 7-3 win over Campbell in an Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I baseball game Wednesday night. 

The Trojans improved to 6-2 in the OIA D1 West standings with their third consecutive win, while the Sabers dropped their second straight game to fall to 5-3. 

Suma, a senior left-handed pitcher, was unfazed by the intermittent rains at Patsy T. Mink/Central Oahu Regional Park. He fired 44 of his 65 total pitches for strikes and registered first-pitch strikes to 11 of the 18 batters he faced. 

"I just was making sure everything was around the plate. Fastball, change-up, slider, a little bit of curveball, but just trusting in my defense, that's all I needed," said Suma, who recorded eight fly-ball outs, five ground-ball outs and two strikeouts. 

Not only did Suma go without issuing any walks, the southpaw reached just one three-ball count. Campbell was unable to push a baserunner beyond second base in Suma's five innings of work. 

"Me and (catcher) Kalei Alana, we had a gameplay to start and I just jammed them in. Establish inside and then work from there, throw the change-up — everything off the fastball," Suma said. 

Mililani coach Mark Hirayama lauded Suma's command to limit the Sabers to only three baserunners. It was Suma's fifth appearance of the season and matched his longest outing, when he threw five shutout innings and allowed one hit in a win over Leilehua back on March 16. 

Wednesday marked his first outing without a walk issued this season. 

"We were looking at his pitch count in the fourth, fifth inning and he was at like forty-some-odd pitches and just throwing strikes and around the zone and that's the sharpness that we're looking for from him is able to throw the curveball when needed to and so hopefully he's kind of figuring it out and getting to that point where he's a little comfortable and continues to stay on that track," Hirayama said. 

The longtime Trojans coach noted that Suma isn't overpowering by any means — as evidenced by his eight strikeouts in 18 innings pitched on the year — but instead relies on his ability to locate pitches to keep opposing batters from barreling up his offerings. 

"It makes it easy when you get the leadoff out and you let the guys make plays behind you," Hirayama said. "I don't think he struck out very (many), if any, so it's just easier to pitch to contact: let them hit the ball and we put a good defense behind him and let us make some plays."

The wet weather had little affect on Suma, he said. 

"It wasn't that bad, I think it was more mental. Kind of just, once you throw the first pitch it's all go from there," Suma stated. 

He needed just six pitches to set the Sabers down in order in the top of the first inning. Suma gave up one-out singles in both the second and third innings, but escaped both frames unscathed. 

The only other hit Suma surrendered was a single to right field off the bat of Hunter Lindsey to lead off the Campbell fourth. Lindsey moved into scoring position on a wild pitch, but was left stranded after Suma set down the Sabers' fourth, fifth and sixth batters to follow. He retired the final six batters he faced. 

While the Trojans rode their starting pitcher for five innings, the Sabers were dealt an early gut punch when senior third baseman Dayton Lorenzo re-aggravated a knee injury just six pitches into the bottom of the first inning and was forced to exit the game. 

With Mililani leadoff hitter Malosi Mataafa-Alferos up to bat, Lorenzo, along with shortstop Kayne Carlos and left fielder Lanzon Nagum tracked a batted ball in foul territory. Both Lorenzo and Carlos neared the fence before the former lost his footing and went down to the dirt surface of the warning track. Lorenzo was tended to by an athletic trainer before he walked off the field on his own power and back into the Campbell dugout. 

Sabers coach Wayne Nagamine noted that Lorenzo initially injured his knee in the season-opener against Nanakuli nearly a month ago. 

"His kneecap popped out, went back in," Nagamine said. "He was just coming back (from injury)."

With Lorenzo unable to continue, Nagamine was forced to move Kalaeloa Kabua across the diamond from first to third. He inserted sophomore Vaden Sabino at first base and into Lorenzo's spot in the lineup — second in the batting order. 

Beyond the lineup changes, however, the loss of Lorenzo surely put a damper on the Sabers the rest of the way. The Trojans sent seven batters to the plate in the first inning and scored four runs right off the bat. Mataafa-Alferos doubled to the gap in right-center on the very next pitch after Lorenzo went down. He eventually came around to score on a bases-loaded walk drawn by Aukai Araujo-Waiau. 

Mililani's Malosi Mataafa-Alferos (5) heads to home plate scoring on a bases-loaded walk in the first inning against Campbell. CJ Caraang | SL    Purchase image

"He's a big impact," Nagamine said of Lorenzo. "He's a senior, returnee, big-time player, bats in the middle of the lineup, people look up to him and as you see, I can't for sure say it, but there's a little letdown, I think, when he came out. As you watch the game things happen, we had to make some changes, but like you play the game, somebody gotta step up and do the job when they come in."

Alana's RBI-single to score Kamea Chun was Mililani's only other hit in the opening frame. 

"Campbell's going to come out and compete and battle, so we were just fortunate to push across some runs early and take some of the pressure off," Hirayama said. 

The Trojans stretched their lead to 5-0 in the third after Ethan Murakoshi reached on an error and eventually scored on a wild pitch. They added to their cushion with a pair of runs an inning later when both Kameron Pongasi and Cyler Wicklund scored on wild pitches. 

"We just gotta play better. We haven't been hitting the ball like we should, we gotta play better defense and Mililani is a good team — actually all the teams in the West are good. If you don't play good ball against each team you're going to find yourself falling behind and it's a tough hill to climb when you fall behind," Nagamine lamented. 

Lindsey lasted just three innings — his shortest outing of the season — and was charged with five runs (three earned) on three hits. He walked three batters and did not register a strikeout to fall to 3-1 on the year. 

Carlos threw two scoreless innings of relief and struck out five of the 11 batters he faced. 

Campbell got on the board in the top of the sixth via Lindsey's RBI-sacrifice fly to score Carlos. They pushed across two more runs in the seventh: Tainoa Lave scored Slade Sarono and Brian Diggs crossed the plate on an RBI-ground out by Carlos. 

Mililani's Mataafa-Alferos (2 for 3) was the lone player to pair hits. 

The Trojans swept the regular season against the Sabers. They recorded a 4-2 win in Ewa Beach the first time the teams faced off back on March 9. 

Mililani now holds a one-game lead on Campbell for second place behind division-leader Aiea (7-1) with four games remaining in the regular season. 

"Right now the way everybody is playing, every win is a big win. We just want to try to build off of every day and continue to try to get better one game at a time, one day at a time," said Hirayama, whose team has won its last three games since back-to-back losses to Aiea and Nanakuli two weeks ago. 

The Trojans will have six days off until their next game against Leilehua (2-5) on Apr. 10. 

Campbell, which was coming off of a 4-2 loss at Nanakuli Saturday, will look to rebound this Saturday when it hosts Pearl City (3-5) at 11 a.m.