Pearl City Focusing On Bigger Picture For Aiea Game
By Jack Danilewicz
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Del.icio.usIn an OIA Western Conference baseball race defined by balance, there’s little time to play up a rivalry, to hear Pearl City coach Gary Nakamoto tell it.
As his team prepares for a key game with Aiea Wednesday, he has the big picture in mind.
“I don’t overplay them (games),” said Nakamoto, a longtime coach in the community, who is in his first season as the Chargers’ head varsity coach.“For me, I try to take it one game at a time because every game is important to us. But our kids have friends everywhere, and everyone wants to beat everyone. There’s a rivalry in the sense that they know each other and they’d like to beat each other.”
As the defending OIA champions, Pearl City was already assured of getting every opponent’s best effort this season long before it began. They passed their first test March 5 in their West opener by defeating Kapolei 15-1, a win that looks all the more impressive in retrospect, given Kapolei’s 7-0 victory over Mililani only four days later.
“The returning boys have stepped up, and they’re coming through,” he said.“Cory (Yuh) threw well in (a preseason tournament on) Maui and he got off to a good start against Kapolei. Guys like Bryson (Nakamura) have been swinging the bat well.
“Right now, we’re trying for togetherness - to have everyone helping each other out. We can’t depend on just one or two people. Every game, someone else has to step up and help out, and we see that coming around.”
In addition to Yuh, who is the ace of the pitching staff, and Bryson Nakamura in the out-field, they boast key performers in shortstop Ryno Acosta, center fielder Duane Kiyota, junior catcher Carlton Tanabe and third baseman Bryson Namba, a junior and Damien transfer.
Yuh earned the win in the Kapolei game March 5 with a four-hitter and is the projected starter for Wednesday’s game with Aiea. “He’s grown a lot since I coached him as a freshman as far as becoming more mature,” Nakamura said. “He’s working hard at trying to hit his spots.”
Nakamura anticipates Aiea to counter with their own ace, Randy Castillo. Na Ali’i split their first two games, beating Leilehua 7-3 March 5, while losing 3-0 to Waianae three days later.
“He’s their No. 1 right now and he can be dominant,” Nakamoto said of Castillo. “He’s a big pitcher. We have to be able to hit him to score.”
Pearl City showed its offensive muscle in its win over Kapolei, pounding out 15 hits in all versus the Hurricanes. All nine members of the lineup collected at least one hit, with Jared Nagai and Poentis going 3-for-3 to lead the way. Namba also delivered big, hitting a two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning to give Pearl City an early lead.
The Chargers are in the midst of a rugged four-game stretch on their schedule that began last Saturday when they played at Waianae. Following Wednesday’s Aiea game, they play at Campbell at 1 p.m. Saturday and at Mililani on March 25.
Nakamoto expects Kurt Poentis to be starting pitcher for Saturday’s game with Campbell.
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