Monday was the first day of BIIF baseball semifinals for Division I and Division II. In this round, the higher seeds hosted.
DII: No. 4 Pahoa at No. 1 Konawaena — KHS 5 – PHS 4
The Wildcats edged the Daggers, capitalizing on a four-run third inning to grasp a 1-0 series lead.
Taven Hiraishi started on the mound for Konawaena. In the top first, Tripp Kahsen led with a center line drive single— but was picked off short of second before the next batter grounded out. A flyout sent Pahoa onto the field.
The bottom frame was almost identical to the top. AJ Blanco singled, but was caught stealing second before the following batter grounded out. Shane Sale-Silva fanned the third batter.
Pahoa scored the outing’s first run in the top second when Brayden Tolle singled to bat in Sale-Silva, who had singled two at-bat’s before. The Wildcats responded with a run in the bottom of the inning. With two outs on the board, Maika Akamu singled on a ground ball — and was subbed in for by courtesy runner Hayden Nishida, who stole second before Tobias Naihe walked. Nishida stole third, then Tate Garana singled on a ground ball to center field, batting Nishida in.
The Daggers were shut out in the top third, with Kahsen reaching on an infield error before being left on first.
Konawaena’s leadoff grounded out in the bottom frame, but Trez Uemoto followed up by doubling on a fly ball to center field. The next two batters walked and reached on an outfield error to load the bases, then Akamu cleared the bases with a line drive triple to center field. Naihe hit a sac bunt to send Akamu home, then a flyout ended the inning.
Pahoa was unable to regain any ground in the top fourth — going down in three batters via a flyout, a groundout and a swinging strikeout by Hiraishi. The Daggers did almost the exact same to the Wildcats in the bottom of the inning.
In the top fifth, Pahoa came back into striking distance at 5-3. George Kocher led off with a walk, then Jayden Sumiki and Cash Cohen each singled to load the bases. Kahsen grounded into a double play which put him out at first and Cohen out at second — but Kocher was able to score. Max potter hit a grounder and reached on an error, batting in Sumiki. Another groundout took the Daggers out of the dugout.
The bottom frame saw one Wildcat left on base as a flyout, a punchout by Sale-Silva and a runner caught stealing third kept Konawaena from adding to their score. Pahoa was also shut out in the top sixth with one left on base. The Daggers returned to the field and outed the Wildcats in four batters in the bottom of the inning.
In the top seventh — Cohen and Kahsen led with singles before a flyout and a strikeout by pitcher Koa Nakagawa put them, and the whole game, in jeopardy. Sale-Silva came in clutch with a double to bat in Cohen, but Nakagawa sealed Konawaena’s victory by fanning the next batter.
Akamu led the Wildcats at the plate, going two-for-three to score one run and bat three in. Sale-Silva went two-for-four to score a run and bat in one — leading Pahoa in the box.
Hiraishi pitched four innings — surrendering two earned runs on five hits and a walk while striking out three. In his three innings on the mound, Nakagawa gave up one earned run on four hits and a walk — striking out three and throwing 30 strikes out of his 45 pitches.
DII: No. 3 Honoka‘a at No. 2 Kamehameha Schools — KSH 6 – HHS 0
The Warriors took a series lead with a home shutout against the Dragons.
Both teams went scoreless in the first inning. With two outs on the board in the top first, Kinohi Lindsey and Josyah Umeda hit back-to-back singles — but were stranded following a flyout to first base. In the bottom frame, KSH’s first batter popped out to the catcher and Aiden Joaquin fanned the second, but a single by Dominic Christensen and two-straight HBP’s loaded the bases. Joaquin regained his composure and struck out the following batter to leave all three on base.
With Dylan Hanson on the mound, Honoka’s top-second leadoff went out on a dropped third strike. After a left field flyout put up another out, Tallin Cazimero reached on hit-by-pitch — but was left after the next batter hit a grounder to first base.
Kamaka Ili singled on a right-field line drive to lead the bottom second, then advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Cross Pola. Kydyn Nakamura reached on a HBP, then Liwai Correa singled on a grounder to right field to bat in Ili. Nakamura crossed the plate as Kaohu Kawelu grounded out, then the inning ended with a batter out on a dropped third strike.
Hanson notched two more K’s in the top third, one looking and one swinging — surrendering a HBP and a single to Umeda. The Dragons returned the favor with their own shutout in the bottom frame, giving up singles to Hanson and Shiloh Santos while putting out two at first and catching an outfield flyout.
Kekama Robello got on the mound for the Warriors in the top fourth and fanned two straight batters after surrendering singles to Kamahao Kanekoa and CJ Sanchez. A flyout to left field stranded two and kept Honoka‘a out of the run collumn.
After hitting Nakamura with a pitch, Joaquin struck out two batters in the bottom fourth while another flew out — leaving Nakamura on third.
The Dragons went down in three batters in the top fifth — with two straight flyouts and a strikeout by Robello.
KSH increased its lead to 3-0 in the bottom frame. After Joaquin fanned the leadoff, Noah Palea hit a line drive and reached on an error. Santos followed up with a single, then Ili hit a sac fly to bat in Palea before the next batter grounded out.
Honoka‘a’s top sixth leadoff flew out to first, then Kanekoa singled on a left field line drive. Palea then got on the hill and fanned two straight batters to end the frame.
The Warriors took advantage of errors to plate three runs in the bottom sixth. Nakamura reached on a HBP for the third time, then stole second before the next batter flew out. Then, Kaohu Kawelu reached on an infield error and Christensen singled to bat in Nakamura. Brayden Malani went in as a courtesy runner for Christensen, then Hanson doubled on a right-field line drive — batting in Kawelu. Palea hit a sac fly to bat in Malani, then Joaquin punched out the next batter.
KSH’s defense quickly downed Honoka‘a in the top seventh to take the win. The leadoff flew out to third, then Joaquin reached on a HBP — but was stranded after a groundout and then a punchout by Palea.
Hanson led the Warriors at the plate, going two-for-three to bat one in. Umeda also went two-for-three to lead Honoka‘a.
Christensen notched nine putouts and an assist with no errors to lead KSH in the field. Isaac Derego had no errors, six putouts and two assists to lead the Dragons in the field.
DI: No. 3 Kealakehe
at No. 2 Waiakea —
WHS 13 – KHS 0
The Warriors notched their second double-digit shutout over the Waveriders this month — swinging hot bats to notch four total doubles throughout the four-and-a-half inning affair, as well as a three-run homer by Clemson Julian.
The Warriors scored three runs in the first inning, four in the second, two in the third and another four in the fourth.
On the mound, Waiakea’s Kaleb Wada nearly pitched a perfect five innings — surrendering just one hit and no walks or HBP’s while striking out five — pounding the zone with 39 strikes on 52 pitches. The Warriors also had a perfect day in the field. Waiakea’s defense also downed the Waveriders in three batters in almost every inning — except the third, in which Kealakehe went down in four.
Leadoff Devin Garza had the Warriors’ best on-base percentage — going two-for-two with two HBP’s to score four runs. Joshua Ward went two-for-two and reached on error twice, scoring two runs and batting in four. Julian went two-for-four — hitting a double, a sac fly and a homer for two runs and four batted in. Toren Segovia went two-for-two with a walk, scoring two runs and batting two in.
Josh Likiaksa went one-for-one for the Waveriders’ only hit.
DI: No. 4 Kea‘au at No. 1 Hilo — HHS 13 – KHS 1
The Vikings met with the Cougars for the first time in over a month to defeat them again.
Stats for the game were not available as of Tuesday afternoon.
