WAIMEA — The Pahoa High School varsity baseball team beat Hawaii Prep 4-1 in a BIIF Division II road test on Tuesday afternoon.
The game began slowly, with both teams going scoreless throughout the first three innings.
Arel Urbanozo started on the mound for Ka Makani — and in three innings, fanned three while allowing two hits and no walks. Shane Sale-Silva pitched for the Daggers, striking out five while surrendering a walk and a hit.
Pahoa obtained a 1-0 lead in the top fourth. Donovan Lynch led with a single, stole second and reached third on a wild pitch before the two-hole flew out. Brayden Conda-Tolle bunted and an error let him reach first and Lynch score. A groundout put another out on the board, then Urbanozo passed to shortstop Hudson Mangold to catch Conda-Tolle stealing and end the frame.
HPA evened the score in the bottom of the inning. Following a strikeout, Krystof Kalina touched base on a fielder’s choice as a runner was put out shy of second base. Nainoa Hummel hit a grounder, and an infield error led to him reaching first and Kalina crossing the plate. Hummer was tagged out at third shortly after for the third out.
Cash Cohen and Tripp Kahsen each singled with two outs on Pahoa in the top fifth. A groundout left Cohen on third and Kahsen on second. In the bottom frame, Ka Makani was also unable to score as three groundouts left Mangold on first.
The sixth inning also saw no more points or hits on either side.
The Daggers took off in the top seventh to put HPA behind a deficit. George Kocher led with a single and Jayden Majamay-Sumiki was hit-by-pitch, then Mangold relieved Urbanozo from the mound. Cohen singled to load the bases, then Kahsen stepped up to the plate and made what was arguably the game’s biggest play — doubling to bat in Kocher and Majamay-Sumiki. Mangold kept his cool and accounted for two outs, passing to Hummel at third to catch Cohen stealing home and striking out a batter. In the next at-bat, Kahsen crossed the plate on a wild pitch — then the batter grounded out to first.
Lynch stepped on the mound to close out the game for Pahoa — striking out the leadoff as the next two batters grounded out.
Mangold led HPA at bat, going two-for-two with a walk and hitting a triple.
Kahsen went four-four-four to score a run and bat two in, doubling twice.
Sale-Silva fanned eight and allowed no earned runs on two hits and four walks in his six innings.
Also pitching six innings, Urbanozo allowed two earned runs on six hits and a walk — striking out four.
Now 3-4 and overall and in Division II play, Ka Makani will travel to Waiakea High School at 1 p.m. Saturday for a non-division outing. HPA will end its regular season with three more non-division games — against Hilo High School, Keaau High School and Kealakehe High School.
The Daggers will head up the road today for a 3 p.m. game against Keaau.