---

One couldn't author the kind of drama in Monday night's prime time state championship.

Isaac Shim's two out, two-run single - off his cousin, Bronson Shim - in the top of the seventh rallied Pearl City past Moanalua, 2-1, for the Chargers' first Wally Yonamine Foundation Division I state crown.

A Les Murakami Stadium crowd of 2,270 - most of whom weathered Saturday's rain delay and eventual postponement - witnessed a classic pitchers' duel filled with clutch plays and in the end, clutch hits, in the first all-O'ahu Interscholastic Association final since 1994, when Castle beat Kalaheo, 5-4. That game also was dramatic with the Knights rallying for four runs in the bottom of the sixth.

"I've always told him to come to Pearl City," Isaac Shim said of his cousin, Bronson Shim. "I honestly never thought we would face each other. Just so happen it happened."

Starting pitchers - left-hander Regan Lum of Moanalua and right-hander Chevas Numata of Pearl City - engaged in a scoreless battle for five innings. But in the bottom of the sixth, Bronson Shim singled with two out and scored on Kamalu Kamoku double to left-center to give Na Menehune a 1-0 lead.

But in the top of the seventh, sophomore Kyle Tom pinch hit for Sean Milan and singled to right-center. Milan reentered as a pinch runner before pinch hitter Austin Bolosan struck out for the second out. Freshman Tanner Tokunaga, a member of Waipio's Little League World Series championship team in 2008, pulled a curve by Lum - his 101st pitch of the game - to left to put the tying and go-ahead runners in scoring position.

"This is great," said Tokunaga with a mouth full of braces. "I'm feeling on top of the world right now. This is better than Williamsport."

"We knew what he could do," Pearl City coach Mitch Yamato said of bringing the freshman to the varsity. "We want him getting going with the varsity, so he can get on with a great career."

Lum was pulled for right fielder Bronson Shim to face Isaac, the ninth batter in the Chargers' lineup. Bronson made a good pitch, but Isaac was able to get his bat on it enough for a soft liner to center that scored both runners. Isaac went to second on the center fielder's high throw to the plate, but Bronson struck out Kai Kealoha to end the inning.

"Isaac's the kind of guy who can separate himself from everything," Yamato said of cousins facing each other. "That's what he did. He didn't worry about anything else except getting a good cut on the ball."

Numata, fresh from the extra day's rest from the postponement, retired the side - the bottom third of Moanalua's lineup - in order, ending it on a routine fly out to right. He threw only 84 pitches, allowing four hits - three in the inning Na Menehune scored - walking one and striking out six, two in the bottom of the seventh.

"I knew my team had my back," said Numata, whose uncle, Garrett Nago, played for Pearl City in the late 1970s and made it as high as Triple-A professionally. "Just had to stick it out."

Pearl City (14-5) had been runner-up in the state three times, most recently in 2007 and 2008. It had lost to Moanalua, the second seed of the tournament, 4-3, in the OIA championship on May 23.

"It's great to be surrounded by great guys and great coaches," Yamato said. "That's the bottom line."

But one team's elation was another's heart break. Moanalua (15-2-1) had carried the memory of 2010 graduate Zach Manago, who was killed after getting hit by a motorist while riding with a group of bicylists in December, throughout the season a banner with Manago's monogram lined the dugout each game. Each player's warm-up shirt had Manago's name and No. 22.

"It's very emotional right now, especially for the senior class" Moanalua coach Scott Yamada said. "They hurt so bad. They feel like they let Zach down. But I know Zach is still proud of them."


Division I All-Tournament Team

as selected by HHSAA staff

1B - Kamalu Kamoku, Moanalua
2B - Ross Hasegawa, Moanalua
3B - Jordan DePonte, Moanalua
SS - Kila Zuttermeister, Kailua
OF - Marcus Doi, Mid-Pacific
OF - Kory Sasaoka, Kailua
OF - Bronson Shim, Moanalua
C - Isaac Shim, Pearl City
P - Brysen Dafun, Baldwin
P - Chevas Numata, Pearl City
Util - Tanner Tokunaga, Pearl City

Co-Most Valuable Players - Chevas Numata, Pearl City; Isaac Shim, Pearl City