Kamehameha weathers Pearl City, rain delays to advance

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Juniors Kainoa Kaneshiro and Logan Sanchez combined on a three-hitter as top-seeded Kamehameha stifled upset-minded Pearl City, 4-0, on Wednesday night at rainy Les Murakami Stadium.

Defending state champion Kamehameha (17-5) will play unseeded, dangerous Baldwin, today in a 7 p.m. semifinal.

"I'm looking forward to the challenge against Baldwin. It's going to be awesome," Kamehameha coach Daryl Kitagawa said. "They're always good. That's the bottom line. If we don't bring our game, if we don't play catch, throw strikes, situational hitting and so forth, we're going to have a hard time. But I think we're ready, too. We're very capable, so we're going to play a good game tomorrow."

Error-free defense came through once again for the Warriors despite a rainy night. Sanchez, in particular, had to contend with two rain delays. The game easily could have unwound, but Kamehameha kept on ticking perfectly.

"We're grateful to get out of here with a win," Kitagawa said.

OIA fifth-place finisher Pearl City kept the game close with steady defense and solid pitching, but couldn't do much offensively against Kaneshiro and Sanchez.

"They've got to pitch in this kind of weather. We've got to pitch in this weather, so no excuses. Every pitch, focus in and do my job," Kaneshiro said.

Sanchez had issues with the clumpy mound soil/sand mix once rain hit the field, but he adjusted.

"The foot placement felt really different. It was definitely a challenge, but you've got to fight through it. Every pitch I kept cleaning it off," Sanchez said. "I used popsicle sticks between innings. All my pitches were kind of iffy, but at the end, my change-up and my fastball came through."

Pearl City reached the quarterfinal round after using four pitchers in a stunning 3-2, 11-inning win over Aiea on Tuesday. The Chargers had every foe in red-alert mode, including Kitagawa.

"We hardly get to see Pearl City because we play in different leagues, but I grew up there. All my friends that I grew up with, we all played in Pearl City, so I have the utmost respect for that team and the community. They played great. If a couple of their ground balls find holes, it's a different game," he said.

The game was halted for rain delays of 15 and 25 minutes in the later innings, but the "Kona low" weather that brought southerly rains to the lower campus field couldn't stop the defending state champion Warriors.

Kamehameha scored twice in the bottom of the second to take the lead. Kiai Sylvester's sacrifice fly to right field brought Matthew Zarriello home from third base. With Koen Mizukami also on base, Kaleb Flores, a 6-foot junior outfielder-pitcher, doubled to right, scoring Mizukami.

In the third frame, Jayden Montero scored on a sacrifice fly by Jace Souza, opening Kamehameha's lead to 3-0.

That was enough for Kaneshiro and company.

The weather that was forecasted hit Murakami Stadium at 8:18 p.m. following a day of muggy, but mostly sunny conditions. With rain blowing in from makai to mauka, opposite the usual direction in Moiliili quarry, the game was delayed until 8:33 p.m.

With rain holding up, the bottom of the fifth inning began and rain immediately returned. Drenched players, umpires and field coaches worked right through it. Nalu Grace scored all the way from second base on an infield error, giving Kamehameha a big insurance run.

Sanchez replaced Kaneshiro at the start of the sixth inning.

He had trouble with the clumpy mound and walked Pearl City's leadoff batter.

Sanchez overcame the heavy cleats and his defense turned a 6-3 double play on a line out as another downpour dumped on the stadium before the bottom of the seventh.

The second rain delay began at 8:55 p.m. The game resumed at 9:20 p.m.

Pearl City fans got excited when Noah Bernal led off the top of the seventh with a walk. Sanchez then whiffed the next two batters on called third strikes, and then got the final out.

Kamehameha has reached the semifinal round of the baseball state championships 12 times since the tournament's inception in 1959.