HANAPEPE — Kapa’a’s Kyle Neuberger battled Waimea hitters for six tough innings. He allowed six runs on six hits with five strikeouts, seven walks and two hit batters. Unfazed, Neuberger was back out on the mound for the seventh to
HANAPEPE — Kapa’a’s Kyle Neuberger battled Waimea hitters for six tough innings.
He allowed six runs on six hits with five strikeouts, seven walks and two hit batters.
Unfazed, Neuberger was back out on the mound for the seventh to test the Menehune one more time.
However, Waimea made one final push using the patience and discipline it had throughout the contest.
The result was the Menehune’s second win of the KIF second round.
Michael Ishibashi drew a four-pitch walk with the bases loaded to score Shawn Yadao from third base in lifting the Menehune to a wild 7-6 win over the Warriors at the Hanapepe Field on Wednesday afternoon.
After Michael Yaris grounded out leading off the bottom of the seventh inning, Yadao was hit by a Neuberger pitch and then moved to second on Isaac Castillo’s third hit of the game.
Quinton Natividad drew an intentional walk to load the bases.
Neuberger struckout Rayson Cacal to give the Kapa’a faithful in attendance hope.
However, that hope was short lived as Neuberger couldn’t find the strike zone in the Ishibashi at bat.
Kapa’a (0-1 in the second round of the KIF) led twice in the game.
In the first inning, the Warriors opened a 2-0 edge as Moses Punzal and Brian Merkel came through with RBIs.
Punzal was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded while Merkel laced a run-scoring single to left.
In the bottom of the third inning, the Menehune (2-1 in the second round of the KIF), jumped ahead of the Warriors as Clarence Aki (2-for-3) slammed a two-run single to left and Robbie Correa broke the tie on a run-scoring single through the middle of the infield.
The Aki and Correa hits were the first two surrendered by Neuberger who had four strikeouts through the first two innings.
Yadao seemed to be in control until the top of the fifth inning when the Warriors sent eight batters to the plate to score four runs.
The big blows in the frame came off the bats of Dustin Mundon (2-for-3), Punzal (1-for-3) and Merkel (3-for-4 with two RBIs).
The Menehune fought back in the bottom of the fifth with two runs on an RBI single from Brandon Ishibashi (1-for-2 with two walks) and a Kapa’a fielding error.
Waimea eventually tied the score in the bottom of the sixth on Michael Ishibashi’s RBI single to right scoring Castillo.
Correa came on in relief of Yadao in the sixth and yielded three singles in two innings. Yadao went five innings giving up six runs on eight hits with three strikeouts.
The Warriors host Kaua’i on Saturday in a KIF doubleheader at Ron Martin Field beginning at 11 a.m.
