Kalani Drops Heartbreaker To Kailua

Story by: Stacy Kaneshiro | Scoringlive
Photos by: Greg Yamamoto

Kailua, HI - Stone Parker's two-out RBI single in the bottom of the seventh backed Bryson Ballesteros' no-hitter as host Kailua edged Kalani, 1-0, Saturday.

The Oahu Interscholastic Association Eastern Division pitchers duel between Ballesteros and Kalani's Kekoa Gabriel was done in an hour and 42 minutes. Gabriel had a one-hitter through 6 2/3 innings, but Parker's winning hit came off reliever Max Patterson. Parker, the No. 8 hitter in the order, had the only two hits of the game.

Kailua improved to 2-0 and Kalani fell to 1-1.

Except for four walks, the only batter to reach safely was Logan Cabbat, who hit a grounder toward second base that second baseman Dayne Ishigo could not backhand cleanly and was ruled an error. He used 94 pitches in the complete-game win, striking out seven in the process.

"It was scary," Ballesteros admitted about the duel with Gabriel. "But I got my groove on and had do what I had to do and got the job done."

Gabriel got the first two outs in the bottom of the seventh before walking Ballesteros — who was lifted for courtesy runner Brandon Sarae — and Dakota Kadooka on four pitches.

"He started to aim (his pitches), looked a little tired," Kalani coach Shannon Hirai said. "That's the farthest pitch count (91 pitches) he went."

Patterson came in for Gabriel and ran a 2-2 count on Parker, who hit a chopper to the hole that got past shortstop Kaden Stremick into left field to score Sarae with the winning run.

"I was just trying to make contact and get to the next guy," Parker said. "It just happened. I was hoping (the ball would get past the shortstop). I took a little peek in and it went through."

Parker, the starting first baseman who has signed with Kansas as a pitcher, had the Surfriders' two hits (both singles) batting eighth in the order.

Meanwhile, the right-handed Gabriel mixed off-speed pitches with a not-quite-as-fast fastball as Ballesteros' throughout the game. Gabriel hit a batter and walked three, two that proved costly in Kailua's seventh. Gabriel induced six ground outs and seven harmless air outs (pop outs and fly outs).

"(Gabriel) threw strikes with all his pitches and I think we went back to overswinging again," Kailua coach Corey Ishigo said. "Way too much fly balls. We weren't trying to square up on the ball. Maybe in the first inning we hit two hard ground balls, but after that, we went after trying to hit home runs and you can't hit a home run if you can't hit the ball. I think our guys are young and need to learn about what their approach should be instead of trying to be the hero on every pitch."

The Falcons had Ballesteros on the ropes in the second inning, when Kai Matsumoto and Brandon Ting drew back-to-back walks to start the frame. But Jarod Kaneshiro's bunt was a little too hard toward Ballesteros, who fired to third for the force. Ballesteros then struck out Stremick and Logan Cabbat to end the threat.

Ballesteros retired 17 of 18 batters at one juncture before walking two with two out in the seventh. But he stranded the runnes with his seventh strikeout of the game.

Before the seventh, no Kailua runner went past second. Dylan Kurahashi-Choy Foo reached on a two-base fielding error by third baseman Travis Toyama with two out in the fourth. But Gabriel struck out Kalua Neves to strand the runner.

In the fifth, Kadooka was hit by a pitch with one out, but was caught stealing second. Though Parker singled to center, he was left at first when Ishigo popped out to second to end the inning.

"He's been pitching well," Hirai said of Gabriel. "He's not going to overpower anybody."

Both pitchers were backed by nice fielding. Kailua shorstop Kurahashi-Choy Foo ranged wide to his left on the second-base side to throw out Zach Wong on a chopper up the middle. He also charged a slow grounder to throw out pinch hitter Ian Higa with the 6-foot-5 Parker making a nice stretch to complete the play.

Kalani shortstop Stremick also made a back-handed stop of a grounder to the hole to throw out Cody Riturban in the first inning. In the seventh, first baseman Matusmoto gloved a hard grounder near the line to rob Neves of a possible extra-base hit. Boxscore