KALAHEO — Lihu‘e Baseball League doesn’t have the rich winning tradition of West Kaua‘i, but yesterday, in a PONY Mustang playoff game at Kalawai Park, the eastsiders turned the tide with a 6-4 win in extra innings. “Now we gotta
KALAHEO — Lihu‘e Baseball League doesn’t have the rich winning tradition of West Kaua‘i, but yesterday, in a PONY Mustang playoff game at Kalawai Park, the eastsiders turned the tide with a 6-4 win in extra innings.
“Now we gotta win on Thursday, or we’re out,” West Kaua‘i all-star Mikey Rita’s grandfather, Stanley Rita said.
With the Lihu‘e all-stars up 4-2 heading into the final frame, West Kaua‘i’s Justin Felton-Wisneski scored on a wild pitch and Brock Ephan slapped home a run, which sent the contest into extra innings.
However, Lihu‘e answered with two runs in the seventh inning, thanks to Dreyke Smith-Butac and Cody Takasaki, who both touched home plate for the 6-4 advantage.
Lihu‘e’s Lucas Gushikuma switched positions from behind the plate to the mound, where he sealed the victory, with a masterful performance in the final inning .
Earlier in the contest, Lihu‘e jumped out to a 1-0 lead, as Derman James-Alao crossed the plate on an error.
West Kaua‘i stranded two runners in scoring position in its half of the first.
Lihu‘e utilized pickoffs to keep the westsiders off the scoreboard and in the second, starting pitcher Butac-Smith threw out two consecutive West Kaua‘i base runners.
West Kaua‘i lit up the scoreboard in the third, as Felton-Wisneski ripped an RBI single, scoring Rita, which tied the game at 1-1.
In the fourth, Lihu‘e’s Takasaki showed off his defensive prowess with a diving grab between first and second base.
Lihu‘e erupted in the fifth, with two runs, thanks to RBI’s from Smith-Butac and Takasaki. Gushikuma and Tyler Manibog scored the runs.
West Kaua‘i stormed back with a run, as Rita ripped an RBI single, scoring Chava Delos Reyes, which cut the lead down to one (3-2). Lihu‘e added another run in the sixth off a wild pitch, but West Kaua‘i managed to send the contest into extra innings with two runs in its half of the sixth.
Takasaki paced Lihu‘e with a 3-4 performance, including one RBI. Felton-Wisneski led West Kaua‘i at the plate (2-3, 1 RBI, 2B). Butac-Smith picked up the win for Lihu‘e and Felton-Wisneski suffered the defeat.
The best-of-three series between Lihu‘e and West Kaua‘i continues tomorrow in Lihu‘e, starting at 4:30 p.m. If Lihu‘e wins, they’ll clinch the Kaua‘i title and head to regional competition. However, if West Kaua‘i claims the victory, they’ll force a sudden death game, which will be played on Saturday in Lihu‘e.
Toby Vidinha is West Kaua‘i’s coach and Francis Takasaki coaches Lihu‘e.
• Duane Shimogawa Jr., sports editor, may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 257) or kauaisports@kauaipubco.com.
