Baldwin High players celebrate after their 2-0 win over Maui High Saturday at Maehara Stadium. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photos
WAILUKU — Jayden Perry-Waikiki has enjoyed a freshman season rarely, if ever, seen on the mound in the Maui Interscholastic League.
In the Central Pacific Bank/MIL Division I tournament final on Saturday Perry-Waikiki, who did not turn 15 years old until June 9, fired a two-hitter with two walks, two hit batsmen and six strikeouts to lead Baldwin High School to a 2-0 win over Maui High at Maehara Stadium.
The result forced a winner-take-all MIL championship game on Tuesday at 5:30 pm at Maehara Stadium.
The Bears (12-2) will be seeking their 13th straight MIL crown, while the Sabers (11-3) will be after their first MIL title since 2008.
Perry-Waikiki tossed a no-hitter in his last outing, a 5-0 win over Kamehameha Maui on April 13, and stretched his hitless streak to 12 2/3 innings by not allowing a hit until there were two outs in the sixth inning on Saturday.
Baldwin High’s Jayden Perry-Waikiki follows through on a fifth inning pitch in his one-hit shutout win Saturday at Maehara Stadium.
“Ah, yeah, it was,” Perry-Waikiki said when asked if the possibility of throwing two straight no-hitters was on his mind. “Throughout the fourth inning, I was like, ‘hopefully I can get a no-hitter,’ but I wasn’t trying to think about it too much. “I was just trying to have a clear mind going through this game and try not to be cocky.”
At the top of the first inning, Baldwin’s Christian Dominno singled with one out and Anu Chaves walked before Caleb Miyake-Matsubayashi rolled into a 4-6-3 double play to end the threat quickly.
The Sabers ended the top of the third inning with a 6-4-3 double play started by shortstop Nariyuki Dumlao.
Chaves walked to put runners on first and second with no outs at the top of the fourth and Miyake-Matsubayashi came up trying to bunt on the first two pitches, fouling off both.
Miyake-Matsubayashi then ripped a one-hopper to the left-center field fence near the 370-foot sign for a two-run double to make it 2-0.
Ekolu Arai broke up Perry-Waikiki’s bid for a second straight no-hitter with a clean base hit to right field with two outs in the bottom of the sixth. Izaiah Koko then reached on an error to put runners on first and second.
Perry-Waikiki struck out Dumlao looking to end the threat.
In the Maui High seventh, David Vergel de Dios was hit by a pitch with one out and Kekoa Tancayo followed with the Sabers’ second hit of the day to center field to put runners on first and second.
Aaron Omuro then rolled into a game-ending double play and the second-seeded Bears had forced their fifth meeting with the top-seeded Sabers — it is tied 2-2 head to head. Both teams have clinched spots in the Wally Yonamine Foundation/HHSAA state tournament.
After throwing 93 pitches on Saturday, Perry-Waikiki will not be available in Tuesday’s game due to pitch-count/rest rules.
“It was real fun, I got the call yesterday and I was, like, ‘OK, I’m ready, I’m ready to be that dog on the mound, I have a role to fill,’ “ Perry-Waikiki said.
Baldwin lost two games to the Sabers in extra innings three weeks ago, the Bears’ first MIL series loss since 2009. Perry-Waikiki salvaged the third game of the series with a complete-game five-hitter in a 5-2 win over the Know on April 6 when I have used 101 pitches.
“He has that dog in him, is what it is,” Baldwin coach Craig Okita said. “He’s a competitor. “He wants the ball and, hey, that’s why we went with him today.”
Okita said the Bears are glad to be back on the precipice of another MIL baseball crown.
“That should be… I like to use the word ‘electric,’” Okita said of Tuesday’s championship game. “I mean, the stands, the environment, Maehara, Baldwin-Maui High — that’s what it’s all about.
“We’ve kind of crawled our way back into this. Everything that has happened is done. “It all comes down to Tuesday night and we’re excited for the opportunity.”
Maui High coach Chase Corniel was short and to the point on his expectations of Tuesday’s colossal game.
“We’ll be ready,” Corniel said. “We just have to control what we can control.”
Baldwin. 000. 200. 0–2. 3.1
Maui High 000. 000. 0–0 2. 0
Jayden Perry-Waikiki and Anu Chaves; Logan Kuloloia and David Vergel de Dios. W–Perry-Waikiki. L–Kuloloia. 2B–Baldwin, Caleb Miyake-Matsubayashi.
Leading hitters–Baldwin, Christian Dominno 2-3, run.
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Baldwin High players celebrate after their 2-0 win over Maui High Saturday at Maehara Stadium. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photos
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Baldwin High’s Jayden Perry-Waikiki follows through on a fifth inning pitch in his one-hit shutout win Saturday at Maehara Stadium.
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