Maryknoll pitcher Chase Uyema went 5 2/3 innings to earn the victory against Konawaena. Sylvia Lee | SL

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Maryknoll's Michael Nishiki connects with a pitch against Konawaena. Sylvia Lee | SL

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Konawaena's Zane Gray gets set to make a throw to first against Maryknoll. Sylvia Lee | SL

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Maryknoll's Trevor Hirano comes home to score one of his two runs against Konawaena. Sylvia Lee | SL

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The Maryknoll Spartans used a five run first inning to help stave off the Konawaena Wildcats, 7-6, in the opening round of the Wally Yonamine Foundation/HHSAA Division II Championships at Hans L'Orange Field.

"It's just a tribute to all the kids," Maryknoll head coach Randy Yamashiro said. "We've been through tough times this year, rocky roads and a tough ILH tournament. Now, it just proves that these kids are ready to play. They've developed over the season and I'm just so proud of them."

Maryknoll was very active at the plate, scoring seven runs on 12 hits. Leading the way offensively for the Spartans was OF Brent Hironaga who was three for four at-bats and finished with three hits, an RBI, a run, and a stolen base.

The Wildcats was also not shy from hitting for the fences as they were able to rack up three hits in the top of the first inning. Lead-off hitter Dominic Morris knocked one into shallow center field to get onto base. Morris later stole second base in the inning and Jarret Kitaoka was able to bring Morris home for the first score of the game.

Konawaena might have got off to quick start on offense, but the defense wasn't quite there yet as the Spartans scored five runs on four hits in the bottom of the first. The Wildcat defense also committed four errors in the inning to aid the Spartans offense.  An example of Konawaena's early defensive struggles was when starting pitcher Zane Gray gave up a walk while the bases were loaded.

"We don't try to rely on errors," said Yamashiro of the early offense. "We just try to play baseball. If a team is going to make an error, then so be it. Hit, run and just play baseball; that's just part of the game."

Gray would pitch through the complete Maryknoll line-up before Jordan Miyahira-Young came in to relieve Gray. Miyahira-Young and the Konawaena defense would get a double play to end the first inning to put them in a 5-1, hole, heading into the second.

Defenses for both teams picked up after the first inning as no team scored until the bottom of the fourth. Some spectacular diving catches and throw to first base were made by Maryknoll's infielders Philip Aylward and Trevor Hirano.

"Credit them for their defense," Konawaeana head coach Dave Distel said on the play of the Maryknoll infielders.  "Their shortstop and third basemen made at least four really outstanding plays."

The Spartans added two more runs in the bottom of the fourth to push the lead to 7-1, putting the Wildcats in a six-run hole.

Then they started to rally.

The Wildcats got three runs in the fifth to cut the lead to three making the score 7-4. In the midst of the Konawaeana offensive outburst, which provided some much needed spark into the crowd, there was a "bang-bang" play which occurred at home plate.
 
Konaweana had just gotten their second run of the inning and all of the momentum was on their side. When Gray went up to the plate, he had Wildcats on second and first. Gray would get a base hit with the runner at second determined to score. Unfortunately it ended up in a collision course with Maryknoll catcher Neal Nakosone.

"It's part of baseball," said Yamashiro of the incident. "It's a collision and that's just how it is. The umpire saw it as accidental and not on purpose."

"It wasn't a dirty play or anything," added Distel. "It was one of those plays that happens around catchers. It was a bang-bang play, nobody is it fault."

Nakosone stayed down for a while with trainers looking over him, but would eventually end up finishing the game till it's finished. Despite being shaken up, Nakasone was still effective as he was able snag in a key foul pop-out behind home plate.

"He's been a gamer all year long, he's a tough kid," said Yamashiro in regards to Nakasone.

The bottom of the fifth inning had two pitching changes for the Wildcats. Shelton Grace came in for Miyahira-Young and gave up two hits before coach Distel went with Ryan Torres-Torioka to pitch the rest of the way. The Torres-Torioka pitching changed paid off as Konaweana netted a double play on the next batter to help close the inning.

The Wildcats were able to continue rallying in the sixth as they were able to get back-to-back RBI triple's in deep right field on the bats of Torres-Torioka and Kileona Manzano to put the score at 7-6, trimming the lead to one.

Despite momentum not on their side, the Spartans found a way to hold on for the win. Reliever Matthew Yap came in for Maryknoll starting pitcher Chase Uyema to help seal the deal.

"We made a nice comeback with some good rips out there," said Distel on the loss. "They came back, they tried really hard and it was close. We gave them all their runs in the first inning. These guys are taught that the team that throws the ball the most on defense usually loses, and that was us today."

Maryknoll advances to face Molokai in a 4:00 p.m. game on Friday afternoon at Hans L'Orange field. Konawaena will play in a 1:00 p.m. consolation bracket game against Radford at the same venue.