Kailua baseball scratches out runs on Roosevelt to clinch OIA East top seed

KAILUA, Hawaii — The Kailua baseball team is trying not to get ahead of itself. The Surfriders know from experience how dangerous that can be.

Kailua manufactured runs in a variety of ways to defeat Roosevelt 6-3 for its 10^th straight win Wednesday, clinching the top East seed and a first-round bye in the upcoming Oahu Interscholastic Association playoffs.

“It feels good, but we can’t be complacent and take it lightly,” Surfriders sophomore third baseman Ryce Aoki said. “Last year was the same thing, we went into the playoffs thinking we’re better than everybody. And it didn’t work out for us. So we cannot be complacent.”

[Note: See below for more photos of the game.]

Aoki had an impressive, leaping snare of a line drive in the top of the fifth among his multiple highlight defensive plays. He had to explode well to his left, and high off the ground to get it.

After he let a grounder past in the top of the seventh, he came right back with another leaping grab on a line drive.

“It was a great play,” Roosevelt coach Samee Teixeira said. “The third baseman made a few outstanding plays today, and credit to him. I’m sure he works.”

Some Rough Riders players complimented him on the fifth-inning catch in the postgame handshake line. Aoki called it “just a reaction.”

Said Kailua coach Corey Ishigo, “He’s a great athlete. He saved a few runs today with a couple diving plays and that leaping catch. He’s a great defensive player.”

Aoki chastised himself for making errors in the Surfriders’ first few games, when he was fresh off of OIA wrestling season. He competed for both the Kailua JV and varsity at 150 pounds.

“I hadn’t played baseball or touched a baseball since before wrestling,” he said. “But I’ve been slowly getting it back and getting better.”

Kailua batted in three of its six runs. The Surfriders also scored on a balk, Roosevelt errors and a swinging bunt.

“We did what we had to do,” Ishigo said. “We weren’t hitting early, but we came through when we needed to. We weren’t executing our bunts. We were getting picked off. Things weren’t going our way. But our guys just believe.”

The Surfriders turned in double plays to get out of the second and sixth innings.

Afterward, Kailua’s lone senior, Kaimana Burgo took a senior swing at the plate and rounded the bases while being decorated with a crown, lei, and other adornments from teammates along the basepaths.

Burgo pitched the last three innings for the save in support of winning pitcher Jayden Hunt, who gave up four hits over four innings.

Kailua (10-1) faces Kaiser (6-5) at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Central Oahu Regional Park to conclude the regular season.

Roosevelt (8-3) struck first with a run in the second inning but could not keep it up despite compiling nine hits on the day.

“We came out swinging the bats pretty decent, but just the execution defensively, it wasn’t our day today,” Teixeira said.

Teixeira gave Matthew Chung the start to get him more experience heading to the playoffs. The team’s two main pitchers, Xavier Pressley and Nathaniel Kurano, came on in relief after 3 1/3 innings from Chung.

Ishigo said the Surfriders are not paying attention to their winning streak. However, it was good for his batters to see Roosevelt’s big guns on the mound as they prepare to enter the playoffs, he added.

Kailua owns 14 OIA baseball titles, eight of them under Ishigo – most recently in 2017.

Phoenix Takara went 3-for-4 and Brayden Moy and Dominic Teixeira had two-hit games for the Rough Riders.

Roosevelt hosts Moanalua (7-4) at Stevenson Intermediate in the last game of the regular season and can clinch the OIA East’s other first-round bye with a victory.

Kailua’s Ryce Aoki (12) shook hands with Roosevelt’s Luke Tuasivi in the postgame line. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)

Kailua baserunner Romeo Ortiz put on the brakes at third as Surfriders assistant coach Travis Teshima signaled for him to hold up. Ortiz later came in to score on a balk. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)

Kailua relief pitcher Kaimana Burgo attempted to snare a line drive that went past the mound. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)

Kailua third baseman Ryce Aoki leaped as he entered the Surfriders dugout after making a highlight defensive play at third. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)

Kailua starting pitcher Jayden Hunt roared toward the Kailua dugout after reaching second base on a double. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)

Kaalekahi Kuhaulua slid in headfirst past catcher Dominic Teixeira for Kailua’s first run of the game in the third inning. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)

Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.