Tanner Kagimoto and Josyah Napoleon-Umeda don’t let the giants get their way.
Instead, they let their bats do the talking. Kagimoto, a Kaiser standout, belted a two-run inside-the-park homer and a bases-clearing triple, and scored the game-winning run as the Hawaiian Stars rallied to edge the Aloha Stars 12-11 in 10 innings at the SportStan Sporting Goods Chace Numata Senior Classic on a sunny Friday afternoon at Hans L’Orange Park in Waipahu.
Napoleon-Umeda had the game-winning, walk-off single to score Kagimoto. Napoleon-Umeda finished 3-for-4 with a walk, a sacrifice fly, a home run, two RBis and a stolen base, and also pitched a scoreless third inning, allowing one hit. He was named the game’s MVP, and collected a pristine glass trophy tinted in purple. That capped a superlative senior year. In May, Honokaa captured its first Division II state championship.
Kagimoto, a Hawaii Pacific signee, was named the offensive player of the game and was gifted a new bat. Another Cougars senior, Noah Sham, was named defensive player of the game and received a new glove.
On Friday, Napoleon-Umeda and his mother, Ui, were up before 4 a.m. to make the drive to Kona International Airport along with two Dragons teammates. They departed just after 6 a.m., landed in Honolulu and made their way to Waipahu.
“What is that called? We ate at YogurStory for breakfast and came here with the boys,” he said.
He has a 4.0 grade-point average and will play at Yavapai Community College (Ariz.) next season.
“My dream is to keep playing and just have fun, make money doing this,” said Napoleon-Umeda, who is a compact 5 feet, 6 inches and 150 pounds.
Batting ninth, Kagimoto went 3-for-5 with five RBIs and three runs scored. He is 5-6 and 130 pounds.
“I’ve been doing my training and just playing the game I love. Waking up every day, working out, trying to get stronger. Just trying to find barrel, the most I can swing,” Kagimoto said.
Sham had an outstanding offensive season as Kaiser’s shortstop, but on Saturday, his prowess with the glove at third base and then shortstop was exceptional. Sham signed with Nevada, which just lost starting shortstop and former Star-Advertiser Player of the Year Sean Yamaguchi to the transfer portal (Oklahoma State).
“It’s a helluva experience, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play the last game with my senior class,” Sham said. “I’m going to try to ball out up there, work my butt off up there as much as I can. Try to make a statement.”
Kaden Paoa Itamura (Kauai) pitched the final two innings to earn the win for Hawaiian.
The exhibition game was the fifth annual edition in memory of former Pearl City catcher Chace Numata, who played 10 seasons of professional baseball. He died in 2019.
The event is organized by former Farrington coach and longtime scout Eric Tokunaga. Nathan “Homey” Numata, Chace’s father, coached the Hawaiian Stars along with Garrett Nago and Mike DeKneef.
Kaiser coach Josh Halemanu coached the Aloha Stars, assisted by Duke Chinen and former UH ace pitcher Derek Tatsuno.
Luke Takakuwa-Holtey (Mid-Pacific) started on the mound for Aloha, pitching two scoreless innings. He did not allow a hit, struck out four and walked four.
Aloha scored the first six runs of the game. Three came in the top of the second inning and three more in the fifth.
Hawaiian trailed 11-7 entering the bottom of the ninth. Napoleon-Umeda belted a line drive to the right-field corner for an inside-the-park home run. Itamura followed a triple to deep center and scored on a single by Sham, cutting the lead to 11-9.
Taye Marxen (Mililani) tripled to bring Sham home, and Honokaa’s Rory Crabbe added a two-out Texas League double to left to bring Marxen home to tie the game at 11.
Hawaii Prep World
For high school sports record books, visit .
