Baseball

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APRIL 29, 2010: Saint Louis ends ILH baseball drought

By Jerry Campany on April 29, 2020

On this day in 2010, Saint Louis finally broke through and won the ILH after a 20-year wait. Catcher Moses Samia hit a three-run home run and Chris Chung threw five scoreless innings and the Crusaders beat Mid-Pacific 6-2 at Damon Field. Saint Louis finished the season 16-1 and earned the ILH seeded berth at the state tournament. Mid-Pacific (12-4) and Punahou (11-5) got the league’s other tickets to the big show. Chung and Saint Louis beat Kailua in the […]

APRIL 27, 1973: Aiea’s Gerald Ako strikes out 21 in one-hitter

By Jerry Campany on April 27, 2020

On this day in 1973, Hawaii baseball coach Les Murakami saw something very special. Murakami, who signed Gerald Ako two weeks later despite never having seen him pitch in a real game, settled into his seat at Honolulu Stadium to watch the OIA championship between Aiea and Castle. He was one of 2,354 people in attendance for what would become one of the best-pitched games in Hawaii history. Ako, who stood 5-8 and weighed 165 pounds, threw a one-hitter with […]

APRIL 27, 1955: Waipahu leaves no doubt about baseball dynasty

By Jerry Campany on April 27, 2020

Waipahu left no doubt on this day in 1955, pounding Kahuku 18-2 at Hans L’Orange to win its eighth straight rural OIA baseball title. The Marauders finished the season 7-1 after losing their opener, beating runner-up Leilehua twice in the process. Masa Yonamine and Waipahu won the next year, too, and ran their dominance to 10 years in a row before losing to Waialua in 1958. Yonamine guided Waipahu to four of the titles with Mitsuo Fujishige taking the first […]


APRIL 25, 1918: Mid-Pacific prepares to christen Damon Field

By Jerry Campany on April 25, 2020

On this day in 1918, Mid-Pacific warmed up for the baseball season with a 15-13 win over Honolulu Military Academy. The Owls finished their preseason slate unbeaten with the win, slamming three home runs against the Cadets in a brisk 1 hour, 25 minute affair. The game was to be the last on what was known as Castle Field, as the facility was to be rededicated Damon Field two days later. The field was founded in 1916 by George P. […]

APRIL 25, 2013: Pearl City’s Sean Milan goes old school

By Jerry Campany on April 25, 2020

Sean Milan and Pearl City lost the game, but won the conversation. On this day in 2013, Milan pitched 10 innings but the Chargers lost to Kailua 2-1 in the OIA Red Quarterfinals. Surfriders coach Corey Ishigo called it ‘probably the best high school performance I’ve seen as coach in 14 years.’ Milan threw 141 pitches with 10 strikeouts and scattering six hits. Pilipo Kupahu scored the telling run for Kailua in the 12th when the Chargers failed to turn […]

APRIL 24, 1995: Sean Murphy throws ILH race wide open

By Jerry Campany on April 24, 2020

On this day in 1995, Sean Murphy hit a three-run home run and Mid-Pacific beat Kamehameha 8-3 to throw the ILH race into its usual chaos. The victory created a three-way tie between Kamehameha, Mid-Pacific and Iolani at 15-4-1 with one game remaining in the season. Punahou was just one game behind them. The leaders all won their games the next day, forcing a playoff. Murphy, who would go on to play for UH, drove in the lone run in […]

APRIL 24, 1975: Greg Adaro and Ricky Guzman team up for no-no

By Jerry Campany on April 24, 2020

Waipahu’s Greg Adaro and Ricky Guzman had each thrown no-hitters before, but on this date in 1975 they combined on one. Adaro pitched seven innings and Guzman worked the final two to complete a 3-2 win over Campbell at the University of Hawaii field. Adaro walked four batters in the seventh inning before being pulled. Guzman struck out his only batter in the inning to put out the fire. The game ended on a squeeze play gone awry. Waipahu ended […]

APRIL 24, 1986: Hilo’s Shane Ogawa piles up strikeouts

By Jerry Campany on April 24, 2020

On this day in 1986, Shane Ogawa struck out 15 batters and defending champion and top seed Hilo throttled Castle 7-0 in the second round of the state baseball tournament. Ogawa allowed only two hits (Both to Darren Oshiro) and pitched around three errors. Hilo’s state run ended with an 11-9 loss to Iolani the next day, and Ogawa had two hits and four RBIs. Vikings coach Buzzy Capellas remarked after the game that all his team had to do […]