OIA Baseball
Leilehua's six-run sixth inning sinks Aiea


Stacy Kaneshiro | ScoringLive
March 7, 2018, 9:32pm

  

Wed, Mar 7, 2018 @ [ 3:00 pm ]

Leilehua

12

Aiea

5

FINAL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Leilehua 0 0002641283
Aiea 3 0 01100571

W: Raven Demmert    L: Ty Matsunami

AIEA: Makana Fujiyama-Tauala 3-3 run rbi dbl; Teron Kitashima 5.0 IP 0 ER
LEI: Christian Ontai 2-3 3 runs 2 rbi trp; Raven Demmert 3.6 IP 1 ER




AIEA — Leilehua batted around in a six-run sixth inning to rally past host Aiea, 12-5, Wednesday in Oahu Interscholastic Association Western Division baseball.

The Mules (2-1), rebounding from a 10-1 loss to Campbell on Saturday, trailed 5-2 entering the sixth against Na Alii (1-2).

A bases-loaded walk followed by an error that tied the game at 5 set-up Christian Ontai's two-run triple to left-center to give the Mules a 7-5 lead. He later scored on a double by Jerin Poopaa-Adaro to cap the six-run inning.

"We started off rough, but we just have to fix that at practice," said Ontai, who batted 2 for 3 with three runs scored, two walks and three steals. "I'm proud of every one of my teammates for picking it up, not only in the dugout, but on the field, producing runs and help us win."

Poopaa-Adaro drove in three runs with a 2-for-3 game. Besides his RBI double, he added a sacrifice fly and a bases-loaded walk for the Mules. Also, Mason Reis was 2 for 4 with three runs scored and two RBIs.

It's early in the season, but a 12-game schedule makes every game crucial, Leilehua first-year coach Spencer Omalza said.

"The season is only four, five weeks long and then we have playoffs," Omalza said. "We try to get these guys better at-bat to at-bat, pitch-to-pitch, rather than game-to-game."

Raven Demmert, a right-hander, picked up the win in relief, allowing a run, a hit and a walk with one strikeout in 3 2/3 innings. Lii Wofford started, pitching 3 1/3 innings but was a victim of a two-out error in Aiea's three-run first. The right-handed Wofford was charged with four runs but three were unearned because of the error. He gave up five hits and three walks.

"Came in threw strikes," Omalza said of Demmert, who settled the game for the Mules. "He knew the situation. I know these guys are good enough to get guys out."

Teron Kitashima pitched five strong innings before being lifted for Casey Kitashima to start the sixth. But the latter Kitashima hit the first batter he faced and walked the second before being pulled for Ty Matsunami, who allowed seven runs (six earned), four hits and two walks in 1 1/3 innings and was charged with the loss. Dan Soranaka got two outs to end the Leilehua's four-run seventh, but not after allowing two bases-loaded walks and a sacrifice fly that cushioned the Mules' lead.

Aiea coach Ryan Kato pulled Teron Kitashima after the fifth because he felt his starter's pitch count (72 pitches) was getting high.

"It's early in the season and it looked like he reached his limits for now," Kato said. "That's why we did what we did.

"I have to give credit to Leilehua. They took advantage of our mistakes and they kept the pressure on us and we weren't ready for the challenge. It's still early in the season. We got time to regroup. Good learning experience for these boys."

Makana Fujiyama-Tauala was 3 for 3 with a double and a RBI, and Trey DePonte was 2 for 4 with an RBI-double to lead Na Alii.


Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at [email protected].




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