The Kapa’a Warriors, winners of the KIF baseball first round of play, assumed early control of the second round by sweeping Saturday’s double header against the Waimea Menehunes at the Ron Martin Field by scores of 13-8 and 14-4. Game
The Kapa’a Warriors, winners of the KIF baseball first round of play, assumed
early control of the second round by sweeping Saturday’s double header against
the Waimea Menehunes at the Ron Martin Field by scores of 13-8 and 14-4.
Game 1: Kapa’a 13 Waimea 8
Two-game winner Royce Rapozo started on
the hill for the Warriors and shut Waimea down in order to begin the contest,
getting the initial three outs on only five offerings (two first-toss ground
outs and a three-pitch strikeout).
The Warriors kicked things off in their
bottom half, scoring the game’s initial run on two Menehune miscues. A
collision in the Waimea outfield on Ikaika Pezario’s drive into right center
left the Warrior lead-off man standing on second.
Justin Matsukawa’s high
chopper to third was thrown past first allowing Pezario to ramble home and
Matsukawa to take second.
Kapa’a’s Micah Furtado laced a ground rule
double over the left field corner to drive in Matsukawa for a 2-0 lead.
After a Warrior strikeout, an Allen Mundon single to left brought in
Furtado with Kapa’a’s third run. With Sean Tamura at the plate, Mundon stole
second and took third as the throw went into center field.
Tamura walked
to put runners on the corners and a called balk on Waimea starter Ashley
Vidinha allowed Mundon to jog home and Tamura to lope to second. Tamura took
third on Kalani Miyashiro’s ground out and scored on Branden Bonilla’s single
to right to make it 5-0.
The Menehunes came roaring back in the second to
cut the Warrior lead to one.
William Rita stroked a first-pitch double to
left center and Vidinha was clipped to put two runners on. Rocky Aviguetero’s
double down the left field line kicked up chalk and Rita zipped in with
Waimea’s first run.
A double by Vance Matsumoto under the glove of Tamura
in left brought in Vidinha and Aviguetero, and David Hanashiro followed with a
single to put runners on the corners.
Kapa’a pitched out on the first
offering to Clarence Aki and Hanashiro was gunned down at second on a relay
from catcher Robert Merkel. Aki then singled in Matsumoto and the Menehunes
trailed 5-4.
The Menehunes struck for three additional runs in the top
half of the third inning. Rita led off with a single over short but was cut
down on Vidinha’s fielders choice grounder to Matsukawa.
Aviguetero
blooped a double down the right field line to put runners on second and third
and Kapa’a Head Coach Shannon Masada went immediately to Kaleo Lopez in an
attempt to quell the Menehune uprising.
Matsumoto worked Lopez for a walk
to load the bases but the strong left-hander stormed back with a four-pitch
“K” for the inning’s second out. Aki’s chopped grounder to the right
side was mishandled and Vidinha sprinted home to tie the contest.
With
the bases still full, Jesse Sablan’s four-pitch walk forced in Aviguetero to
give Waimea their first lead at 6-5.
A check-swing single over the
mound by Kanea Kinimaka-Aranio scored Matsumoto and a walk to DH Scott Yamase
allowed Aki to jog in with Waimea’s eighth run.
Kapa’a cut it to 8-6 in
their bottom half as Mundon smashed an 0-2 double to right center and a
fielding error on a Tamura ground ball allowed the Warrior DH to slide in at
home.
Robert Lore replaced Lopez on the hill in the top of the fourth and
pitched four innings of scoreless relief for the Warriors in picking up the
win.
Kapa’a broke the contest open in the home half of the sixth with
seven runs on eight hits. Bonilla led off with a single to left and Kaili Panui
was sent in to run for the Warrior right fielder. An errant pick-off attempt
allowed Panui to hustle to second and Merkel’s soft infield single to the right
side put runners on the corners. Chris Lary entered to run for Merkel and
Pezario followed with a single to right to score Panui and shorten the lead to
8-7. A surprise Matsukawa bunt single loaded the bags and Waimea Head Coach
Kui Souza brought in Vernon Vea to relieve Vidinha.
A walk to Furtado
allowed Mundon to cash in from third and tie the game for the second time.
Lopez singled to drive in Pezario and Matsukawa for a 10-8 Warrior lead
and Tyler Wakuta entered to run at first. Mundon’s single over short drove home
Furtado and a one-out throwing error put Wakuta on third.
Mundon stole
second and Bonilla’s second single of the inning scored Wakuta to make it 12-8
with Mundon stopping at third. Merkel lined a single through the left side to
bring home Mundon with Kapa’a’s final run.
Lore ended the ball game and
picked up his first win of the season by inducing a routine fly to center and
striking out the final two Menehune batters.
Offensive honors went to
Kapa’a’s Pezario (2 singles, double), Mundon (2 singles, double), Bonilla (3
singles) and Merkel (2 singles); leading Menehune hitters included Rita
(double, single), Aviguetero (2 doubles) and Hanashiro (2 singles).
Waimea’s Vidinha pitched well in spots despite another loss, picking up 6
strikeouts in his five-inning stint.
Kapa’a scored 13 runs on 15 hits and
3 walks while the Menehunes countered with 8 runs on 10 hits, 3 walks and had 3
batters hit-by-pitches. The Warriors committed 2 errors while Waimea had 5
miscues.
Game 2: Kapa’a 14 Waimea 4 (5 innings)
Playing
inspired baseball on their home field, the Warriors again jumped in front by
five runs after one inning of play only to have Waimea storm back.
Pezario
drew a lead-off walk from Waimea hurler Aki, and Matsukawa was caught looking
at strike three.
Furtado was unintentionally hit to put two on and Lopez
tailing single scored Pezario. Furtado, the defending KIF 100-meter sprint
champion, stole third and came home with the Warriors’ second run as the relay
attempt went into left field.
A passed ball moved Lopez to third and,
following a Mundon walk, the Warrior first baseman tagged and scored on
Tamura’s sacrifice fly to left.
A Miyashiro single put runners on first
and third and he stole second on the first offering to Bonilla to move into
scoring position. The aggressive stategy paid off as Mundon and Miyashiro
scored on consecutive fielding mistakes to increase the Warrior lead to 5-0.
Waimea got a run back in the top of the second as Rita walked on four
balls and Vidinha stroked a single into left. Aviguetero’s sacrifice bunt
moved both runners up with Matsumoto hitting a sacrifice fly to right to score
Rita sliding in ahead of the relay to the plate.
Daivd Hanashiro relieved
Aki to start the second and kept the Warrior hitting attack off-balance and
hitless in the second and third innings.
The Menehunes again challenged
with three runs in the top of the fourth.
Yamase guided a single through
the box for Waimea’s second hit of the game off Warrior thrower Matsukawa.
After a pop out, Vidinha ripped a first pitch double down the third base line
to put runners on second and third.
Yamase scampered home on an Aviguetero
fielders choice out and a fielding error on Matsumoto’s ground ball allowing
Vidinha to score and cut the lead to 5-3.
Matsumoto stole second and
Hanashiro lined a single into center field. The relay to the infield was
thrown past third and Matsumoto touched home to close the gap to a single run.
Kapa’a immediately answered in their home half. Matsukawa drew a one-out
walk and Furtado lined a single by Sablan into right. A fielding error allowed
Matsukawa to take third and Furtado promptly stole his second base of the
contest.
Lopez hit a long sac fly to center to score Matsukawa and move
Furtado up. The telling blow of the contest happened as Mundon blasted a shot
into the pines behind the left field fence to double up the Menehunes 8-4.
Despite singles by Aranio and Rita, Matsukawa kept Waimea scoreless in the
top of the fifth.
Bonilla started off the bottom half by flying out to
Aviguetero in center field but would find redemption later in the inning.
Merkel ripped a single under Aki’s glove at third with Lary entering to
run. Pezario’s single was bobbled in center to put runners in scoring
position.
A wild pitch to Matsukawa allowed Lary to scamper in and move
Pezario to third. Matsukawa walked and Vernon Vea was moved to the mound from
right field in relief of Hanashiro.
Matsukawa immediately stole second and
Furtado was intentionally walked to load the bases and set up a double play or
force attempt.
The opportunity, however, failed to materialize. A wild
pitch to Lopez brought in Pezario with Kapa’a’s tenth run and moved Matsukawa
and Furtado up a bag. Lopez’s second sac fly of the ball game allowed
Matsukawa to score and Furtado to tag to third.
Furtado sprinted home on
another wild pitch for a 12-4 lead and Mundon singled up the box.
A
fielding error on Tamura’s ground ball put two on and Miyashiro singled through
the right side to reload the bases.
Bonilla rapped a 1-0 count stand-up
double to center, scoring Mundon and Tamura and ending the contest via the
10-run mercy rule.
Mundon (single, home run) and Miyashiro (2 singles)
paired hits for the Warriors as did Waimea’s Vidinha (double, single).
Matsukawa pitched five innings in picking up the victory for Kapa’a and
limited the Menehunes to 4 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks. The Warriors scored 14
runs on 10 hits, 6 walks and had a batter hit by a pitch. The Warriors erred
once while Waimea committed 5 errors.
The Waimea Menehunes (1-7 overall,
0-2 in the second round) take on the Kaua’i Red Raiders (3-3 overall, 0-0) on
Wednesday, April 19, at Hanapepe Ball Park in a 2:45 p.m. contest.
