Friday saw the conclusion of the HHSAA baseball and softball State Championships.
DI BASEBALL: WARRIORS DEFEAT VIKINGS
After falling in their quarterfinal matches on Wednesday and winning their consolation matches the following day, the BIIF DI Champions and Runners-Up found each other again in the HHSAA DI fifth-place match.
The Warriors notched their third straight postseason victory over the Vikings since last week’s BIIF DI Championship, defeating Hilo in a high-scoring game — 15-10.
“On both sides it was a looser game,” WHS head coach Chris Honda said, “we tried to get in our seniors, and we had fun with it.”
Waiakea concluded tourney play with a 2-1 record, and Hilo with a 2-2 record.
DII SOFTBALL: WARRIORS IN FOURTH PLACE
Kamehameha Schools – Hawai‘i suffered a narrow, 9-8 loss to Nanakuli in the third-place consolation match.
The BIIF DII Champions went 1-2 in the tournament.
DII SOFTBALL: COWGIRLS TAKE TENTH PLACE
Kohala fell 4-1 to Damien HS in the ninth-place consolation match, ending the tourney in tenth place with a 1-2 record.
The Cowgirls took the lead in the bottom of the third inning, but the Monarchs tied the score in the top fourth.
In the bottom third, Lluvia Cornejo led off with a double, then was batted in by Jaylah Kekoa — who grounded out to first.
Damien pulled away with two runs in the top sixth, then added another in the next inning.
Cornejo led the Cowgirls in the box, going two-for-three.
Kekoa pitched all seven innings, allowing just one earned run on six hits and a walk — striking out five.
First-baseman Faith Alejandro-Cazinero led in the field with seven putouts, trailed by catcher Savannah Kupuka’a with four putouts and two assists.
DII BASEBALL: WILDCATS WIN FIFTH PLACE
Konawaena ended its postseason on a high note, defeating Kahuku HS 6-2 to end the tournament in fifth place with a 2-1 record.
The match was a scorless stalemate until the Wildcats put up three runs in the top fourth. Kolt Baptista led with a single, then was sent home by Trez Uemoto’s double. Maika Akamu reached on an error to advance Uemoto to third, then a balk allowed Uemoto to score. Tavis Fediuk pinch ran for Akamu, scoring two at-bats later on Hayden Nishida’s groundout.
The Red Raiders inched closer with two runs in the bottom frame, but Konawaena kept them from scoring again while plating two runs in the top sixth and a run in the top seventh.
Uemoto led the Wildcats at the plate, going two-for-four to bat in a run and score two. Fediuk went one-for-one, batting in a run with a triple.
Kahiau Rivera and Koa Nakagawa each spent three innings on the mound, holding Kahuku to no earned runs. Nakagawa surrendered a hit and two walks, striking out four. Rivera gave up four hits and a walk with no runs, striking out two.
The BIIF Division II Runners-Up end their season with a 11-5 overall record, 8-2 regular season record and a 6-0 regular season BIIF DII play record.