KEALAKEKUA — Hilo defeated Konawaena 7-2 in a game that featured rare baseball plays and obscure rules in action at Gabby Inaba Field Saturday.
KEALAKEKUA — Hilo defeated Konawaena 7-2 in a game that featured rare baseball plays and obscure rules in action at Gabby Inaba Field Saturday.
The game also showed a flair for the dramatic with several spectacular diving plays by outfielders on both sides and an eighth inning that was hard to forget.
Tied 2-2 at the end of regulation, the game between the Wildcats and the Vikings entered extra innings. As the visiting team, Hilo batted first in the eighth and decided to go small ball with the bats struggling against Konawaena pitcher Kolu Alani.
Joey Jarneski led off with a perfect bunt down the third base line for an infield single. Josiah Factora followed with a much harder bunt to third. The Wildcat third baseman, Logan Canda, charged the ball and turned to try and attempt the force out at second. The throw made it in time but was in the dirt and rolled to the outfield, allowing the runners to advance to second and third with no outs.
Eric Riveira stepped to the plate and hit a grounder to Konawaena shortstop Kaiya Leleiwi, who hesitated when deciding to throw to home or first. The throw came home, but did not have a lot on it, and Jarneski slid past the late tag of catcher Tyler Kitaoka. The next batter, Micah Bello, laid down a bunt to the pitcher, but a high throw by Alani to first loaded the bases.
With a one run lead, Hilo coach Tony De Sa elected to take a gamble with the next batter. On a 2-1 count to Josh Breitbarth, all three runners took off as the pitch was delivered. The runner on third, Factora, was almost home when Breitbarth made contact with the ball on a suicide squeeze bunt. The Wildcats made the only play they could, throwing to first for the out, but Hilo now led by two.
Konawaena forced the next batter to hit a ground-ball to third, which caught Riveira in no-man’s land off the bag and a rundown ensued. The runner at second, Bello, advanced from second during the play and the Wildcats catcher chased Riveira back to third, putting two runners on one base. The catcher tagged both Hilo players and by rule Riveira was called out since two runners cannot occupy the same bag at the same time.
The next batter, Nick Antony, hit a 1-2 pitch that hugged the left field line, defying the laws of physics by staying fair for a 3-run home run.
Down 7-2 entering the bottom of the eighth inning, Konawaena managed to put two runners on off back-to-back walks by relief pitcher Brett Komatsu, but could not push a run across the plate. With two outs, Kitaoka grounded out to the shortstop to end the game.
“We competed, and played pretty well until the final inning,” Wildcats coach Adam Tabieros said. “We made a couple of physical and mental mistakes that cost us some runs. We keep giving other teams outs and good things don’t happen that way.”
Noah Kalaola-Richardson started on the hill for the Vikings. He kept the Konawaena batters off balance with a nice curveball, allowing two runs off five hits, in five innings of work. Kalaola-Richardson struck out three and walked one in the no-decision.
Komatsu picked up the victory. He allowed not hits in three innings of work, while striking out one and walking two.
Alani threw the complete game for the Wildcats. He allowed seven runs off eight hits, while striking out four and walking one.
Konawaena took an early 1-0 lead in the game when Vohn Yamaguchi doubled to left to start the top of the second inning. He advanced to third on a single by Canda, and scored when AJ Allred hit into a double play.
Hilo took the lead in the bottom of the third. Noah Higa-Gonsalves singled to center and Jarneski followed with a seeing-eye fly-ball that found the grass just beyond the reach of the Wildcats’ second baseman. However, the throw in to the pitcher sailed high and Higa-Gonsalves scored on the error, while the batter advanced all the way to third. Jarneski scored on a sacrifice fly by Factora.
Konawaena tied the game in the bottom of the fifth when Allred was hit by a pitch and later scored on a single to center by Leleiwi.
Hilo 002 000 05–7 8 0
Kona 010 001 00– 2 5 3