Tuesday saw Waiakea High School and Hilo High School’s baseball teams each win their second straight BIIF semifinal matches to secure berths in next week’s Division I Championship series, where they will face off against each other.
In Division II semifinal action on Tuesday, No.1 seed Konawaena High School overcame No. 4 Pahoa High School to take its place in the BIIF DII Championship and the HHSAA DII State playoff bracket — and No. 3 Honoka‘a High School defeated No. 2 Kamehameha Schools – Hawai‘i to tie the pair’s series 1-1.
KSH and Honoka‘a battled it out in Game Three on Wednesday, resulting in KSH winning and securing its bid in the BIIF DII Championship — where it will go head-to-head with Konawaena — and also a berth in the HHSAA DII State playoffs.
DI: Game 2 No. 1 Hilo
at No. 4 Kea‘au —
HHS 15 – KHS 0 (5 innings)
The Vikings routed the Cougars for the second straight day to end Kea‘au’s arduous season and inch closer to their HHSAA State playoff goal.
Hilo will take on its cross-town rival Waiakea in the BIIF DI Championship series starting Monday at Wong Stadium.
The winner of the best-of-three series will earn an automatic berth in the HHSAA State playoff bracket — and the loser will get another chance at the postseason, hosting a play-in game on April 29 against the No. 6 finisher from the Oahu Interscholastic Association playoffs.
DI: Game 2 No. 2 Waiakea at Kealakehe — WHS 16 – KHS 0 (5 innings)
The Warriors notched their second straight shutout of the series and third shutout of the month against the Waveriders, winning the series and earning the opportunity to again take on Hilo — who edged the Warriors 3-2 more than a month ago in their last meeting.
Game Two saw more big bats on Waiakea’s side, but also saw Kealakehe get on base five times during the five-inning affair — an improvement from Game One, during which the Waveriders only reached base once.
The Warriors’ Devin Garza hit a three-run homer in the bottom second and Clemson Julian went three-for-three with two RBI.
Josh Likiaksa led Kealakehe in the box, going one-for-one with a walk — doubling on a fly ball to left field. Alson Ioseph accounted for the Waverider’s second hit, leading off the top third with a single to go one-for-one.
Waiakea let three pitchers take turns on the mound — Kaleb Sato for two innings, Ivor Brooks for the next two and Garza for the final inning.
Sato surrendered no hits and two walks while striking out four of eight batters faced. Brooks gave up one hit and struck out one of six batters faced, and threw strikes on 13 of his 16 pitches. Garza faced four batters and struck out two while giving up a hit and no walks.
DII: Game 2 No. 1 Konawaena at No. 4 Pahoa
KHS 6 – PHS 4 (8 innings)
Though they were swept in the semifinal series by the Wildcats, the Daggers put up a valiant fight before losing in the eighth inning on Tuesday at Walter Victor Baseball Complex.
The victory earned Konawaena a place in the BIIF DII Championship series, which will also take place starting Monday at Wong Stadium.
In Division II, both the BIIF champion and runner-up will earn berths in the eight-team HHSAA State Championship playoff bracket — so Tuesday’s victory also earned the Wildcats a shot at the DII state title.
Konawaena took a small lead early by plating a run in the top first. Pahoa pitcher Tripp Kahsen punched out the leadoff, but two-hole Taven Hiraishi walked. Trez Uemoto wore a HBP, then Hiraishi advanced to third on a passed ball and scored as Maika Akamu grounded out. Kahsen fanned the next batter to end the frame.
With Kahiau Rivera on the mound, the Daggers went down in three batters in the bottom first by a flyout and two straight groundouts.
In the top second, the Wildcats’ first two batters grounded out. Tate Garana singled on a fly ball to center field, but was stranded when the next batter grounded out.
Pahoa took a 2-1 lead in the bottom frame. Shane Sale-Silva singled on a right-field line drive, then George Kocher walked. Bayden Tolle doubled to bat in Sale-Silva, then a chaotic string of overthrows and an infield error allowed Kocher to cross the plate. Konawaena pulled it together and outed the next three batters to stay within striking distance.
Both teams went scoreless until the bottom fifth, when Pahoa plated another run. Landon Haili led with a single, then Rivera fanned the two-hole and a groundout put the second out on the board as Haili advanced to second. Kahsen doubled on a center-field fly ball to bat Haili in, then a popout closed the inning.
After the leadoff flew out in the top sixth, Akamu homered on a fly ball over the left fence. A groundout put the frame in jeopardy, but Jaiden Meyers singled and Tobias Naihe hit a fly ball to right field — which was errored, allowing pinch runner Hayden Nishida to score and tie the game.
Pahoa regained its lead in the bottom frame. Donivan Lynch led with a walk, then Uemoto punched out the next batter. Kocher and Tolle walked to load the bases, and a catcher’s interference sent Lynch across the plate. Two more strikeouts by Uemoto left three on base.
The Wildcats bounced back to send the game into extra innings with a crucial seventh. Kolt Baptista led the top frame with a walk — then after Lynch struck out the two-hole, Hiraishi doubled to send Baptista home. A dropped third strike and a groundout sent Konawaena onto the field to defend its chance at a series sweep. After Kahsen led the bottom seventh with a single, Uemoto fanned the next batter and the following two flew out to the outfield.
The top eighth saw the Wildcats pound the outfield and implement a touch of small-ball to obtain a two-run lead. Charlie Kuwada led with a walk, then Nishida singled on a line drive to right field — which gave Kuwada time to reach third. Naihe sac-bunted to bat in Kuwada and put the Daggers on the ropes. After the next batter lined out, a left-field line drive by Baptista sent Nishida home. A flyout ended the frame and prevented anymore runs — but the two-run hole proved to be too deep for Pahoa, which went down in four batters with one left on first in the bottom frame.
Akamu went one-for-four to score a run and bat two in. Hiraishi went one-for-three with a walk to score a run and a RBI.
Tolle went three-for-two with a walk to lead the Daggers, batting in one run.
Uemoto earned the win on the mound, allowing no earned runs on two hits and three walks while striking out six in three innings.
DII Game 2: No. 2
KSH at No. 3 Honoka‘a — HHS 4 – KSH 2
The Dragons held on to their postseason with a Game Two win over the Warriors.
Both teams were scoreless until the bottom second, when Gabe Key hit a two-run homer — batting in Kinohi Lindsey and taking a 2-0 lead for Honoka‘a.
KSH tied it up in the top third. Kydyn Nakamura led with a walk, then Liwai Correa reached on a HBP. After Josyah Umeda punched out the next batter, Dominic Christensen hit an line drive that was errored — allowing him to reach and Nakamura to score. Dylan Hanson hit a sac fly to left field to bat in Correa, then a right-field flyout sent the Warriors onto the field.
The game remained tied until the bottom fifth, when the Dragons plated the outing’s two final runs. Key continued to swing a hot bat, leading the frame with a triple on a right-field line drive. Keyan Kanahele punched out the next batter, then KSH elected to intentionally walk Aiden Joaquin. Kanahele attempted to pick off Joaquin at first, but an error let Key score. Joaquin reached third as the next batter grounded out. In the following at-bat, Joaquin scored on a passed ball. Kekama Robello relieved Kanahele from the mound and fanned the next batter to end the inning.
Key was by far the outing’s leading batter — hitting a triple and a homer in his two at-bat’s to score two runs and bat in one. Shiloh Santos went one-for-two to lead the Warriors.
Key also pitched the last three innings to earn the win — allowing no runs on a hit and a walk while striking out one. Honoka‘a was well-rounded in the field, with only one error — and every defender notching at least one putout. Joaquin led in the field with three putouts and two assists at shortstop.
DII Game 3: No. 3 Honoka‘a at No. 2 KSH — KSH 16 – HHS 1 (5 innings)
In an unforeseen turn of events, the Dragons went down in flames on Wednesday in a five-inning game which saw the Warriors plate eight runs in the first two innings — boosted by a two-run homer and a three-run homer by Hanson.
Hanson hit the 380-foot, three-run homer over the center fence in the top first — then after two walks and a single loaded the bases, Nakamura cleared them with a line drive double to left field.
Honoka‘a came off the field at a six run deficit — and was shut out in the bottom frame with two left on base after Nakamura caught a flyout in center field and threw to Braden Gomes at third base to have a runner tagged out.
KSH’s leadoff flew out in the top second, then Christensen reached first on an error. Hanson returned and hit one out of the park again, this time over the left fence. A pair of flyouts prevented further damage and gave the Dragons another chance at bat.
However, Honoka‘a was shut out with two left on base. Noah Palea fanned two batters then catcher Christensen threw to Gomes to have a runner tagged out shy of home.
The Warriors kept their bats going in the top third. Kamaka Ili led off with a single, then Brayden Malani walked. Nakamura batted them both in, tripling on another line drive to left field. Liwai Correa grounded out, but batted in Nakamura in doing so. Kaohu Kawelu walked and Christensen and Hanson each singled to load the bases, then Palea batted Kawelu and Christensen in with a single.
The Dragons plated their only run in the bottom third when Joaquin hit a solo homer over the left fence.
In the top fourth, Nakamura and Correa each singled before Kawelu doubled on a line drive to bat them in.
Honoka‘a was shut out again in the bottom fourth. In the top fifth, Palea led with a double. After a flyout and a runner tagged out, Malani doubled to bat Palea in.
Palea pitched all five innings and earned the win, throwing 44 strikes out of 62 pitches and surrendering one earned run on five hits, two HBP’s and a walk.
