On paper, Waiakea and Hilo are at a disadvantage at the HHSAA Division I baseball tournament because the teams they are facing played more games this season because on an umpire shortage on the Big Island.
In BIIF play, the Warriors and the Vikings, largely, have only each other to remain battle-tested.
And one more thing, Waiakea coach Chris Honda said.
“Players who are used to playing in big youth tournaments,” he said.
One of those such players is Josh Ward, and on Thursday the junior helped the Warriors reach the state semifinals, stroking a bases-clearing double to key a six-run fourth inning in a 6-3 win against Kalani on Maui.
“Kalani is a good team,” Honda said. “They don’t make mistakes. You have to earn it.”
That’s exactly what Waiakea did during it’s two-out rally in the fourth. Mason Hirata and Devin Garza put the Warriors on the board with run-scoring singles, and after an error tied the game, Ward’s double to right center made it 6-3.
Waiakea will play Saint Louis at 4:30 p.m. Friday on OCSpectrum16 to try and reach the final.
In the final game of the day, Baldwin beat Hilo High 6-3.
Duplicating his output in the BIIF championship win against the Vikings, Dylan Honda threw 104 pitches and worked 6 1/3 innings, allowing only three hits with five walks and five strikeouts. Loren Iwata got the final two outs for the save.
“Toward the end of the season, we extended Dylan for the state tournament and conditioned him to go the distance,” Chris Honda said.
Dylan Honda scuffled in the third, walking three batters and hitting another to bring in a run, and Christian Chinen’s single made it 3-0. But Honda got out of the inning with a strikeout, retired the side in order in the third and fifth, and got groundballs when he needed them to get out of the fourth, again stranding two.
In the bottom half of the inning, Honda reached on a one-out single but a pinch-runner was caught stealing. Elijah Ogawa, who reached three times and was 2 for 2, started the go-ahead rally when he drew a walk, and Kaden Oshiro singled.
Honda got out of the sixth with an inning-ending double play.
In the final game of the day, Baldwin beat Hilo High 6-3.
Volleyball
Kamehameha-Kapalama defeats Kamehameha-Hawaii 25-19, 25-12, 25-19.
The BIIF D-I champions play Moanalua in consolation at 7 p.m. Friday at Moanalua High’s gym.
Pearl City def. Konawaena 25-20, 25-22, 20-25, 24-26, 15-10: Tevita Lavaka pounded 19 kills and hit .275 to lead the BIIF D-II champion Wildcats (9-1), who hit .085.
Fati Seei-Tofi hammered 24 kills and hit .196 for the Chargers (12-2), who hit .117. BIIF runner-up Pahoa fell in three sets to Saint Louis.
Water polo
Hawaii Prep 12, Roosevelt 11, OT: Ka Makani advanced to face Kamehameha-Kapalama in a 5:45 p.m. semifinal Friday.
Kaiser 7, Kamehameha 1: The Cougars defeated the Warriors at Kamehameha-Kapalama’s campus.
Kamehameha plays a consolation match at 4:30 p.m. Friday.