Welcome to Hawaii State AJA Baseball |
Maui will host the 77th Annual State AJA Baseball Championship at Iron Maehara Stadium during the April 7-8, 2012 weekend. The State AJA Tournament rotates among the four islands with the Maui AJA Baseball League hosting in 2012.
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Oahu captured the 76th Annual State AJA Baseball Championship at Wong Stadium in Hilo before crowds numbering close to a thousand during the April 2-3, 2011 weekend. Each island was represented by their league champion, supplemented by all stars. Hawaii was represented by the Keaukaha Warriors, Kauai by the Hanapepe Rivermen & Kalaheo Homesteaders, Maui by Daimyo and Oahu by Waialae. The State AJA Tournament rotates among the four islands with the Hawaii AJA Memorial Baseball League hosting in 2011 and once again displaying its old-time AJA hospitality and great neighbor island friendliness.
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I n S u n d a y ' s C h a m p i o n s h i p g a m e , O a h u h e l d o f f H a w a i i t o w i n 4 t o 2 b e h i n d t h e o u t s t a n d i n g p i t c h i n g p e r f o r m a n c e b y t h e t o u r n a m e n t s M o s t O u t s t a n d i n g P l a y e r p i t c h e r D a v i n M o r i t a . L o n g - t i m e O a h u A J A A l l S t a r & f o r m e r U H p i t c h e r S e a n Y a m a s h i t a e a r n e d t h e s a v e b y g e t t i n g S h a y e M i u r a , t h e B i g I s l a n d L e a g u e ' s 2 0 1 1 R B I l e a d e r t o g r o u n d o u t a s t h e t y i n g r u n a t t h e p l a t e i n t h e 8 t h i n n i n g , t h e n s t r i k i n g o u t t h e s i d e i n t h e 9 t h . M o r i t a , c o m i n g o f f o f T o m m y J o h n a r m s u r g e r y t w o y e a r s a g o , h e l d t h e h a r d h i t t i n g B i g I s l a n d t e a m t o 1 e a r n e d r u n o n 8 h i t s , s t r a n d i n g 8 r u n n e r s o v e r 7 2 / 3 i n n i n g s w h i l e o u t d u e l i n g f o r m e r L A D o d g e r m a j o r l e a g u e p i t c h e r O n a n M a s a o k a , n o w w i t h t h e W a i a k e a W a r r i o r s a n d t h e B i g I s l a n d ' s 2 0 1 1 M o s t V a l u a b l e P l a y e r C o u r t n e y A r r u d a .
O a h u s c o r e d o n M a s a o k a i n t h e t o p o f t h e 1 s t i n n i n g a s l e a d o f f h i t t e r D a v i d C h u , f o r m e r U H H i l o o u t f i e l d e r , h i t a l o n g d o u b l e o f f t h e l e f t c e n t e r f i e l d f e n c e , f o l l o w e d b y a h i t b a t t e r . C h u s c o r e d o n a t h r o w i n g e r r o r o n a b u n t b a s e h i t b y C h a d I t o k a z u , f o r m e r N e w M e x i c o i n f i e l d e r . I t o k a z u e v e n t u a l l y s c o r e d o n a s i n g l e b y P a u l N i s h i m u r a , c u r r e n t G o l d e n B a s e b a l l L e a g u e M a u i o u t f i e l d e r , a s O a h u t o o k a n e a r l y 2 t o 0 l e a d . T h e B i g I s l a n d r e s p o n d e d i n t h e b o t t o m o f t h e 1 s t b y l o a d i n g t h e b a s e s w / n o o u t s . B u t M o r i t a s t r u c k o u t t h e B i g I s l a n d s 2 0 1 1 B a t t i n g C h a m p i o n A v e r y K a g a w a a n d p r o c e e d e d t o g e t t h e t o u r n a m e n t s M o s t R B I A w a r d w i n n e r T h a d E s t r a d a t o g r o u n d i n t o a n i n n i n g e n d i n g s s - 2 b - 1 b d o u b l e p l a y . I t o k a z u , w h o g o t o n b a s e 5 t i m e s i n t h i s g a m e , s c o r e d a g a i n i n t h e 5 t h o n a n o t h e r R B I s i n g l e t o r i g h t b y N i s h i m u r a , a f t e r g e t t i n g o n b a s e v i a a w a l k a n d g e t t i n g t o 2 n d b a s e o n a w i l d p i t c h , a s O a h u s t r e t c h e d i t s l e a d t o 3 t o 0 . A r r u d a s t o p p e d O a h u f r o m s c o r i n g i n t h e 6 t h , a f t e r r e l i e v i n g M a s a o k a w / r u n n e r s o n 1 s t & 2 n d w / n o o u t s , b u t w a s u n a b l e t o k e e p O a h u f r o m s c o r i n g a g a i n a s O a h u s t r e t c h e d i t s l e a d t o 4 t o 0 b y s c o r i n g i n t h e 7 t h . I t o k a z u a g a i n g o t o n b a s e v i a a w a l k & p r o c e e d e d t o s c o r e o n a t o w e r i n g d o u b l e a g a i n s t t h e 3 2 5 f o o t l e f t f i e l d s i g n b y M a r k O k a n o , a l s o a n o u t f i e l d e r w / M a u i s G o l d e n B a s e b a l l L e a g u e t e a m . T h e B i g I s l a n d m o u n t e d i t s c o m e b a c k b y s t a r t i n g t h e 7 t h i n n i n g w / 3 s t r a i g h t h i t s t o s c o r e a r u n . B u t M o r i t a r e g r o u p e d & g o t t w o g r o u n d b a l l o u t s w / Y a m a s h i t a g e t t i n g t h e f i n a l 4 o u t s o f t h e g a m e i n r e l i e f . O a h u h a d 8 h i t s , l e d b y N i s h i m u r a w / 1 d o u b l e , 2 s i n g l e s & 2 r b i , C h u & O k a n o w / 1 d o u b l e e a c h , a n d I t o k a z u , A D M o l s & S h a y H i r o t a e a c h s i n g l e d . O a h u s t r a n d e d 1 0 r u n n e r s & c o m m i t t e d o n l y 1 e r r o r . T h e B i g I s l a n d h a d 8 h i t s , l e d b y R i d g e H o o p i - H a s l e m s 3 s i n g l e s , S h a n n o n C a m e r o s d o u b l e & s i n g l e s b y K e a n W o n g , K a g a w a , E s t r a d a & B r y s o n A o k i . H a w a i i s t r a n d e d 8 r u n n e r s w h i l e c o m m i t t i n g 2 e r r o r s .
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I n t h e c o n s o l a t i o n g a m e , M a u i d e f e a t e d K a u a i 6 t o 1 . M a u i w a s l e d b y p i t c h e r J o e y C a s t r o w / 3 h i t s w h i l e a l s o p i t c h i n g 7 i n n i n g s , a l l o w i n g n o e a r n e d r u n s & s t r i k i n g o u t 8 . K y l e S h i m i z u c o l l e c t e d 2 h i t s . K a u a i w a s l e d b y t o u r n a m e n t B a t t i n g C h a m p K e i t h N o n a k a w h o b a t t e d . 5 7 1 f o r t h e t o u r n a m e n t a n d e d g e d o u t M a u i ' s S h i m i z u f o r t h e b a t t i n g t i t l e b y w i n n i n g t h e R B I t i e - b r e a k e r . N o n a k a p a i r e d h i t s . K a u a i s B r a d M a r u y a m a , f o r m e r l y o f O a h u a n d M i d - P a c i f i c I n s t i t u t e b a s e b a l l , c a u g h t 6 i n n i n g s a f t e r c a t c h i n g 9 i n n i n g s t h e d a y b e f o r e & f i n i s h e d t h e g a m e b y p i t c h i n g t h e f i n a l 1 2 / 3 i n n i n g s o n c r a m p i n g c a l f m u s c l e s .
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I n t h e t o u r n a m e n t s 1 s t g a m e o n S a t u r d a y , O a h u s c o r e d e a r l y t h e n r e p e a t e d l y t u r n b a c k M a u i t o w i n a t h r i l l e r 2 t o 1 . O a h u ' s R a n d y C a s t i l l o p i t c h e d 7 s c o r e l e s s i n n i n g s , a l l o w i n g 5 h i t s t o o u t d u e l M a u i ' s K a l a i k a K a h o o h a l a h a l a , w h o p i t c h e d a c o m p l e t e g a m e , a l l o w i n g o n l y 3 h i t s t o D a v i d C h u . O a h u s J a y T a k a m o t o e a r n e d t h e s a v e b y p i t c h i n g t h e f i n a l 2 i n n i n g s w h i l e a l l o w i n g 1 u n e a r n e d r u n . I n t h e 3 r d i n n i n g , O a h u s c o r e d 2 r u n s w h e n D a v i d C h u d o u b l e d i n C h r i s M o l s , t h e n s c o r e d h i m s e l f o n a g r o u n d o u t b y K e v i n H i g a . M a u i t h r e a t e n e d i n t h e 7 t h b u t M a u i s C h a s e C o r n i e l w a s t h r o w n o u t a t h o m e o n a s h o r t f l y o u t t o r i g h t f i e l d e r P a u l N i s h i m u r a . I n t h e 8 t h , M a u i t h r e a t e n e d a g a i n & l o a d e d t h e b a s e s w / 2 o u t s b u t d i d n ' t s c o r e a s T a k a m o t o s t r u c k o u t C o r n i e l t o t h w a r t t h e r a l l y . I n t h e 9 t h , M a u i h a d t h e t y i n g r u n o n 2 n d b a s e d u e t o a c r u c i a l O a h u e r r o r , b u t t h e g a m e e n d e d o n a h a r d h i t l i n e d r i v e o n e h o p p e r t o 3 r d b a s e m a n A D M o l s w h o u s e d h i s b o d y t o c a t c h t h e b a l l . M a u i ' s L a n c e M i g i t a & K y l e S h i m i z u e a c h p a i r e d h i t s .
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I n S a t u r d a y s 2 n d g a m e , H a w a i i w o n 7 t o 6 i n a n e x c i t i n g g a m e b y s c o r i n g e a r l y & f r u s t r a t i n g t h e c o n t i n u a l l y c h a r g i n g K a u a i w h o c o u l d n t b r e a k t h r o u g h t o s c o r e t h e t y i n g r u n . T h e B i g I s l a n d ' s C o d y U r a s a k i p i t c h e d 6 i n n i n g s f o r t h e w i n w / R T E b e s u e a r n i n g t h e s a v e b y p i t c h i n g t h e f i n a l 3 i n n i n g s . K a u a i s M i c h a e l C a r d i n e z p i t c h e d a g u t t y c o m p l e t e 8 i n n i n g g a m e . K a u a i s t r a n d e d 8 r u n n e r s , f a i l i n g t o c a s h i n o n n u m e r o u s c h a n c e s t o w i n t h e g a m e . K a u a i f i n a l l y e n d e d t h e g a m e b y s t r a n d e d t h e t y i n g r u n o n 2 n d b a s e i n t h e 9 t h i n n i n g . H a w a i i ' s S h a n n o n C a m e r o , J o r d a n L e e , B r y s o n A o k i , O n a n M a s a o k a & T h a d E s t r a d a p a i r e d h i t s w / E s t r a d a d r i v i n g i n 3 r u n s . K a u a i w a s l e d b y I k a i k a P e z a r i o w / 3 h i t s w h i l e M i c a h F u r t a d o , A l l a n M u n d o n & K e i t h N o n a k a w h o p a i r e d h i t s .
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O p e n i n g c e r e m o n i e s h e l d b e t w e e n S a t u r d a y s g a m e s f e a t u r e d m e s s a g e s f r o m G o v e r n o r A b e r c r o m b i e & M a y o r B i l l y K e n o i r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s a n d h o n o r e d r e c e n t l y d e c e a s e d l o n g t i m e H a w a i i A J A M e m o r i a l B a s e b a l l L e a g u e o f f i c i a l s a n d s u p p o r t e r s T o m m y H i r a n o , Y a s u o Y a s u I w a s a k i , G l e n n K i m u r a , I s a m i B o n e s K o n d o , T o s h i m i t s u T o t K o n d o , & W a l t e r W a t a r u S e r r a o w h o s e y e a r s o f s e r v i c e r a n g e d f r o m 2 5 t o 6 0 y e a r s .
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