By Barry Villamil | MyPearlCity.com Sports
The Pearl City Chargers continued their struggles against teams above .500 in the OIA Western Division I with Saturday’s 7-4 loss to the Campbell Sabers at Campbell High School. The Sabers improved to 6-3 in league standings while the Chargers fell in the opposite spectrum of league standings at 3-6.
Pearl City’s six regular season losses came via first and second round sweeps of the Chargers by teams above .500 in league standings; Aiea (8-1), Mililani (6-2), and Campbell (6-3). The Chargers three first round wins were tallied against Leilehua (2-5), Waipahu (0-7), and Nanakuli (4-5). The Chargers will face the trio in their final three games of the second round to end the regular season. The Chargers can avoid a regular season losing record with a sweep of their final three opponents that would pull them even at 6-6 and much needed momentum heading into the OIA championship playoffs.
On Saturday, Campbell’s Vaden Sabino earned the win for the Sabers in relief of starter Jerry Etrata. Sabino took to the mound in the fourth inning pitching 3.3 innings in relief while allowing 1 run, 3 hits, with no walks and no strikeouts. Etrata pitched 3.3 innings while allowing 3 runs, 4 hits with 1 walk and 3 strikeouts.
Pearl City starter Noah Bernal took the loss in four innings of work for the Chargers. Bernal allowed 6 runs, 6 hits with 3 walks and 4 strikeouts. Bernal also batted 1-4 with a homerun. Tyler Nishihara pitched one inning in relief of Bernal while allowing 1 run, 1 hit with 1 walk and 3 strikeouts.
Pearl City’s Ian Wicklund and Ethan Higashionna both had excellent performance at the plate for the Chargers with Wicklund hitting 3-3 with a double and a run scored, and Higashionna hitting 2-3 with a double, RBI, and 2 runs scored.
Campbells Hunter Lindsey batted 2-4 with a double and 2 RBI.
Campbell trailed Pearl City 3-2 entering the bottom of fourth inning before a four-run rally put the Sabers in front of the Chargers 6-3. The Sabers added another run in the bottom of the fifth inning with the Chargers scoring their final run of the ball game in the top of the seventh inning but came up short 7-4.
@ Campbell High School
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Pearl City (3-6) 1 0 2 0 0 0 1 4 7 1
Campbell (6-3) 1 1 0 0 4 1 X 7 7 0
Leading Hitters:
Pearl City – Ethan Higashionna 2-3, double, RBI, 2 runs scored; Noah Bernal 1-4, HR, 2 RBI, run scored; Kenta Kawasaki 1-2; Ian Wicklund 3-3, double, run scored
Campbell – Kayne Carlos 1-4, run scored; Shaveh Sarono 1-1, 2 RBI, 2 runs scored; Hunter Lindsey 2-4, double, 2 RBI; Slade Sarono 1-4, RBI; Tainoa Lave 1- 1, run scored; Jonah Yacap 1-1
Next up:
Wednesday, April 10
First pitch: 3:00pm
Campbell (6-3) host Aiea (8-1) @ Campbell High School
Pearl City (3-6) vs. Waipahu (0-7) @ Waipahu High School
GO CHARGERS!
Cover photo: Campbell’s Hunter Lindsey
Photos by Barry Villamil | MyPearlCity.com Sports
