Final: Punahou 7, Mililani 3
Top 7: Shimabukuro’s roll is unstoppable. HE retires Winchester on a grounder, Faildo on a grounder, Pang on a grounder, and the koa trophy is back in Punahou’s hands for the first time in nine years.
Bot 6: Oshiro sets the Buffanblu down 1-2-3, and now it’s the last chance for Mililani. PUNAHOU 7, MILILANI 3.
Top 6: Suehisa walks with two outs and Oshiro singles, but Thomas flies out to end the threat. That’s 3 1/3 innings in the book for Shimabukuro, who has permitted just one run. PUNAHOU 7, MILILANI 3.
Bot 5: Tsukada walked on four pitches with one out and moved to second on a wild pitch by Reis. After Aaron Tom walks, Punahou has two baserunners on. With Morihara at the plate, Reis threw a breaking ball in the dirt, and Tsukada and Tom advanced on the wild pitch. Ahead 3-1, Morihara sent a single to right, scoring Tsukada and Tom, opening the lead to 6-3. The Trojans then replaced Reis with Oshiro, who moved to the mound from third base. Oshiro hit Murashige with his first pitch. Eldredge grounded into a forceout, and then Nishimura’s grounder to short was botched by Hirayama, allowing Morihara to score. Oshiro then retired Terada-Herzer on a forceout at second for the third out. PUNAHOU 7, MILILANI 3.
Top 5: Winchester walks on four pitches with one out. Faildo doubles just inside the first-base bag, two runners in scoring position. Pang sends a deep sacrifice fly to right, scoring pinch runner Jason Shiigi. Courtesy runner Koa Konia-Rosa advances to third on the play. Fukuda flies out to right, inning over. PUNAHOU 4, MILILANI 3.
Bot 4: Nishimura is hit by pitch, the second time in the game, with one out. He steals second base and moves to third on a deep fly out by Terada-Herzer. Hirano works the count to 3-2 against Reis, then pops up to first for the third out. PUNAHOU 4, MILILANI 2.
Top 4: Kaohu chops a single over third base with two outs. Suehisa, who went after the first pitch last time for a pop fly, goes back to a deliberate approach and draws a walk from Shimabukuro. Then the Punahou pitcher is called for a balk and both runners advance. Runners at third and second. Oshiro falls behind 1-2 and grounds out to short. That’s six men left on base by Mililani already. PUNAHOU 4, MILILANI 2.
Bot 3: Sophomore Anu Reis replaces Moran to begin the third. He’s a southpaw with a pretty nice breaking ball. Gets two fly balls, then whiffs one of the hottest hitters in the tourney, Murashige. Curve, curve, heat. PUNAHOU 4, MILILANI 2.
Top 3: Oshiro leads off with a single and advances to second on a groundout by Thomas. Winchester lines out to short and Faildo walks. That draws Punahou coach Keenan Sue out of the dugout and the night is over for starting pitcher Robichaux. Tyler Shimabukuro takes the mound against Pang. He falls behind 2-0, works it to 2-2, Pang fouls off three pitches. Finally, Pang grounds out to first with Shimabukuro hustling to the bag, PO 3-1. Inning over. Twice, Mililani has runners in scoring position and comes up empty. PUNAHOU 4, MILILANI 2.
Bot 2: The Buffanblu takes the lead in the bottom of the second. Makana Murashige leads off with a single, moves to second base on a sac bunt by Koa Eldredge, and Matt Nishimura is hit by pitch. After Kirk Terada-Herzer singles, the bases are loaded. Hirano’s sacrifice fly to right brings Murashige home.
Harrison then belts a 1-2 pitch the other way, a two-run double to left that scores courtesy runner Patrick Munley and Terada-Herzer. Tsukada then singles to center, but CF Kaohu guns down Harrison at the plate. PUNAHOU 4, MILILANI 2.
Top 2: Waika Fukuda leads off with a single, goes to second base on a wild pitch and advances to third on a sac bunt by Jacob Hirayama. However, Micah Kaohu strikes out and Suehisa goes after the first pitch and pops out in foul territory to end the inning. MILILANI 2, PUNAHOU 1.
Bot 1: Cody Hirano leads off with a double and advances to third on a sac bunt by Kalae Harrison. Jake Tsukada doubles to left, scoring Hirano. Moran retires Aaron Tom on a fly ball and Kade Morihara lines out to short, ending the inning. MILILANI 2, PUNAHOU 1.
Top 1: As usual, JR Suehisa takes two strikes, then works the count full and gets a base hit. He drives a fastball to right-center for a standup double. After a sac bunt by Vance Oshiro, Ethan Thomas lines a fastball up the middle for a single and Suehisa scores easily. Kaiwi Winchester grounds to the pitcher for the second out. Robichaux is relying heavily on fastballs, gets ahead of Hunter Faildo 1-2. Wild pitch, Thomas advances to third base. Next pitch, a high fastball shoulder high and Faildo lines it to center, scoring Thomas. Pang grounds a hard shot off Robichaux’s leg, and third baseman Makana Murashige’s throw to first is in time to get the third out. MILILANI 2, PUNAHOU 0.
Conditions are moderately cool, cloud cover from beyond the left-field fence (West Maui Mountains), but locals say if there’s going to be rain, it comes from the other side, the Waihee/shoreline area. That side is less gray, more partly sunny.
Wally Yonamine Foundation/HHSAA Baseball State Championships
Tournament final
Punahou (24-5-1) vs. Mililani (19-6)
> Michael Robichaux vs. Tanner Moran
> Punahou is the second seed and ILH champion
> The Buffanblu defeated Kaiser, 4-1, and Hilo, 10-2
> Mililani is the fourth seed and OIA champion
> The Trojans defeated Kamehameha, 4-0, and top seed (and defending champion) Baldwin, 2-1 (8 innings)
Notes: Punahou last won the state title in 2010 during a streak of seven in a row. Mililani has not won a state title. … Punahou has won 13 state championships in baseball, more than any other school.
In earlier consolation games, Saint Louis defeated Campbell 4-2 and Kamehameha blanked Kaiser, 3-0. The third-place game just ended, a 2-all tie between Baldwin and Kaiser. Coaches Baba Lancaster (Hilo) and Shane Dudoit (Baldwin) shake hands and hug near home plate.
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