LIHU’E — The Makaweli Indians came up with six hits but couldn’t shut the door as the Kalaheo Kaneshiro Farms repeated as the AJA Baseball champions with a 10-0 win Sunday. Kainoa Santos, who led Kalaheo with a grand slam
LIHU’E — The Makaweli Indians came up with six hits but couldn’t shut the door as the Kalaheo Kaneshiro Farms repeated as the AJA Baseball champions with a 10-0 win Sunday.
Kainoa Santos, who led Kalaheo with a grand slam last week, was limited to a pair of singles at Vidinha Stadium, but led Kalaheo by scoring three times in their championship win.
Duane Miyasato’s 2-RBI single in the second opened the books for Kalaheo as Keola McCallum and Dave Bukoski crossed on the shot to centerfield.
Keola McCallum, who finished the day 1-4, drove his brother Kaina McCallum across the plate in the third with another shot to centerfield.
Keola picked up his second RBI in the fifth inning as Kalaheo notched three more runs on RBI by Keola, Liko Pereira, and Kaina McCallum as Santos crossed the plate for the first time along with Brandon Ishibashi and Pereira.
Kalaheo added three more runs in the sixth as Ishibashi came up with a 2-RBI single to score Troy Kaneshiro who walked, and Miyasato who singled.
Santos picked up his second run on a passed ball for the 9-0 lead in the sixth inning.
Kalaheo coach Peter Ishibashi cleared his bench in the seventh inning, and with two outs, Jessica Iwata, who had been sitting out most of the season due to commitments with the Kaua’i High School softball program, made contact only to have the Makaweli centerfielder make a lunging catch of her long ball to end the frame.
Santos capped the win in the eighth inning on a Makaweli error.
Pereira picked up the win on the hill with no runs on six Makaweli hits while striking out one and walking five.
Jason Nakata suffered the loss allowing 8 runs on 9 hits while striking out four and walking five. Royce Ijima finished the remaining third of an inning with one hit allowed.
Kaina McCallum (3-4) led the Kalaheo bats with an RBI on a double and a pair of singles. Miyasato (2-4) had two RBI on a double and a single with Ishibashi (1-4) getting two RBI on a single. Pereira (1-4) had an RBI on a double, and Keola McCallum (1-4) had two RBI on a single. Santos (2-4) had two singles.
Nakata (2-3) led the Makaweli bats with a pair of singles. Sean Jardin (1-3), Michael Shimatsu (1-3), Gordon Muramaru (1-3), and Leighton Otoman (1-4) all singled.
The AJA league will formulate their all-star team centered around Kalaheo, the league champion, in preparation for the State AJA Tournament which will get under way starting Apr. 1 at Hanapepe Stadium.
The tournament wraps up on Apr. 2 at Vidinha Stadium.
