CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Waipahu 11 – 9 Pearl City 03/18/14 (Tuesday) @Hans

Congratulations to Waipahu, the 2014 Oahu AJA Baseball League Champion! It was a wild, back and forth game as Pearl City struck first with a run in the first inning but Waipahu came storming back with four runs in the bottom half of the inning and it set the tone for the rest of the game. After Pearl City rallied to take a 7-6 lead, Zack Kometani hit a three-run bomb to left field to give the lead back to Waipahu for good and Alika Kuraoka added an insurance run later in the inning with a solo shot to right field to give Waipahu a 11-7 lead. Chevas Numata came on in relief in the 7th inning, allowing 2 runs to let Pearl City come within striking distance at 11 to 9 then got out of a bases loaded jam. After the shaky 7th inning, he shut the door on Pearl City, retiring the next 6 batters in a row to earn the save. Waipahu earned it’s 3rd victory in three days and 4th in 6 days coming back from the losers bracket to win the league championship.

The game saw many dramatic moments and valiant pitching efforts as pitchers got out of several bases loaded jams as Waipahu stranded 10 runners and Pearl City left 9. In an ironman performance, Waipahu pitcher Shaun Kiriu appearing in his 3rd game in 6 days, threw 3 innings to earn the win in relief of starting pitcher Mark Veneri, after pitching 7 innings on Thursday in a win against Waialae and 10 innings on Sunday in a win against McCully. Pearl City starting pitcher Sean Yamashita left the game in the 3rd inning with an arm injury and was relieved by Daven Hermosura, who threw 4 1/3 innings. Hermosura, in a similar ironman performance, was pitching his 3rd game in 7 days, after pitching 3 innings on Wednesday in a win against Ewa, and 9 innings on Friday in a win against Waipahu.

Waipahu will represent Oahu in the 2014 Hawaii State AJA Baseball Championship Tournament April 5 and 6 in Lihue, Kauai.

DATE:	3/18/2014		SITE: HANS L’ORANGE

LINESCORE		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
	Pearl City	1	2	0	4	0	0	2	0	0	9	11	4
	Waipahu	4	0	2	0	0	4	1	0	X	11	14	4

BATTERIES:	Pearl City	Sean Yamashita, Daven Hermosura (3), Cory Yuh (7) & Kip Masuda
	Waipahu	Mark Veneri, Shaun Kiriu (4), Chevas Numata (7) & Zach Kometani

WINNING PITCHER		Kiriu						LOSING PITCHER			Hermosura
SAVE		Numata

HITTERS	Pearl City								Waipahu
	Wade Tamaru 3-5, RBI, 2 Runs, 2b								Zach Kometani 2-5, HR, 4 RBI, 2 Runs
	Justin Pate 2-5, 2 RBI								Chevas Numata 3-5, 2b, Run
	Adam Tamashiro 2-5, RBI, Run								Reese Kato 2-3, Run
									Derek Costigan 2-3, 2b, 2 Runs
									Landon Nakata 2-4, 2b
									Stephen Koki 2-4, 2b, RBI, Run
									Alika Kuraoka HR