By KEVIN JAKAHI
Tribune-Herald sports writer
HONOKAA — On a windy Wednesday, senior left-hander Dylan Shiraki found himself in auto-pilot mode, painting corners, retiring 13 in a row, and 18 of the last 19 batters — brilliant stretches of dominance.
Shiraki fired a two-hitter with seven strikeouts, and Honokaa blanked Hawaii Prep 7-0 in a Big Island Interscholastic Federation baseball game, toppling its Division II rival for the first time in four years.
It was a 102-pitch, complete-game gem by Shiraki, who allowed one walk and a single to Ian Rice in the first and a double to Zane Gray in the second. Then he was simply automatic, retiring the next 13 hitters.
“That’s as good as you’re ever going to feel,” Shiraki said. “One of our goals was to beat HPA. We haven’t beaten them in a long time.”
He outdueled HPA senior ace Jayse Bannister, who went five innings, allowed five runs — with two unearned — on eight hits and no walks in the loss. AJ Sekiya pitched two innings and yielded two runs on two hits.
“I felt a little flat,” Bannister said. “I wasn’t keeping my pitches low and they took advantage of it. I think the last time Honokaa beat us I was in the eighth grade.”
The Ka Makani (3-2) had a golden scoring opportunity in the first with runners on second and third with one out, after Bannister led off with a walk and Rice singled. But cleanup hitter Mike Nakamura hit a grounder to first baseman Joey Charbonneau, who touched first and threw home to catcher Austin Jardine for the double play.
In the second, after Gray doubled he took third on a wild pitch, then Shiraki started his run of dominance, getting a flyout, strikeout and groundout to end the inning. And HPA never threatened again until a sixth-inning infield error, which snapped the streak. Shiraki promptly retired the next five batters to record his shutout.
Jardine provided an early lead with an RBI double in the first inning, scoring Charbonneau, who reached on an error.
In the fourth, Makani Dias and Lloyd Edwards slammed solo homers.
“I hit the first pitch. He left it up and I took it for a ride,” Dias said. “The team executed, and the coaches really prepared us for the game. We worked hard all week.”
The Dragons (3-2) played aggressive small-ball to score two runs in the fifth after Haku Daniels and Damien Kaluhimoku both singled and were sacrificed into scoring position.
Honokaa attempted a double steal and Daniels scored on Bannister’s errant throw home. Charbonneau put down a perfect bunt on a safety squeeze for a 5-0 cushion.
In the sixth, Dias and Kazu Tolentino singled and were sacrificed into scoring position. Shiraki dropped a bunt on another safety squeeze to score Dias. Then Daniels cracked an RBI single to cap the scoring.
Dias and Daniels each batted 2 for 3 with an RBI, Kaluhimoku was 2 for 4, and Lloyd went 1 for 2 with an RBI to lead the Dragons.
“I’m happy with the way we approached the basepaths and executed our small-ball and bunts,” Honokaa coach Matt Charbonneau said. “Mel Jardine (Honokaa’s assistant coach) is a driving force for the kids. He works the kids hard and prepares the team well.
“Dylan was outstanding. He was top-notch. What can you say? The kid has got heart and he battles. We haven’t beaten HPA in a while, so it’s good to get that big monkey off our backs.”
HPA 000 000 0 — 0 2 2
Honokaa 100 222 x — 7 10 1
• Kamehameha 3, Hilo 2: In the eighth, Gideon Kalili and Kaimana Moike singled, and Bronson Pulgados reached on an infield error, then Jordan Hirae walked with one out for the winning run.
Kupono Decker pitched two scoreless innings in relief for the win. He allowed a hit and walk, and struck out one. Kupono Correa started and pitched two-run ball over six innings. He gave up three hits and two walks, and whiffed two.
Kalili batted 2 for 4, Chay Toson 2 for 3 and Jordan Hirae 1 for 2 with three RBIs to lead the Warriors (4-2).
On three days’ rest, Kian Kurokawa pitched 1 2/3 innings for the loss. He allowed three hits and one walk, and struck out four. Nick Fukunaga pitched 5 1/3 innings, and Jordan Tagawa recorded a strikeout to end the sixth.
Randall Iha batted 2 for 3 to lead the Vikings (4-2).
Hilo 000 200 00 — 2 4 1
Kamehameha 000 002 01 — 3 7 0
• Keaau 9, Ka‘u 4: Traysyn Waltjen and Adrian Huff each had two RBIs and Maleko Remlinger pitched six inning and struck out 10 for the win as the Cougars improved to 3-3.
Remlinger allowed four runs — two uneared — on five hits and four walks. Cody Silva pitched one scoreless inning. Silva also went 2 for 2 and scored two runs.
Anthony Emmsley pitched four innings in the loss. Rayden Esperon went the final three innings. Kihei Serrao hit a three-run homer in the first inning. He went 1 for 4 with three RBIs for the Trojans (1-5).
Keaau 211 210 2 — 9 8 1
Ka‘u 400 000 0 — 4 5 8
• Waiakea 22, Pahoa 0: Robbey Meguro pitched three shutout innings and drove in two runs as the host Warriors improved to 6-0. Waiakea pounded out 15 hits, getting two apiece from Kean Wong, Kodi Medeiros, Kylen Uyeda, Aaron Nishiura and RJ Iyo.
Meguro struck out six and allowed only one hit, and Tyler Ishimoto (three strikeouts) and Jace Okutsu (two strikeouts) each pitched a spotless inning of relief in a game that ended after 4 1/2 innings because of the BIIF’s 10-run rule.
Ishimoto finished with three RBIs, while Uyeda and Okutsu each drove in two.
Thompson Reivera took the loss for the Daggers (0-6).
Note: Waiakea’s game at Keaau has been moved up a day and will be held at 3 p.m. today.
• Kealakehe 3, Kohala 1: Junior Teao Buehler struck out 10 batters, while walking just two as the host Waveriders improved to 2-3.
Buehler (1-1) went the distance, scattering six hits and allowing no earned runs. Junior Bricen Ferreira went 2-for-3 with an RBI.
He also scored what turned out to be the winning run after tripling in the fourth inning. Junior John Alakoa drove Ferreira in with a single.
Sophomore Ricky Ching took the loss for the Cowboys (0-5) giving up two earned runs over six innings. He struck out five and walked two.
Kohala 000 000 1 — 1 1 1
Keala 100 110 X — 3 6 2
