Pearl City’s Alika Almaraz looked strong from the hill in six complete innings of work in the Chargers 3-2 win over the visiting Waipahu Marauders on Wednesday at Pearl City High School. It was another, classic Oahu Interscholastic Association Western Division I baseball match-up. It proved to be a pitcher’s duel with both Pearl City starting pitcher Alika Almaraz and Waipahu starting pitcher Gabriel Ballesteros holding opposing batters to three hits.
Almaraz looked poised and confident on the mound after shaking off a bit of early inning nerves, but knowing that his teammates were catching each other’s back, he fired away at the strike zone while effectively utilizing his change-up to throw off the Marauder battery.
“I felt a little nervous out there, but after a few innings I got used to it and starting throwing harder because I felt more confident,” said Almaraz. “I just felt good because our team had our back. We really didn’t do well with our hits, but we got it back in the later innings. My change-up was working for me today.”
Almaraz pitched six compete innings while allowing two runs on three hits with three strikeouts and two walks. Almaraz also went 1-3 at the plate for the Chargers. Jansen Shigeta pitched the seventh inning in relief to close it out for the Chargers.
Gabriel Ballesteros took the loss for the Marauders. Ballesteros pitched six complete innings while allowing three runs on three hits with four strikeouts and three walks.
Pearl City improved to 5-1 while Waipahu remained winless at 0-6 in league standings. Pearl City, Campbell, and Mililani are tied for first place at 5-1 after the first round of league play.
SCORING
1 st inning 1-1
The Marauders and Chargers traded scores to end one complete inning of play tied at 1-1.
Top 3 2-1
The Marauders broke the 1-1 tie in the top of the third inning on a two out RBI single by Riki Nishizawa that scored Jayden Borja from third base.
Bottom 5 3-2
Alihi Rodrigues walked to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning. Kendric Nakamura entered the ball game to pinch run for Rodrigues. Nakamura advanced to second base on a wild pick-off throw that got away from the first baseman. Jensen Kaya laid down a bunt single and took first base. The Chargers had the tieing run on third and go ahead run on first. Kaya advanced to second base on a steal. Next batter Matt Aribal walked to load the bases. Carter Hirano walked scoring Nakamura from third base to tie the game at 2-2. Next batter Sam Prentice hit a sac fly to right field scoring Kaya from third base with the go ahead run that put the Chargers up 3-2. Cade Halemanu flied out for third out.
Next up:
The Chargers take on the Aiea Na Ali’I on Saturday, March 24 at 11:00am at Aiea High School.
The Marauders travel to Aiea to take on the Na Ali’i on Wednesday, March 28 at 3:00pm.
GO CHARGERS!
@ Pearl City
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Waipahu (0-6) 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 3 3
Pearl City (5-1) 1 0 0 0 2 0 X 3 3 2
Lead Hitters:
Waipahu – Rayson Carriaga 1-2, run; Joshua Lee 1-3; Riki Nishizawa 1-3, RBI
Pearl City – Alika Almaraz 1-3; Matt Aribal 1-2, 3B, run; Jensen Kaya 1-2, run
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Jensen Shigeta pitched the seventh inning in relief to close it out for the Chargers.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Gabriel Ballesteros pitched six complete innings for Waipahu while
allowing three runs on three hits with four strikeouts and three walks.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Riki Nishizawa hit a RBI single in the top of the third inning that scored
Jayden Borja from third base and put Waioahu up 2-1 over the Chargers.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Kendric Nakamura scored from third base on a bases loaded
walk to tie the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Sam Prentice hit a game winning RBI sac fly to right field scoring
Jensen Kaya from third base that put the Chargers up 3-2.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Jensen Kaya scored the winning run on a RBI sac fly by Sam Prentice.
ALIKA ALMARAZ
Congratulations Alika on a great win!
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]