The All Hawaii Select team's Brandon League came into the Capitol Classic a highly touted pitcher, and Carson Capitols coach Ron McNutt believes the hurler will be one of the nation's top five high school pitchers next season.
But it was Capitols starter Brian Cochran who stole the show on a windy Tuesday night, as he threw a shutout to lead Carson to a 3-0 win over Honolulu at Carson High.
The Capitols' two wins in the tournament put them in a three way tie atop the Red Division with Woodward, Okla., and Danville, Calif.
The Capitols play the Boise Gems, who are 1-1 in the tournament, at 8 p.m. tonight. Boise lost 11-5 to Santa Rosa, Calif., on Monday and beat Cherry Creek, Colo., 6-4 Tuesday.
Cochran scouted Honolulu's hitters on Monday night, and he said it helped him prepare for Tuesday's game.
"I didn't even care who I was pitching against," said Cochran, who plays for Feather River College during the school year. "Once I do that, I don't focus on what I need to do."
League, who was named first team all-state as a junior, has good movement on his pitches and throws hard. His fastest pitch was clocked at 93 mph, McNutt said.
"He's got arm strength, which is something that is God-given," McNutt said. "He's going to be a good one."
But the Caps eventually broke League down and showed that he was mortal in the third inning after Pat Reilly's double.
League then walked Dan Gubbels to put runners on first and second, but Dustin Pedroia hit into a double play that ended the inning. By then, the Caps realized League was just another pitcher.
"The guys were pretty confident that they could hit him," Reilly said. "Then, after getting help from the other guys, it was just a matter of seeing your pitch and driving it," Reilly said.
The real pitching story was Cochran, who scattered eight hits without giving up a run.
"I just tried to go out there to do my best, and try and get the 'W,'" said Cochran, when asked about the pressure of facing League.
The Capitols have scored in bunches this summer, and the same held true Tuesday night, when they got all their runs in the fifth.
After League hit Dustin Hahn, Jonathan Fender reached on a sacrifice-bunt attempt after catcher Nick Tudisco made a bad throw, and Hahn was able to advance to third on the play. Then League walked Brett McMillan to load the bases.
Reilly hit a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Hahn. Then Pedroia's two-run double scored Fender and McMillan to make the score 3-0.
League was scheduled to pitch Monday against Danville, Calif., instead of against the Capitols. But coach Dean Sato pushed his start back after League missed curfew.
"I left my hat in my friend's room and I went to go get it," said a smiling League, who will be a senior next year at St. Louis High in Honolulu. "But I saw coach on my way back, and I was maybe five minutes late."
