Tragedy strikes Hawaii baseball team
· Yahoo Sports
In the end, Hawaii turned a tragic loss into honor.
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The squad from Hawaii was battling for a chance to play in the semifinals of the National Championship Series in Omaha, Neb. The tournament is being televised on ESPN.
After a 6-4 loss to Maryland and an 8-7 win over Utah, Hawaii faced powerhouse Arizona on Friday. Colby Taniguchi was stellar on the mound as Hawaii took a 9-1 lead into the bottom of the fifth inning. The game was held up and postponed due to lightning.
“That was the best I’ve ever seen him pitch,” coach Daryl Kitagawa said of the Kaiser junior.
Overnight, Taniguchi’s father, Mark, died at their hotel of a heart attack, Kitagawa said. Despite the shock, the team decided to play on.
When the game resumed on Saturday morning, Arizona rallied on for a 10-9 win.
“No excuses. I don’t even know how we played. (Colby) said, ‘I want to be out there.’ His mom said he needs to be with his team to feel as normal as possible,” said Kitagawa, a longtime coach at Kamehameha.
Mark Taniguchi was 58. Colby is his only child.
Hawaii finished tourney play with a 5-1 consolation loss to host Nebraska.
“At the end of the day, baseball is a game they play,” Kitagawa said.
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