WAIMEA — Ryan Torres-Torioka says he likes pitching with runners on base, maintaining it “makes me work harder.’’
If that’s the case, Torres-Torioka put in more than his fair share of hard work Saturday in Waimea, and it allowed Konawaena’s baseball team to survive another nailbiter.
Torres-Torioka pitched a complete-game six-hitter, consistently wiggled out of tough jams as the Wildcats remained unbeaten in Big Island Interscholastic Federation play with a 4-2 victory over Hawaii Prep.
Torres-Torioka walked five batters, and his defense made three errors behind him, contributing to the unenviable situations he faced on the mound.
However, the junior stranded seven runners in scoring position. HPA (4-4) left the bases loaded in the first and third innings and stranded 11 runners overall.
“With runners on base, (Torres-Torioka) got a lot more serious,’’ Konawaena manager Lloyd Fujino said with a grin on his face.
Konawaena (7-0) turned back a final HPA push in the seventh inning, when Ka Makani’s Jayse Bannister and Mike Nakahara (2-for-3) reached base on errors, putting runners on first and second with nobody out.
“I knew my defense would get my back,’’ Torres-Torioka said. “So I told them to shake it off and get it on the next play.’’
The Wildcats responded as shortstop Jarrett Kitaoka forced out Nakahara at second on a grounder by Kama DeSilva. Then sophomore second baseman Royce Torres-Torioka fielded a grounder by D.J. Sekiya, tagged DeSilva as the HPA junior headed toward second base and threw out Sekiya at first to complete a game-ending double play.
“Their pitching and defense did a nice job getting out of a lot of jams,’’ HPA manager Jordan Hayslip said.
Torres-Torioka improved to 2-0, striking out two batters during his 105-pitch performance.
Ka Makani senior Jayse Bannister threw almost as many pitches in five innings, finishing with 103 as he took the loss.
He allowed three runs — just one earned — on just two hits, striking out two batters and walking two.
Aside from Konawaena cleanup hitter Kileona Manzano’s two-out RBI double to the gap in left-center in the top of the first, the Wildcats and Ka Makani found themselves scratching out runs the rest of the way.
Konawaena tacked on single runs in the next two innings, taking advantage of a two-out HPA error in the second and three Ka Makani errors in the third, giving the Wildcats a 3-1 lead.
HPA got within 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth when Kai Fink raced home on a double steal, but the Wildcats’ Evyn Yamaguchi gave Konawaena some breathing room with two outs in the top of the seventh with an infield single that plated Domonic Morris.
Yamaguchi finished with two RBIs, Kitaoka added a triple, and Manzano went 2-for-3 with a run scored.
It all added up to Konawaena’s 17th consecutive BIIF victory, which put the Wildcats a step closer to a first-round bye in this year’s BIIF Division II tournament.
But Torres-Torioka isn’t putting too much stock in the team’s 7-0 mark this season.
“We don’t need to let down,’’ he said. “We need to keep stepping forward and keep peaking.’’
Konawaena 111 000 1 — 4 4 3
Hawaii Prep 010 001 0 — 2 6 4
c Honokaa 7, Kohala 4: In the fourth inning, Damien Kaluhimoku ripped a game-tying two-run double before scoring on Joey Charbonneau’s sacrifice fly and putting the visiting Dragons ahead to stay.
Sophomore Austin Jardine earned the win by pitching 1 2/3 innings in relief of senior Dylan Shiraki. He allowed two hits while striking out two. Shiraki lasted 2 1/3 innings, allowing four hits while striking out five.
Senior Lloyd Edwards finished the game on the mound for the Dragons (4-3), giving up two hits and striking out two in three scoreless innings.
At the plate, Edwards and Jardine each went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI, and Haku Daniels contributed an RBI double.
Junior Jeremiah Kanehailua suffered the loss for Kohala (0-7). In four innings, he allowed four hits and five walks while striking out one.
Sophomore Ricky Ching assumed the rest of the pitching duties, allowing two runs on two hits in three innings. He struck out two and walked one. The Cowboys took a 4-2 lead with a three-run third inning that featured a two-run double by senior Hookele Aiona.
Senior Kia Aveiro-Kalaniopio went 2-for-4 with a double, and senior Keanu Bruno added an RBI.
Honokaa 011 320 0 — 7
Kohala 013 000 0 — 4
c Kamehameha-Hawaii 7, Keaau 0: Senior right-hander Pono Correa produced an efficient two-hitter, throwing just 89 pitches in a complete-game gem.
Correa walked three, struck out seven and benefited from a pair of double plays, getting a nod of approval from his lifelong coach.
“Kupono threw a good game. He had command of all his pitches, and the defense played really well,” Kamehameha coach Andy Correa said. “Toward the end of the year, you need your starters to go deep into games and give you quality innings. That’s their job — to keep the game close. The offense’s job is to score enough runs.”
Gideon Kalili went 3-for-3, and Chay Toson was 3-for-4. Both players drove in a run for the visiting Division II Warriors (5-3).
Adrian Huff went six innings and took the loss for the Cougars (3-6).
KS-Hawaii 040 010 2 — 7 10 2
Keaau 000 000 0 — 0 2 2
c Waiakea 8, Ka‘u 0: Robbey Meguro cranked a two-run homer and combined with Jace Okutsu on a shutout to help the visiting Warriors improve to 9-0.
Meguro struck out six in five innings. Quintin Torres-Costa, who hit a leadoff homer in the first, and Korin Medeiros each had two hits.
Chance Emmsley-AhYee took the loss for the Trojans (2-7).
Waiakea 101 402 0 — 8
Ka‘u 000 000 0 — 0
c Hilo 16, Pahoa 1: Jordan Tagawa struck out six in four innings, and Jodd Carter went 2-for-3 with two RBIs at Wong Stadium.
Kian Kurokawa was 2-for-2 for the Vikings (7-2) in a game that ended after 4 1/2 innings because of the BIIF’s 10-run mercy rule.
Tagawa allowed two hits and two walks to pick up the win, and Carter struck out two batters in a scoreless fifth.
Austin Dugan took the loss for the Daggers (0-8).
Pahoa 000 00 — 1 2
Hilo 606 4x — 16 10
Stephens Media’s Kevin Jakahi and Matt Gerhart contributed to this report.
