Baldwin’s epic rally stuns Kamehameha

By Fred Guzman

MauiNow.com

Depending on your perspective, it was either an epic comeback or an epic collapse. Maybe, it was a little of both.

Either way, Baldwin clinched the MIL overall baseball title with an unlikely victory on Saturday night and Kamehameha will now have to meet Maui High tonight in a playoff game for the league’s remaining berth in the state tournament.

The first pitch is scheduled for 6 o’clock and you can follow the action from Iron Maehara Stadium on ESPN 550 and on ESPN550.com.

Kamehameha jumped out to a stunning 8-0 lead in the top of the first inning. The outburst was highlighted by James Wicklund’s grandslam homer on the first pitch delivered by Brysen Dafun, who relieved Chase Takunaga after just 22 pitches – 17 of them balls.

But Dafun settled down after that to improve his MIL record to 6-0. And the Bears went on an offensive tear that included 15 hits – four by shortstop Jordan Negrini — en route to a victory that improved their league mark to 13-1.

Baldwin scored four runs in the bottom of the first, two in the second, 10 in the third and closed it out with a pair of runs in the fifth.

Both Kamehameha and Maui High will be trying to bounce back from lopsided loses.

Kamehameha, which is 8-6, advanced to the MIL tournament final by routing the Sabers 19-7 on Friday.  Maui High fell  to 8-5 after giving up 34 runs in its last two games.