The Pearl City Chargers advanced to the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I baseball championship semifinals after defeating Moanalua 4-1 in the quarterfinals on Thursday, April 19, 2018 at Pearl City High School. Charger ace Cade Halemanu controlled the tempo of the ball game and Moanalua at the plate, holding the Menehune battery to three hits with his speed and mix of pitches that also accounted for ten strikeouts over seven complete innings.
Thursday’s quarterfinal win sets up the Chargers for a tough semifinal match-up on Friday against 2018 OIA Eastern Division Champion Kailua who overwhelmed W5 seed Leilehua on Thursday 10-1. The championship tournament semifinals are scheduled for Les Murakami Stadium on Friday, but may be moved due to a fire that broke out Thursday evening on the University of Hawaii at Manoa campus near Les Murakami Stadium. An announcement by OIA officials will be made Friday morning.
The Chargers displayed power at the plate led by Sam Prentice who batted 3-4 with two triples and two runs scored. Caleb Young went 1-3 with a double and run scored. Cade Halemanu showed off his power from the mound and at the plate hitting 2-4 with two doubles and 2 RBI.
Moanalua’s Christian Capinia batted 1-2 and drove in the Menehune’s only run of the ball game.
SCORING SUMMARY:
Bottom 2
Carter Hirano walked to lead off the bottom of the second inning. Hirano advanced to second on a steal. Caleb Young stroked a one-out double down the right field line scoring Hirano from third base. The Chargers took a 1-0 lead.
Top 5
Menehune lead-off hitter Cade Fernandez reached first base on a walk. Next batter hit a sac grounder moving Fernandez to second base in scoring position. Next batter Trent Nakata reached first base safely on a hard hit ball to second base. Fernandez advanced to third base on the play. Next batter Zak Tachino laid down a sac bunt that moved Nakata to second base. The Menehune had runners on second and third with two outs. Next batter Christian Capinia tied the game with a hard hit RBI single to Matt Aribal at shortstop that scored Fernandez from third base. Next batter Cody Isa walked to load the bases. Next batter Andrew Oasay struck out for the third out leaving the bases loaded to end the inning.
Bottom 5
Sam Prentice smashed a lead-off triple to deep right field. Next batter Cade Halemanu followed with a RBI double that scored Prentice from third and put the Chargers up 2-1 over the Menehune. Kendric Nakamura entered the game to pinch run for Halemanu at second base. Nakamura advanced to third base on a pass ball. Next batter Carter Hirano struck out for the first out. Next batter Christian Pacrem walked putting runners on first and third. Next batter Caleb Young walked to load the bases. Trevor Yoneyama entered the game to pinch run for Young at first base. Next batter Shawn Iwane struck out for the second out of the inning. Next batter Jensen Kaya hit a two out RBI single scoring Nakamura from third base. The Chargers took a 3-1 lead. Next batter Matt Aribal flied out for the third out leaving the bases loaded.
Bottom 6
The Chargers scored a single run in the bottom of the sixth inning on Cade Halremanu's RBI double that scored Sam Prentice from third base to put the Chargers up 4-1. Prentice hit his second triple of the game to get in scoring position.
@ Pearl City High School
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Moanalua (8-5) 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 3 0
Pearl City (9-4) 0 1 0 0 2 1 X 4 10 1
Leading Hitters
Moanalua – Cody Isa 1-2; Trent Nakata 1-2; Christian Capinia 1-2, RBI
Pearl City – Matt Aribal 1-4; Sam Prentice 3-4, 2 triples, 2 runs; Cade Halemanu 2-4, 2 doubles, 2 RBI; Carter Hirano 1-3, run; Christian Pacrem 1-2; Caleb Young 1-3, 2B, RBI; Jensen Kaya 1-1, RBI
Thursday’s Quarterfinal Scores
Campbell 2 Kaiser 1 (F/8)
Mililani 12 Kalani 1 (F/5)
Kailua 10 Leilehua 1
Pearl City 4 Moanalua 1
Friday Semifinal Match-ups
@ Les Murakami Stadium (TBA)
4pm- Pearl City vs. Kailua
7pm – Campbell vs. Mililani
GO CHARGERS!
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Austyn Kometani got the start for the Menehune. Kometani pitched
1 2/3 innings while allowing 1 run on 2 hits with 1 strikeout and a walk.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Moanalua’s Cody Isa led off the ball game with a single to left field.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
The Chargers got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second inning on a RBI
double by designated hitter Caleb Young that scored Carter Hirano from third base.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Carter Hirano is congratulated at home plate after scoring the first run of the
ball game on a RBI double by Caleb Young in the bottom of the second inning.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
The Menehune tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the fifth inning
on a RBI single by Christian Capinia that scored Cade Fernandez.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Cade Fernandez puts on the breaks after scoring to tie the game at 1-1
in the top of the fifth inning on a RBI single by Christian Capinia
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Sam Prentice belted a lead-off triple to deep right field in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Sam Prentice stands on third base in scoring position in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Cade Halemanu drove in Prentice from third base with a RBI
double that put the Chargers up 2-1 over the Menehune.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Sam's The Man!
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Kendric Nakamura is pictured in scoring position at third base in the bottom
of the fifth inning and would later score on a RBI single by Jensen Kaya.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Jensen Kaya drove in Nakamura on a RBI single that put the Chargers up 3-1.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Nakamura scores to increase the Charger lead over the Menehune to 3-1.
Nakamura is pictured being congratulated by teammate Dillin Kaneshiro.