Trio of home runs power Kaiser past Castle in OIA opener

Rayden Aoki | SL

On opening day in the OIA, the Cougars brought out the fireworks.

Kaiser parlayed three home runs, one by Noah Sham and two more by Case Cannon, to back a one-hit complete game by Bryson Toner in a 13-2 rout of Castle.

Already up 5-0 thanks for a big second inning, Sham's inside-the-park home run came on a line drive to left field that allowed both Jackson Wood and Kolt Glipa to score, making it 9-0 Cougars after three complete.

Cannon got the Cougars into double digits with a solo shot to right to lead off the fourth, and Mana Shigehara-Pang come around to score from first two batters later on an error to make it 11-0.

Castle got on the board in the fifth with two runs on a wild pitch and a fielder's choice, but Toner struck out the final two batters that followed to limit the damage.

Then in the fifth, Hayzen Inouye drew a seven-pitch walk with one out, setting the table for Cannon, who stretched a ball to center to end it.

Toner needed just 68 pitches to go the distance, allowing just a single hit and two runs, both of them earned. He walked none and struck out eight.