HHSAA Baseball
Leilehua's Barton escapes bases-loaded jam to stop Iolani


  



Tue, May 2, 2023 @ [ 4:00 pm ]


FINAL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Iolani 0 000000031
Leilehua 0 2 0000X240

W: Koen Barton    L: Trent Ihle

LEI: Bryce Anzai 1-2 run; Koen Barton 7.0 IP 0 ER 5 K
IOL: Rylen Miyasaki 1-2; Trent Ihle 6.0 IP 0 ER 4 K


MANOA- It was Koen Barton's game all the way.

The junior right-hander pitched into and out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the seventh inning and Leilehua squeezed past Iolani, 2-0, in an opening-round game of the Wally Yonamine Foundation Division I state baseball tournament Tuesday at Les Murakami Stadium.

Barton fired a three-hitter, but walked his only two batters and hit his second batter of the game in a thrilling seventh. After getting the first two out on two pitches, he hit a batter and walked the next two to load the bases, but he got Bruin Agbayani out on a fly to left to end the game.

"It was his game and he has the stamina to last," Leilehua coach Brandon Koa said. "We watched the pitch count, but it was his game."

It was indeed.

Barton had not allowed more than one Iolani batter to reach each inning until the seventh. But Barton had confidence in his defense to ward off any threat.

Leilehua’s Koen Barton throws a pitch to plate against Iolani. Michael Lasquero | SL    Purchase image

"That last inning, I was just trying to find it," Barton said. "Throw some strikes and let my defense work. They're a great defense."

That's more than what Iolani could say for its starting pitcher Trent Ihle, who allowed only four hits and two walks in six innings. Both of the runs he allowed were unearned.

An error paved the way for the only runs of the game in the bottom of the second inning. Bryce Anzai led off with a line single to left. Pono Arindain reached on shortstop Rylen Miyazaki's fielding error that put runners at first and second. After both advanced on Keola Hanoa's sacrifice, Anzai scored when Tanner Tammarine reached on a fielder's choice grounder to second. With runners at the corners with one out, third baseman Agbayani made a diving stop and threw out Loren Owan, but Arindain scored to make it 2-0 before Bryden Takayama lined out to first to end the inning.

The Raiders' hopes began to fade when the first two batters in the seventh grounded out on first pitches. But pinch hitter Isaac Ahokovi was hit by a pitch and pinch hitters Nakoa Siu and Matthew Kaneshiro drew successive walks. But Barton got Agbayani to fly out to left to end the game



Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at [email protected].




Show your support

Every contribution, no matter the size, will help ScoringLive continue its mission to provide the best and most comprehensive coverage of high school sports in the state of Hawaii and beyond.

Please consider making a contribution today.

ADVERTISEMENT


IMAGE GALLERY



MORE STORIES

Radford wins on walk-off wild pitch to turn back Kalaheo

Mataio Tauanuu batted 4-for-4 and scored the game-winning run in back-and-forth game for the Rams.

Punahou continues unbeaten streak, hands Kamehameha second straight loss

Third-ranked Warriors suffered consecutive losses in the regular season for the first time since 2017.

No. 4 Iolani rallies to hand No. 1 Kamehameha first ILH loss

Ethan Akagi and CJ Taira scored the winning runs for the Raiders off a wild pitch to hand the top-ranked...

Punahou pulls away from PAC-5 to notch first ILH win

The Buffanblu ended a five-game skid and broke into the win column to keep the Wolfpack winless in the...

Kalani's Nishigaya headlines All-OIA East selections

Forward/midfielder Kaiulani Nishigaya helped lift Falcons to first-ever league title; Kaiser's Noelani...

Trojans' Fuamatu-Maafala leads All-OIA West picks

Mililani's Iai Fuamatu-Maafala named Player of the Year; Campbell's James Curran named coach of the year.