Sheridan Wins Oahu Championship! Defeats Waipahu 10 – 7

Oahu AJA Baseball Championship Game

March 19, 2017  Sunday @Hans L’Orange

#4 Sheridan    10

#2 Waipahu      7

Sheridan defeated Waipahu 10 to 7 by banging out 19 hits, stealing 6 bases and clutch hitting (6 RBI with 2 outs) to win its first Oahu AJA Baseball Championship since 2005 and break Waipahu’s current streak of 3 straight Oahu Championships.

Sheridan opened the game by scoring 4 runs in the top of the 1st inning on 5 hits with RBI singles by Zac Fujimoto, Reid Matsushima, Blaine Hokama and Lansen Yamamoto.   Waipahu answered with 2 runs in the bottom of the 1st inning on a RBI single by Zach Kometani and sacrifice fly by Derek Costigan.  Sheridan kept the pressure on by scoring runs in the 2nd & 3rd inning.  Waipahu responded with a 2 out 2 run homer in the 3rd inning by Kale Kaalekahi.  Waipahu continued its onslaught by scoring 3 runs in the 4th inning knocking out pitcher Rylen Kuboyama to take the lead 7 to 6.  Pitcher Eland Tsubata entered the game to shut out Waipahu for the rest of the 4th inning, the 5th & 6th innings.  Sheridan took back the game’s momentum in the 5th inning by scoring 3 runs with the last two runs on a 2 out 2 RBI single by Reid Matsushima.  Sheridan scored an insurance run in the 9th inning after 2 outs and nobody on by a bunt single by leadoff hitter Joey Maekawa and a RBI triple by Zac Fujimoto.

Maekawa threw 3 scoreless innings to close out the game and by working out of a 2 runners on base and the top of the Waipahu lineup at bat jam in the 9th inning to earn the save.   Shaun Kiriu, who had pitched Waipahu into the Championship Round by winning 2 games and pitching 17 innings including a 3 hit shutout in the 3rd & deciding game against Waialae, threw a courageous 137 pitch complete game.

Sheridan will represent Oahu in the State of Hawaii AJA Baseball Championship Tournament against Kauai, Maui & Hawaii on April 8 at Hans L’Orange Park & Les Murakami Baseball Stadium April 9, 2017.

Linescore, Recap Story, Box Scores follow:

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
SHRD	4	1	1	0	3	0	0	0	1	10	19	0
WPH	2	0	2	3	0	0	0	0	0	7	15	1

Pitching:

• Oahu AJA Baseball Waipahu and Oahu AJA Baseball Sheridan passed the lead back-and-forth on Sunday, but eventually Oahu AJA Baseball Sheridan prevailed 10-7. The game was tied at seven with Oahu AJA Baseball Sheridan batting in the top of the fifth when Reid Matsushima singled off of Shaun Kiriu, driving in two runs.
• Despite the loss, Oahu AJA Baseball Waipahu did collect 15 hits in the high-scoring affair. Unfortunately, Oahu AJA Baseball Sheridan had 19 hits on the way to victory.
• Oahu AJA Baseball Sheridan captured the lead in the first inning. Zachary Fujimoto drove in one when he singled in the first inning.
• Oahu AJA Baseball Sheridan took the lead for good with three runs in the fifth inning. In the fifth Joey Maekawa hit a sacrifice fly to drive in a run.
• Oahu AJA Baseball Waipahu scored three runs in the fourth inning. The big inning was thanks to a double by Chevas Numata, a groundout by Zach Kometani, and a single by Derek Costigan.
• Eland Tsubata earned the win for Oahu AJA Baseball Sheridan. He pitched two and two-thirds innings, giving up zero runs, two hits, and striking out three. Maekawa recorded the last nine outs to earn the save for Oahu AJA Baseball Sheridan. Shaun Kiriu took the loss for Oahu AJA Baseball Waipahu. He threw nine innings, giving up ten runs, 19 hits, striking out four, and walking zero.
• Eric Lum started the game for Oahu AJA Baseball Sheridan. He pitched, allowing two runs, and two hits.
• Charles “Kale” Kaalekahi, Keenan Sue, Tyler Hanzawa, and Michael Lam each collected multiple hits for Oahu AJA Baseball Waipahu. Kometani, Kaalekahi, and Costigan each drove in two runs to lead Oahu AJA Baseball Waipahu.
• Fujimoto, Blaine Hokama, Lanson Yamamoto, Reid Matsushima, and Maekawa each collected multiple hits for Oahu AJA Baseball Sheridan. Fujimoto went 5-for-6 at the plate to lead Oahu AJA Baseball Sheridan in hits. Oahu AJA Baseball Sheridan didn’t commit a single error in the field. Kevin Matsumoto had ten chances in the field, the most on the team.
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