Mililani avenges OIA semifinal loss from last year


Sean Sonognini didn't forget. He remembers it like it was yesterday.

A year ago,  Sonognini and his Mililani baseball teammates could only watch as Kailua celebrated a 4-3 walk-off victory in the semifinal round of the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I tournament.

"It was on my mind — I don't know if it was on anybody else's — but, yeah I remember that," said Sonognini, then a junior catcher.

Friday the Trojans got some revenge in the form of a convincing 7-0 win behind lefty pitcher Koa Eastlack's three-hitter. The victory put them into Saturday's league final, where they will play fellow-Western Division team Campbell.

Eastlack, who struck out six in the win, downplayed the revenge factor.

"It still isn't about revenge, we've just got to go out there and beat them," Eastlack said. "It doesn't matter who they are, we've just got to go out there and take them."

Mililani coach Mark Hirayama echoed Eastlack's sentiments.

"That was last year," said Hirayama, who has led the Trojans to the past two D1 state title games. "We're a different team this year. We're just focusing on the here and now and trying to take care of business one game at a time."

Still, it was nice to serve some payback in Sonognini's eyes.

"I remember Cole (Nakachi) was pitching and that kid, Dalton (Kalama), ripped one into right field today and they won on a walk off, but I think he went 0 for 3 today, so we did pretty good on him today."

Kalama, the Surfriders' clean-up hitter, struck out in all three of his plate appearances Friday.

Mililani (12-2) will now turn its sights on the reigning two-time league champion Sabers, who handed Mililani a 4-3 loss just over a week ago.



Reach Kalani Takase at [email protected].