Kamehameha catches wind-blown break to edge Maryknoll

Mar. 24—Sometimes, even the state's top-ranked baseball team gets "lucky."

Sometimes, even the state's top-ranked baseball team gets "lucky."

With 25 mph gusts at Ala Wai Field, Jayden Montero's two-out foul pop turned into a fielding error in fair play, and Montero scored the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth inning as No. 1 Kamehameha escaped with a 2-0 win over unranked Maryknoll on Saturday morning.

Greyson Osbun's ground-ball single to left field scored the speedy Montero from second base for the game's first run.

"I was looking for a fastball, anything I could drive into the outfield so we could score, " Osbun said.

Moments later, Alaka 'i Kiakona's flyball to center caught a jet stream and suddenly sailed over outfielder Nico Low's head for a triple, scoring Osbun.

Kamehameha remains unbeaten in the ILH with a 3-0 record, trailing Saint Louis (4-0 ).

"It's the ILH. Both teams were outstanding, " Warriors coach Daryl Kitagawa said. "It's what we expect from Maryknoll. (Pitcher Allin ) Yap was great. We just tried our best to put ourselves in scoring position. We were very fortunate to come out with a win today. Hat's off to Maryknoll and coach Alaka 'i (Aglipay ) and his staff, and hat's off to our team, as well. We got lucky."

Kamehameha's clutch win outshined a fantastic seven-inning, one-hit performance by Maryknoll ace Yap, who lost 15 pounds during a recent week-long bout with pneumonia.

"I ate a lot to gain my weight back, " the junior said. "A lot of Hot Pockets."

The 6-foot-2 southpaw struck out 12 and walked four before reaching his pitch limit. Yap was clutch, coming through with key strikeouts in the sixth and seventh innings for Maryknoll to stymie the Warriors.

The speedy Yap did make a mistake on the basepaths, however, in the bottom of the fourth inning. After leading off with a single and advancing to third on Jacob Remily's single, he was thrown out at home plate on a Luke Swartman's flyball, which was caught in short left field by Osbun, who make a pinpoint throw to catcher Taj Uyehara.

"My (third-base ) coach didn't send me. I did that on my own, " Yap said. "I hesitated, then I said, I'm going. It was a good throw."

Aglipay showed some mercy on his player.

"It's got to be a perfect throw to get him. If anyone wants to do it, with his speed, Allin could do it. Plus, he's out there pitching great, " he said.

The Spartans (1-4 ) had runners in scoring position in the fifth and sixth innings but came up empty. They were 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position against Kamehameha hurlers Kiakona and Elai Iwanaga.

Kiakona went 4 1 /3 innings before hitting his pitch limit for the week. The lefty allowed three hits, struck out four and hit two batters but remained in the game as Kamehameha's cleanup hitter.

"My fastball and changeup were working, my curveball to lefties. Sometimes I was leaving the fastball up, but overall, I think I did pretty well, " Kiakona said. "I love these kind of games because it keeps the whole team in it and it puts our strength to the test, which is our pitching."

Iwanaga, a right-hander, allowed just one hit in 3 2 /3 innings with five strikeouts, one hit batter and one wild pitch.

"I was ready to pitch, staying warm. My slider was really good. I was working the splitter in the pen, but my coach didn't call it, " Iwanaga said.