Keian Kanetani struck out 16 in a four-hitter as Keaau slipped past Ka‘u 2-1 in a Big Island Interscholastic Federation baseball game on Thursday in Pahala, bringing home the Cougars’ first win.
The sophomore right-hander allowed an unearned run, walked none and threw a high volume of strikes, 76 out of 100 pitches. He also consistently got ahead of hitters, throwing a first pitch strike to 23 out of the 27 batters he faced.
The Cougars scored the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh when Anson Kauwe singled and scored on Justin Quesada’s single to second base.
Kanetani batted 2 for 4 while Rason Martines and Quesada each went 2 for 4 with an RBI to lead the Division I Cougars (1-5).
Kihei Serrao went the distance in the loss. He scattered eigth hits, gave up two runs, walked none and whiffed nine. He was a more efficient striker thrower than Kanetani at 79 percent, 75 strikes out of 99 pitches. Serrao threw first-pitch strikes to 24 out of 33 batters.
Kahoaka Phillips batted 2 for 3 with a run scored to lead the Division II Trojans (1-4).
Then in the bottom of the seventh, Kanetani got a flyout, his 16th strikeout and a groundout.
Keaau 000 010 1 — 2 8 2
Ka‘u 100 000 0 — 1 4 2
^Tuesday
Kohala 8, Kealakehe 6: The Cowboys came back from a 5-0 deficit to win on the road for their second victory against a Division I team this season.
Kohala (3-3) started to chip away at Kealakehe’s lead in the fourth when Ricky Ching brought in two runs with a single.
The Cowboys used smallball in the fifth to score five times. Kealen Figueroa legged out a bunt single for an RBI on a squeeze play, then coach Pono Nakamura called for a second consecutive squeeze even though Peter Fong had a two-strike count. Fong got the ball down, and a second run scored on the play on a throwing error.
“It was big for the boys to overcome the deficit,” Nakamura said. “They executed and held their composure.”
Kainalu Solomon got two hits at the plate and the win on the mound, and Tate Fernandez nailed down the save.
Marcus Degrate took the loss for the Waveriders (3-3).
Softball
Tiarra Teves and Sklyer Thomas each finished with two hits and three RBIs on Thursday as Waiakea beat Hawaii Prep 23-8 at home.
Taylor Ogawa drove in two runs for the Warriors (6-1), who took advantage of 21 walks.
Ogawa got the win in the circle, allowing six runs and two hits with seven walks and two strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings.
Taimane Kamaka was 2 for 2 with an RBI for Ka Makani (0-5).
The losing pitcher was Kawena Lim-Samura.
HPA 060 2 — 8 4 3
Waiakea 778 1— 23 6 1
