By KEVIN JAKAHI
By KEVIN JAKAHI
Tribune-Herald sports writer
HONOLULU — Timely hitting, strong pitching and good fortune continued to fuel Hilo’s hot streak, but the biggest reason for the team’s inspired play came from Uncle Paul.
The Vikings scored two runs on a throwing error in the sixth and Kian Kurokawa pitched a seven-hitter to upset Punahou 5-3 in the first round of the Division I state baseball tournament on Tuesday at Les Murakami Stadium, earning a matchup against top seed Kailua in the quarterfinals.
Hilo (14-5), the Big Island Interscholastic Federation runner-up, will play the Surfriders (14-1), the Oahu Interscholastic Association champion, at 7:30 p.m. tonight in the Hawaii High School Athletic Association tournament. BIIF champion and No. 3 seed Waiakea (17-0) will play Castle (11-6), the OIA’s No. 5 team, at 11:30 a.m. today.
In the Division II first-round today at Hans L’ Orange Field, it’s BIIF champion Kamehameha (12-5) vs. Kalaheo (9-3), the OIA runner-up, at 10 a.m. and BIIF runner-up Konawaena (12-2) vs. Waipahu, the OIA champion and No. 2 seed, at 7:30 p.m.
“We believe that we can beat anybody in this whole tourney,” said Hilo catcher Koa Matson, who was shown great respect, drawing three intentional walks with runners on base. Playing with fire didn’t burn the Buffanblu. His courtesy runner, Conrad Kauffman, didn’t score. Instead his teammates did.
“This win is special because we’re playing for Uncle Paul (Kaaukai) for the rest of this tourney,” Matson said. “We came in with the mindset that we’re going to win and fear no one. Kian did better than anybody expected. When he’s on, he can shut anyone down. He made my job easy tonight. He threw with a lot of heart to get out of a couple of big jams. He had a bulldog mentality.”
Sophomore second baseman Micah Kaaukai’s father, Paul, died on Saturday while picking opihi. Kaaukai went 0 for 3, battling through his grief. He struck out with the bases loaded in the first inning, but his teammates picked him up.
“This whole tourney is for my dad,” he said. “Part of me wants to play and part of me wants to be mourning for him. I miss fishing with him, throwing net with him. He was always encouraging people, pushing them to be their best. He would always tell me when you’re down it’s not the end of the game. You have to get back up and play ball. That keeps me strong.
“It’s unbelievable to win. We knew a lot of people thought Punahou would win. They gave us hard rubs in the preseason (7-2 loss for Hilo). But our comeback and fight showed against Campbell (6-5 state play-in win) and tonight. We showed what we’re about.”
In his first year as the team’s ace, Kurokawa, a junior right-hander, allowed three runs — all in the fourth — on seven hits and three walks, and struck out four, throwing 106 pitches and erasing the memory of a seventh-inning slippage in his last start.
Against Campbell, Hilo led 2-1 but the Sabers rallied for four runs off him in the top of the seventh with two outs. The Viks did the same in the bottom of the inning, and that roll of momentum showed up against Punahou, a seven-time defending champion, which has two sons of former UH players: sophomore catcher KJ Harrison (Kenny, an outfielder) and senior second baseman Rick Nomura (Ron, a catcher and assistant).
“My first four innings I was shaky. After that I settled in,” Kurokawa said. “I pitched to contact and knew my defense would make plays. Koa called a good game and all the credit is to the defense.
“I was really nervous thinking back about the Campbell game. This time I wanted to close the door. I stayed calm, controlled my breathing and had faith in the guys. It feels good to beat Punahou and it’s really amazing, considering what Punahou has done the past years.”
He stranded seven runners on base, including the bases loaded in the third, when the Buffanblu were in prime position for a big rally.
Kurokawa intentionally walked Nomura, a left-handed hitter, to load the bases with one out. Then he battled back from a 3-1 count to strike out Harrison, a right-handed hitter, on a full-count changeup, and clean-up batter Zak Muenster on a 3-2 fastball.
In the fourth, Punahou’s No. 9 hitter Brad Chan nailed a two-run double, and later scored on a wild pitch, bumping the Buffanblu to a 3-2 lead. But Hilo tied it in the bottom of the inning when Isaiah Banasan singled and later scored on a wild pitch off reliever Cole Kanazawa, who took the loss in 2 1/3 innings.
In the sixth with one out, Hilo shortstop Chayce Kaaua ripped a triple to left field, chasing Kanazawa. Left-hander Dylan Combs was brought in to face lefty-hitting Keenan Nishioka, who didn’t nibble at pitches off the plate and walked. Matson was intentionally walked for the third time, and Jodd Carter then slapped a routine grounder.
However, shortstop Beau Brenton stepped on second base for the second out, but his sidearm throw skipped past first base, giving Carter a fielder’s choice RBI and scoring Kaaua and Nishioka for a 5-3 lead.
A clean throw would have likely extinguished the threat with a double play, resulting in no runs. As the sun shines on Hilo, sometimes, a bit of luck is just as good as a single up the middle.
Meanwhile, the Vikings committed zero errors, turned one double play and had one outstanding play. In the fifth, third baseman Eli Cruz made a diving catch with his back to home plate to snag Nomura’s wedge shot over the bag. In the first, Kurokawa picked off Brenton, who led off with a double.
That first-inning pickoff was pivotal. Nomura followed with another hard-hit double, which would have likely scored a run. But Kurokawa got the next two outs to end the inning. Punahou smashed two doubles, but failed to plate a run.
Nishioka batted 2 for 3, Kaaua 2 for 4, Carter 2 for 4 with two RBIs, and Matson was 1 for 1 with three walks.
In the second, Tyler Higa-Gonsalves burned Punahou’s shallow defense, clocking a triple to right field. After the next batter failed to get down a squeeze bunt, Banasan got the job done, bringing in Higa-Gonsalves with a squeeze bunt.
In the third, Nishioka had a bunt single and scored on Carter’s RBI single for a 2-0 lead.
Chan batted 2 for 3 with two RBIs to lead Punahou. Nomura was 1 for 2 with two walks, and Harrison went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts. David Torigoe started, pitched three innings, and allowed two runs.
In the top of the seventh, Kurokawa faced the top of the lineup. He got Brenton to line out to Kaaua at shortstop, walked Nomura and struck out Harrison. In a fitting ending, Muenster dribbled a grounder to Kaaukai, who stepped on second for the final out.
“It’s the biggest win for the program in a long time. It’s unbelievable,” Hilo coach Tony DeSa said. “Kian mixed his pitches and changed speeds on his curveball. He kept them off-balanced. Every one of our guys battled at the plate. We conceded nothing tonight.”
Punahou 000 300 0 — 3 7 1
Hilo 011 102 x — 5 10 0