Kealakehe once again will bring the underdog label to the BIIF Division I baseball playoffs, but at least this time it’s riding a little momentum. ADVERTISING Kealakehe once again will bring the underdog label to the BIIF Division I baseball
Kealakehe once again will bring the underdog label to the BIIF Division I baseball playoffs, but at least this time it’s riding a little momentum.
Toby Estrella singled to lead off the second, and his second at-bat in the inning produced a two-run double, and Waveriders used a seven-tun rally to cruise past Keaau 12-2 at the Cougars’ field, securing the third seed in the semifinals.
Kealakehe (6-6) visits Hilo (10-2) in a best-of-three series that starts Friday at Wong Stadium. In the other series, the Cougars (4-8) draw Waiakea (12-0).
Building off the momentum of a rare win against rival Konawaena on Thursday, Tupu Toafili was 3 for 3 and pitched four innings to earn the victory, striking out four, walking four and yielding two runs. Isaac Kaku pitched a scoreless fifth to secure the TKO.
Batting leadoff, Dennison Joaquin was 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run scored.
Keaau finished with more errors (six) than hits (five). Bronsen Pili (2 for 2) hit a two-run single and Delvin Ongais-Kilaulani was 2 for 3. Edward Oguma lasted 3 1/3 and took the loss, but only four of the 11 runs he was charged with were earned.
Hilo 4, Konawaena 3
The Vikings made the most of their four hits, and Donald Saltiban (three innings) and Toa Barclay (two) held the Wildcats in check until they rallied against ace Joey Jarneski in the seventh at UHH’s field.
Kolu Alani’s tw0-run single with one out in the seventh brought Konawaena within a run, but with a runner on third, Jarneski ended the game on a double play.
Chase Costa-Ishii produced the go-ahead run in the fourth with a single to score Nick Antony, who drew a two-out walk. Logan Respicio led off the fifth with a single and came around to score when Maui Ahuna’s grounder was misplayed. Stone Miyao’s hit scored Ahuna.
Alani pitched five innings in defeat and served up an RBI triple at the plate.
After wrapping up a 9-5 regular season, Konawaena welcomes Hawaii Prep (7-7) for a best-of-three Division II semifinals that start Friday.
Kamehameha 14, Honokaa 0
Dustin Asuncion pitched four strong innings and DallasJ Duarte and Noah Chow hit home runs on the Dragons’ field in a preview of the teams’ upcoming D-II semifinal series.
Chow drove in four runs for the Warriors (12-2), including a three-run blast in the third. Duarte went deep with two aboard in the fourth and was the only player in the game to collect multiple hits.
Asuncion was touched for just three hits with two strikeouts.
Kelvin Falk worked 3 1/3 innings and was saddled with the loss for the Dragons (4-10).
Kohala 16, Pahoa 6
Kohala 14, Pahoa 0
Mason Medeiros pitched five shutout innings to secure the sweep in the second game, and Kami Hook went 2 for 4 with four RBIs in the opener as the Cowboys (2-12) picked up their first wins of the season.
Steven Medeiros won the first game, aided by a two-run double by Mason Medeiros and Dylan Salvador’s triple and three RBIs.
Justin Castro brought in two runs with a single for the inexperienced Daggers (0-14).
“I’m going to try and start up a summer league,” coach Scott Salfen said, “and see if we can get some players to come out. That’s where it starts.”
