HHSAA water polo: Deja vu for Warriors

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In its HHSAA girls water polo quarterfinal, Kamehameha-Hawaii coach Dan Lyons felt his team let one get away.

In its HHSAA girls water polo quarterfinal, Kamehameha-Hawaii coach Dan Lyons felt his team let one get away.

But when it comes to consolation play at states, the Warriors are seemingly always in control.

Halia Nahale-a notched her second consecutive six-goal game Saturday in Honolulu, and Kamehameha beat Lahainaluna 14-10 to finish fifth for the fourth year in a row.

“This has been one of my favorite teams to coach,” Lyons said. “They’ve really developed into a close team.”

Nahale-a led the BIIF champion Warriors (13-2) with 13 goals in three games at states. The senior had one on Thursday as Kamehameha lost to Kapolei 8-5, a game in which Lyons estimated the Warriors held a 52-18 advantage in shots.

“The better team did not win,” he said. “We just didn’t take advantage of our opportunities.”

Kamehameha did against the Lunas (11-5) as it improved to 8-0 in consolation play the past four years. Katelynn Kubo scored four goals as Kamehameha jumped to a 7-3 lead at halftime, Pua Wong netted a hat trick and Alyssa Pelanca also scored.

Wong and Nahale-a were senior co-captains for the Warriors, who raced to their sixth consecutive BIIF title.

“They were good leaders and are going to be missed,” Lyons said. “They helped set the foundation for everything we did.”

Tennis

Hilo junior Emily Soares earned her best state finish, besting Ashley Ishimura of Punahou 6-3, 1-6, 6-4 in the third-place match at Central Oahu Regional Park.

Soares, the BIIF champion, had twice finished fourth at states, including in doubles last year. In 2013, Soares lost to Skyla Alcon of Mid-Pacific in the third-place match. On Saturday, Alcon won her first crown, upsetting top-seeded Taylor Lau of St. Francis.

On the boys side, Hawaii Prep junior JJ Minakata lost in the third-place match, 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 to Punahou’s McKenna Fujitani.

Baseball

Three Kauai pitchers limited Kamehameha-Hawaii to five hits, and the BIIF champion Warriors lost 4-3 in the Division II third-place game at Les Murakami Stadium in Honolulu.

Senior Hinalea Cortez had two doubles for Kamehameha (13-3), driving in a run in the first inning, and senior Kobi Candaroma tripled and scored in the fifth. Makana Aiona also drove in a run with a hit in the first.

The Red Raiders (11-4) tied it in the second on Shane Ogata’s two-run double and they went ahead for good on Kobey Dias’ RBI single. Ogata had three hits and pitched a scoreless seventh for the save.

Brandyn Lee-Lehano pitched all six innings for Kamehameha, allowing 10 hits, four runs – two earned – with two walks and five strikeouts.

Kamehameha-HI 200 010 0 – 3 5 2

Kauai 021 100 x – 4 10 0

Molokai 5, Konawaena 2

Kelsey Kitayama finished his high school career with two hits and a run scored as the Wildcats lost the Division II fifth-place game at Les Murakami Stadium.

Tyler Kitaoka was 2 for 3 for BIIF runner-up Konawaena (6-9-1), and starter Stevie Texeira took the loss as the Wildcats used four pitchers.

Fueled by Codi-Jase Kamakana’s two-run single with two outs, the Farmers (13-1) scored four times in the second inning.

Konawaenae 101 000 0 – 2 7 1

Molokai 040 010 x – 5 7 1

Baldwin 11, Hilo 1

The Bears scored seven runs in the fourth inning at Hans L’Orange Stadium and beat up on a BIIF Division I team for the second consecutive day to take fifth.

Russel Ragual, one of the Vikings’ two seniors, drove in his team’s run with a sacrifice fly in the first that scored Joey Jarneski, who had singled.

Kaiden Cox started and took the loss for Hilo (10-6), allowing seven hits and six runs in 3 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out one.

Baldwin (14-4) beat Waiakea 14-0 on Friday night.

Hilo 100 00 – 1 5 2

Baldwin 002 72 – 11 9 0