CaneFires End Losing Skid

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CaneFires End Losing Skid

Kyle Galdeira
10/15/07

The West Oahu CaneFires snapped a five game losing streak this afternoon with a 8-2 victory over the Waikiki BeachBoys in a Hawaii Winter Baseball game at Hans L’Orange Park. The contest was shortened to eight innings due to a pre-game agreement by both teams enacted to save the arms of the pitching staff.

West Oahu (3-10-1) had lost eight of its last ten games entering this afternoon, but relied on a one-two offensive punch of Ian Gac and Chad Tracy, who combined to drive in seven runs. Gac collected a game-high four RBIs thanks to a two-run home run in the sixth inning followed by a 2 RBI single in the seventh frame. Tracy did his damage in the second inning, smashing a three-run homer to left-center field off losing BeachBoys starter Jared Lansford (0-1, 4.97 ERA).

CaneFires starter Keisaku Itokazu (1-0, 1.84 ERA) helped reverse his squad’s losing run after allowing two runs—one of which was earned—on five hits through 5 1/3 innings coupled with five strikeouts. Tyler Chambliss earned the save, throwing the game’s final 2 2/3 innings without allowing a hit and striking out two.

Cole Garner led Waikiki (7-7) at the plate, collecting the team’s lone RBI on a monstrous solo home run to right field that nearly cleared the retaining wall well over 500 feet away.

Both squads will be back at Hans L’Orange Park tomorrow at noon for the second game of a three-game series.