Suzuki takes Sabathia deep in A’s win

By Fred Guzman

MauiNow.com

New York Yankees’ ace CC Sabathia is one of baseball’s best pitchers. But the less the hefty lefty sees of players from Maui, the better.

During last year’s World Series, Sabathia gave up a grand slam homer to Philadelphia’s Shane Victorino.

Yesterday, he served up a three-run homer to Kurt Suzuki as the A’s posted a 4-2 win that kept the Athletics atop the American League West standings. Later in the game, Suzuki grounded into a rare triple play.

Victorino went 1-for-4 and scored two runs for Philly in an 8-3 win over Atlanta.

MIL BASEBALL: Right-hander Brysen Dafun had another brilliant outing, allowing three hits and walking none over six innings, and Baldwin’s bats finally came alive – producing four runs in the fourth and fifth innings — as the Bears advanced to Saturday’s MIL Division-I baseball tournament title game with a 9-0 win over Lahainaluna last night at Iron Maehara Stadium.

Baldwin will take a 12-1 MIL record against the winner of tonight’s semifinal between second-seeded Maui High and third-seeded Kamehameha. Both games are set for 6 p.m. starts and will be aired on ESPN 550 and ESPN550.com.

As the regular-season champ, Baldwin has already clinched a berth in the state tourney and can claim the MIL overall title by also winning the league tournament. Maui High needs to win the MIL tourney in order to force a playoff for the overall crown. Kamehaneha must win tonight to keep alive any hopes of earning a berth at states.

NA KOA IKAIKA: Three former MIL standouts have signed to play for Na Koa Ikaika Maui of the Golden Baseball League. They are: Gered Mochizuki, JJ Pacheco and Joseph Kala. Mochizuki played at Baldwin, Pacheco at St. Anthony and Kala at Maui High.

The club will invite around 35 players to attend spring training on Maui from May 9-22, eventually settling on 22 players – 11 pitchers and 11 position players – for the season that begins May 21 at Victoria.

Na Koa’s home opener is set for June 8 at Iron Maehara Stadium.

SOCCER: Sophomore forward Mattias Thompson of Baldwin, who scored a league-leading 13 goals, was named MIL boy’s soccer player of the year. Kane Palazzotto, who guided the Bears to their first league title since 2004, was named coach of the year.