Stacy Kaneshiro | ScoringLive
March 26, 2025, 8:20pm
EWA BEACH - Kai Hirayama fired a no-hitter to help No. 3 Mililani down host Campbell, 7-0, Wednesday in Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I Western Division baseball for the Trojans' fifth consecutive win to start the season.
The senior left-handed pitcher faced a minimum of 21 batters, but the perfection was lost in the third inning when hit Campbell's Chanson Verdadero on a 1-2 pitch with out. But the runner was quickly erased when Ayden Angeles hit one the first pitch and grounded to second for an inning-ending double play. Hirayama would retire the next 12 Sabers in a row, including striking out five consecutive batters at one juncture. He needed just 91 pitches for the complete-game gem.
"I did know I had a no-hitter, but I tried to keep my mind off it," said Hirayama (3-0). "Not try to focus on that too much, just throw strikes and let my ‘D' work."
Only three batted balls put into play reached the outfield. Campbell lead-off hitter Los Kalua flied out to center in all his three at-bats. Everyone else either struck out (9), grounded out (7) or popped in the infield (1).
His dominance was not a fluke. In 20 innings pitched from three starts, he has yet to allow a run and has surrendered just three hits and a walk. He has 30 strikeouts with other wins against Leilehua and Waipahu.
"The guy's just a competitor," said Mililani coach Mark Hirayama (not related). "He just wants the ball every time out and leave it all on the mound. That's his competitive nature."
Six of his nine strikeouts came in the final three innings of the game. Coach Hirayama said the left-hander starts the game a little wired sometimes.
'Sometimes early in the game, he gets a little pumped up and all over the place," Coach Hirayama said. "We just slow him down a little bit, as the game gets going, he gets a little tired and it kind of slows him down a little bit and kind of gets him in a better rhythm."
Added the pitcher Hirayama: "I tried to keep them off balance, start them off with the fastball and finish with the change and let my defense work."
Kai Hirayama also had great offensive support. First baseman Jonah Parker drove in four runs on a two-run double in a three-run first inning and a two-run single in the seventh. Hirayama helped his own cause with an RBI double in the first inning. Koa Marzo scored three runs and stole a base. Aukai Araujo-Waiau was hit by a pitch three times, singled and stole a base. He scored twice, as did Parker.
Campbell starting pitcher Vaden Sabino allowed three runs and four hits in three innings. Riley Rosal (1 1/3 innings), Isaac Lemos (two-thirds of an inning) and Jonah Yacap (1 1/3 innings) all pitched in relief.