Kamehameha starter Salvatore Martino dug himself into a hole but climbed out of trouble often enough against Waianae on Thursday night at the Division II state quarterfinals.
Martino walked on a tight rope for five innings, wiggling out of all kinds of traffic jams, to lift the Warriors over the Seariders 4-1 at soggy Wong Stadium to advance to the semifinals against Damien at 7 p.m. Friday.
The senior right-hander found himself in all kinds of trouble after two walks, a hit batter, and single in the first inning.
The Warriors trailed 1-0 after Shysten Nagasaki walked and eventually scored on a balk with one out. Then Martino got bailed out by the pitcher’s best friend, a double play from shortstop Liwai Correa to second baseman Kaohu Kawelu to first baseman Clemson Julian.
Martino allowed a run in five innings for the win and stranded eight on base. He gave up three hits, walked three and hit two batters and struck out eight. He also had two balks, including one that led to a run. Jonah Reich blitzed through the Seariders through two innings. He struck out four and didn’t allow a base runner.
“That was a tough game that we won,” Kamehameha coach Andy Correa said. “We pitched well enough. The strike zone was small for both sides. So Sal and Jonah had to pound the strike zone, and they had good enough stuff to get away with that. We scratched enough runs. We didn’t execute too well.
“But we executed enough, scratched enough and played good defense. We cut down a couple rallies early and kept them to one run in the first. Sal didn’t have his stuff early. He had to rely on his fastball. Credit to him, he saved some arms for us on Friday.”
Seariders starter Luke Aona immediately created his own brush fire in the bottom of the first when he walked Correa and hit Kawelu. Eventually, he loaded the bases when he walked Dylan Hanson with two outs. But Aona got Keahi Higashima to ground out.
In the second, Martino again let the first hitter get on when he beaned Chanceston Molina. Then he gave up a single to Austin Jackson-Anderson, who was caught stealing. Martino recorded back-to-back strikeouts to strand a runner on third.
The Warriors jumped on Aona for three runs in the second on two hits and two walks. Martino led off with a walk, and Boston Matsu singled and stole second. Correa walked to load the bases. Kawelu hit a two-run single, and Spencer Yoshizumi had an RBI groundout for a 3-1 lead.
Martino dug himself into a minor pickle in the fifth with two outs. He walked Nagasako and Joeziah Clifton. Martino struck out Kahookele but his wild pitch got past catcher Dominic Christensen to allow Kahookele to load the bases. But Martino got Aona to ground out to second.
Clifton relieved Aona in the bottom of the fifth and walked Higashima and beaned Martino. He escaped damage when he struck out Christensen.
Aona went four innings in the loss. He gave up three runs, and Clifton allowed a run in two innings.
Reich relieved Martino in the sixth and dominated the Seariders. He struck out Cadyn Lima-Po, Molina, and Jackson-Anderson.
The Warriors scratched Clifton for a run in the sixth when Boston Matsu walked, went to second on a wild pitch and scored on a wild pitch for a 4-1 lead.
