Waipahu's Dylan Sugimoto led his Marauders teammates in a 3-2, eight innings win over the visiting Pearl City Chargers yesterday in OIA Red Western Division Varsity Baseball played at Waipahu High School.
Sugimoto earned the win pitching eight innings, allowing two runs and ten hits. Sugimoto also scored the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning on a game winning squeeze bunt by Justin Padilla with the bases loaded.
What made Sugimoto's efforts even more impressive was the adversity he battled through after a fifth inning rain delay and leg cramps that dropped him where he stood on the mound at the start of the fifith inning. Ten minutes later he was back on the rubber to face the Chargers batting order.
Pearl City held a 1-0 lead after five innings. The Chargers scored in the top of the fifth inning on an RBI single by Matthew Tsutomi that scored Tanner Tokunaga from third base. The Chargers also got a strong pitching performance from starter Dane Kaneshiro who left the game after five innings. Kaneshiro held the Marauders to two hits and no runs in five innings of work.
In the bottom of the sixth inning the Marauders tied the game at 1-1 off of Pearl City reliever Sean Milan on an RBI single by Justin Padilla that drove in Dylan Sugimoto from third base.
The Chargers one, two combination of Tanner Tokunaga and Matthew Tsutomi struck again in the top of the seventh inning to take the lead at 2-1 after Tsutomi drove in Tokunaga from third base on a sac fly to center field.
Pearl City brought in Tanner Tokunaga in the bottom of the seventh inning to close it out but Waipahu tied it up at 2-2 on a single run in the inning.
After shutting down the Chargers in the top of the eighth inning, the Marauders scored the winning run in the bottom of inning on Justin Padilla's bases loaded squeeze bunt that scored Dylan Sugimoto from third base.
Waipahu improved their league record to 2-1. Pearl City suffered their first league loss of the season and come in at 2-1.
The Chargers return to action against Mililani at home on Wednesday, March 13 with first pitch scheduled for 3:30pm.
Go Chargers!
@ Waipahu High School
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H E
Pearl City (2-1) 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 2 10 2
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Dylan Sugimoto pictured on the mound for the Marauders in the top of the seventh inning.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Justin Padilla lays down the game winning squeeze bunt in the bottom of the eighth inning with the bases loaded that scored Dylan Sugimoto from third base.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Dylan Sugimoto celebrates after touching home plate with winning the run.