KAILUA-KONA — When the bats are booming, Waiakea head coach Bo Saiki feels like his job is a walk in the park.
The Warriors (12-0) played their patented brand of baseball on Thursday, using timely hits and sound defense to roll past Division I rival Kealakehe 7-2 and remain the BIIF’s lone unbeaten squad.
“When the girls are hitting like they were today, my job is easy,” Saiki said with a smile. “We did alright.”
Shaily Moses led the charge for Waiakea, going 3 of 4 from the plate with two runs scored and an RBI. Three other Warriors had multiple hits, including Brandee Chinen, who also scored twice. Defending BIIF DI player of the year Skylar Thomas — who was 8 for 11 with three home runs and 13 RBIs in her last three games coming in — drew two walks and knocked in an RBI.
Waiakea freshman ace Halee Sweat recorded the win in the circle. She pitched 3 1/3 innings, allowing one hit and two earned runs. She walked nine while striking out two.
It was the second trip in as many days for Waiakea to the west side of the island. Wednesday’s scheduled match against the Waveriders (4-5) was scrapped just before the first pitch due to lack of officials. Saiki said the extra travel didn’t have much effect on his squad, although he wanted to somewhat limit Sweat, who threw 94 pitches on Thursday and had gone through a full warmup the day before.
Junior Jourdan-Leigh Perreira closed out the contest for the Warriors, inheriting and escaping a bases loaded situation in the fourth inning. She kept the Waveriders at bay the rest of the game, recording the last 11 outs while allowing just three hits.
“When they need me, I do my best to be there,” Perreira said. “We really came together as a team and were well-prepared today.”
Kiara Cantiberos went the distance for Kealakehe, striking out three while allowing four earned. The strong-armed senior did her best to keep the hard-hitting Waiakea lineup off balance, but the Warriors just seemed to find the holes and capitalize on their opportunities with aggressive baserunning.
That being said, the game was a far cry from the offensive slugfest that transpired when the teams met earlier this season. The Warriors won that contest 17-14.
“Waiakea always brings the lumber,” Kealakehe head coach Loni Mercado said. “But I thought Kiara did an awesome job. She took down the big batters and kept Waiakea from hitting how they do at home.”
Waiakea pushed two insurance runs across the plate in the top of the seventh, but for the majority of the game, the Waveriders were well within striking distance. And they certainly had their chances. Kealakehe left 11 runners on base, and couldn’t find the crucial hits to change the momentum of the game.
“When we have those opportunities we need to capitalize, charge in and bust down the door,” Mercado said.
With the regular season title in hand, Waiakea already has an automatic berth to the HHSAA tournament and the top seed in the BIIF playoffs locked up. Hilo is the next closest DI squad at 7-4. But don’t be thinking that will be any excuse for complacency as the Warriors wrap up the season at home on April 8 against the Vikings and then take aim at a third consecutive BIIF DI title.
“It’s important for us to finish it out strong,” Perreira said. “Just because we have an automatic berth we can’t slack off. It will only help us at states to keep it up.”
As for the Waveriders, their next few weeks have a little more action. A pair of games against DI foe Keaau (4-6) and two games against DII squads Hawaii Prep and Ka‘u — which have combined for three wins this season — will decide where the Waveriders land in terms of seeding for the playoffs.
“I have a great group of scrappy girls and they have no reason to hang their heads after this one,” Mercado said. “We can hang with the best of them when we are at our best. It’s all about belief for us.”
