Koga Slam Lifts Raiders

HANAPEPE—The Kaua’i Red Raiders opened their second round of KIF league play

Wednesday afternoon by hammering out an 8-2 decision over the Waimea Menehunes

(1-8 overall, 0-3 in the second round) at the Hanapepe Ball Park.

Kaua’i

got on the scoreboard in the top of the first as Scott Serizawa cued a lead-off

single past the outstretched glove of Riley Shirai into right. Tyler Kobayashi

followed with a twisting double over William Rita’s head in left that easily

scored Serizawa with the contest’s initial run.

Mark Rodrigues, hitting

.571, slugged Waimea starter Ashley Vidinha’s first offering beyond the center

field fence for his second round-tripper of the season and a 3-0 Raider lead.

Kobayashi led off the Raider third with a single over Vidinha into center

and a walk to Rodrigues put two runners on.

As Kobayashi took his lead,

the Menehunes executed a perfect backdoor pick as Riley Shirai received the

relay and slapped the tag on the Raider speedster at second for the inning’s

first out.

Jason Koga blooped a single to right to put runners on the

corners and Kainoa Santos ripped a breaking pitch up the middle to drive in

Rodrigues with the Raider’s fourth run.

Kwinton Estacio walked to load the

bases bringing Vernon Vea to the mound, relieving Vidinha who replaced B.J.

Mariano-Hardy defensively at firstbase.

Vea pitched out of the jam as he

threw three strikes past the next Raider batter and induced a ground ball out

to end the inning without further damage.

Meanwhile Raider starting

pitcher Levi Rapozo was in total control as he limited Waimea to a single base

runner (on a two-out walk) through three innings.

Serizawa and Rodrigues

worked Vea for walks in the top of the fourth but were left on the base paths

as Waimea continued to hang in defensively.

Kanea Kinimaka-Aranio slapped

a first-pitch single into right for the Menehune’s first hit off Rapozo in the

bottom of the fourth inning.

A two-out Vidinha ground ball was thrown away

into right field to put two on, but Kamanu Grace hauled in Vance Matsumoto’s

drive near the left field fence to extinguish the threat.

A Raider

throwing error allowed Vea to get on starting the bottom of the fifth. He

promptly swiped second but Aki was called out for batter interference at the

plate and the Menehune runner was sent back to first on the dead ball call.

Following a fly out, Vea again stole second and was replaced by courtesy

runner Jesse Sablan on the base paths.

Aviguetero drew a walk and

Kinimaka-Aranio’s twisting fly to right was dropped as Sablan darted home with

Waimea’s initial run.

DH Scott Yamase followed with a bad-hop single over

Koga at short to score Aviguetero and cut the lead to 4-2.

Kaua’i countered

defensively by shifting Rodrigues to the mound in relief with Rapozo swapping

to first base. Rodrigues got a fly out to end any further Menehune scoring

opportunities.

The Raiders broke open the ball game by scoring four runs

in the top of the sixth on a single hit.

Grace opened the inning with a

walk and moved to second on Kendrick Melchor’s sacrifice bunt. Another walk to

Serizawa put two on, but Kobayashi went down swinging for the inning’s second

out. A throwing attempt to catch Grace off second went into center field to

move the runners up to second and third.

Rodrigues was unintentionally

plunked to load the bases with Regis Canales entering to run for the

lefty.

Koga, batting an anemic .167 on the season, broke out of his hitting

slump in a big way and sent Vea’s 1-0 offering just over the left center field

fence for a grand slam to clear the bases and put the Raiders up 8-2.

The

Menehunes threatened again in the bottom of the seventh as David Hanashiro

lined a single into right. Sablan fisted a one-out single to put two on, but

the inning’s second fly out failed to move the runners.

Rita drew a

four-pitch walk to load the bases but Rodrigues struck out the next Menehune

hitter to capture the game’s final out.

The victorious Raiders were led

offensively by Koga (grand slam, single), Rodrigues (home run), and Kobayashi

(double, single). Kinimaka-Aranio, Yamase, Vidinha, Hanashiro and Sablan

singled for the Menehunes.

Rapozo pitched a strong 4-2/3 innings in

picking up his first victory of the season, giving up 2 unearned runs on 2 hits

and 2 walks (with 3 K’s). Rodrigues pitched 2-1/3 innings of scoreless relief,

allowing 3 hits and 1 walk (with 2 K’s).

Vidinha went 2-1/3 innings in a

losing effort, allowing 4 runs on 6 hits and 4 walks. Vea pitched well despite

surrendering Koga’s big blow as he threw 4-2/3 innings and allowed 4 runs on

only 1 hit, 1 HBP and 4 walks (with 5 strikeouts).

The Raiders committed 3

errors while Waimea erred once.

The victory sets up a crucial weekend tilt

as the Raiders (4-3, 1-0) travel to the Ron Martin Field in Kapa’a Saturday,

April 22, to take on the league-leading Warriors (7-1, 2-0) in an 11 a.m.

double-header.