The Kamehameha Schools – Hawai‘i baseball and softball teams hosted Ka‘u High in BIIF Division II action on Tuesday in Kea‘au.
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SOFTBALL: KSH 15 – KA‘U 0
The Warriors won their second straight home game in TKO fashion and moved to a three-win streak, defeating the Trojans 15-0 in four innings.
Now 3-2, the Warriors have recovered from their 0-2 start and sit atop the BIIF DII standings. KSH will be back in DII action this weekend, hosting Honoka‘a High (2-3) on Saturday morning.
The Trojans are still winless at 0-4, and will look to pull off an upset at their next matchup — April 3 at Division I’s Kealakehe High (5-0).
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BASEBALL: KSH 19 – KA‘U 3
After entering the second inning down 3-0, the Warriors rallied with a whopping 19 runs in the bottom second to rout the Trojans in a four-inning affair.
Ka‘u got off to a great start with four straight singles in the top first, led off by Jaestin Karusada and two-spot Caleb Crook. Karusada was batted in by Riley Koch’s single, then Ian Beck singled to bat in Crook. With Crook on the mound, the Warriors went down quickly in the bottom first on a looking strikeout, an infield flyout and a runner caught stealing second.
However, that momentum was flipped on its head in the bottom second as KSH set its bats ablaze.
Shiloh Santos led off with with a single, then Noah Palea hit a two-run homer over the right fence. After that, 11 consecutive KSH batters touched base — highlighted by plays such as a three-run double by Koahu Kawelu and RBI singles by Liwai Correa, Justin Kubojiri (twice), Santos (twice), Braden Gomes, Keagan Pacheco and two more RBIs by Palea — on a single and a double. Ka‘u’s fielding errors in the bottom second cost it six unearned runs.
Though the Trojans couldn’t score again, they managed to keep the Warriors off base in the bottom third — and made a double-play, as Elijah Crook recovered a grounder and threw to Caleb Crook for a putout at second, then he threw to Devin Alpin for a putout at first.
The game was called after Ka‘u went down in three batters during the top of the fourth inning.
Keyan Kanahele got the start on the mound for KSH and earned the win during his three innings. Kekama Robello closed out the last inning.
Santos and Palea each batted 1.000, with Palea notching four RBIs and Kawelu collecting five while going two-for-three. Pacheco and Gomes also had great days at the plate, going two-for-two and one-for-one, respevtively.
Koch and beck led Ka‘u in the box, each going one-for-two with a RBI. The Trojans committed a total of six fielding errors and nine putouts.
Palea led the Warriors in the field from first base, totalling six putouts and two assists.
KSH is now 7-0 with just three regular season outings and one BIIF DII test remaining — and have already secured the No. 1 BIIF DII playoff seed. The Warriors will wrap up BIIF DII regular season action on Saturday at home against Honoka‘a High (1-4).
Ka‘u fell to 3-2, but still remains in the No. 2 standing in BIIF DII. The Trojans will play their third straight away game next Wednesday, April 3, against Kealakehe High (2-5) before returning to Pahala for a three-game homestead.