Dylan Honda and Loren Iwata combined on a five-hitter, and Waiakea defeated Hilo 3-1 in a BIIF baseball game Wednesday at Wong Stadium.
The pair of left-handers, for the most part, neutralized Hilo’s best hitters, Tobey Jackson, who signed with UH-Manoa, and Xaige Lancaster, who signed with New Mexico State. Jackson batted 0 for 4 with two strikeouts, and Lancaster went 1 for 3 with an RBI.
The game’s pivotal moment came in the seventh with Jackson at the plate with the bases loaded and one out. Hilo trailed 3-0 with Iwata, a sophomore, on the mound.
Jackson worked a full count, but Iwata struck him out with an outside fastball. Lancaster had an infield RBI single, and Iwata closed the game with a groundout.
“Whenever Hilo and Waiakea play, it’s always a lot of energy,” Waiakea coach Chris Honda said. “It was a great game, well-played on both sides, and it’s a great opportunity for our boys to grow. They need more of these types of games. The game could have easily gone either way.
“Dylan did well. He pounded the zone, stayed focused and came through and did a good job. Loren was excellent. He’s only a sophomore and has huge potential, very proud of him. He plays with a lot of confidence. We were very nervous facing Tobey. One swing of the bat, and it could have been tied up.”
Iwata survived a self-induced shaky seventh. He walked Lancaster and gave up two hits to load the bases. He struck out No. 9 hitter McKenna Wakakuwa and then faced Jackson with the bases loaded and one out.
The Warriors (6-0) clinched a berth to the Division I state tournament, which will be held May 4-7 on Maui.
The Vikings (4-2) can earn the other state berth in the four-team BIIF playoffs, which start April 21.
The Warriors jumped on the scoreboard with a two-run first inning off Hekili Robello, who gave up a single to Devin Garza, a double to Kyson Wada, and a two-run single to Kedren Kinzie.
“Throughout the year, we’ve had timely hitting,” Honda said. “We get guys on, move them over, and hopefully get them across. Like I told the team at the beginning of the season our goal is to get guys on and get base hits. The key to our success is defense. Defense wins games, and if we can cut down on the errors on catch and throw, the fundamentals, we’ll be successful and that’s what we focus on.”
Honda ran into little resistance. In the second, Kaynan Kaku walked and was sacrificed to second, but Honda retired the next three hitters.
In the fifth, Elijah Haili walked and advanced to second on a sacrifice. With two out, Honda struck out Jackson on a full-count fastball.
Honda, a senior who signed with Hawaii Pacific, was pulled after the fifth for Iwata, who walked Lancaster in the sixth. Lancaster stole second, but Iwata retired the next two hitters on flyouts.
Honda went five innings, allowed no runs on two hits and two walks, and struck out four for the win. Iwata pitched two innings of one-run relief. He gave up three hits and two walks and whiffed two for the save.
Robello got into groove and threw four scoreless innings from the second to the fifth. But the senior right-hander allowed a run in the sixth when he gave up a single to Garza, who was sacrificed to second and advanced to third on a flyout by Kinzie. He scored on a wild pitch for a 3-0 lead.
In six innings, Robello allowed three runs on six hits and no walks and struck out six.
Garza batted 3 for 3, and Kinzie went 1 for 3 with two RBIs to lead Waiakea, which last won the BIIF title in 2018, continuing the even-number title years tradition that started in 2012.
Kamehameha 10, Pahoa 0: Keahi Hisashima bated 2 for 3 with two RBIs, Kaohu Kawelu 2 for 3 with three RBIs, and Dylan Hanson and Salvatore Martino each scored two runs for the Warriors (6-0).
Makana Carbonel-Mangus pitched four inning, allowed one hit and three walks and struck out 10 for the win. Jonah Reich pitched one inning and whiffed two.
Tripp Lynch pitched four innings in the loss for the Daggers (2-4).