Homer-Happy Honu Hammer CaneFires

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Homer-Happy Honu Hammer CaneFires

Kyle Galdeira
10/08/08

Kurt Mertins, Kyle Martin and Matt McBride each homered to lead North Shore over West Oahu, 13-6, in a 12-hit barrage tonight at Waipahu’s Hans L’Orange Park.

Mertins, a second baseman with the Kansas City Royals, launched a three-run home run in the seventh inning and finished with a game-high four RBIs. Martin added a solo home run to left center field in the eighth inning, and finished the game 2-5 with two RBIs, and McBride cranked a two-run shot later in the inning.

The Honu (3-6-1) jumped out to a 6-2 lead after scoring runs in each of the first three innings.

But the CaneFires (6-4) clawed back to within a run thanks to a three-run fourth inning highlighted by Kyle Peter’s two-run triple down the right field line. Peter finished the night a perfect 3-3, and boosted his batting average to .364.

North Shore added an insurance run in the home half of the fifth as Mertins plated Chris Carter with a sacrifice fly to right field, and increased his squad’s lead to 7-5 before the Honu put the game out of reach in the final two frames.

Honu starter Yasutaka Hattori (1-1) notched the victory despite allowing five runs on seven hits through four innings.

West Oahu starter Fumikazu Kimura (0-2) took the loss after allowing six earned runs on five hits and four walks, and saw his ERA balloon to 20.25. Three CaneFires pitchers combined to walk six Honu batters on the night.

The two squads return to Hans L’Orange Park tomorrow at 7 p.m. for the finale of the three-game series.