The Hanapepe Rivermen picked up a 3-0 win over the Lihu‘e Builders to remain the only undefeated team in the six-team field of the Kaua‘i Americans of Japanese Ancestry league Sunday at Vidinha Stadium. Jason Koga belted a 3-RBI single
The Hanapepe Rivermen picked up a 3-0 win over the Lihu‘e Builders to remain the only undefeated team in the six-team field of the Kaua‘i Americans of Japanese Ancestry league Sunday at Vidinha Stadium.
Jason Koga belted a 3-RBI single in the eighth inning to pull the Kalaheo Kaneshiro Farms to a 10-7 win over the Makaweli Indians, and in a squeaker at Hanapepe Stadium, Kapa‘a’s Kalani Miyashiro drove Shane Matsumura home to give the newest team in the league a 10-9 edge over the Waimea Tsunami.
Michael Yaris went nine innings on the mound, getting the win for Hanapepe, giving up just two hits to Lihu‘e with 11 strikeouts and six walks.
Mikey Cardinez, getting one of the two Lihu‘e hits, suffered the loss with nine hits allowed, one strikeout and two walks.
Keith Nonaka and Yaris opened the third inning, each batter singling to rightfield with no outs.
Justin Ganaden drove Nonaka home followed by Davin Yamase coming up with an RBI single to leftfield, scoring Yaris for the 2-0 bulge.
Nonaka opened up the fourth frame with two away, getting first on a walk and scoring on a Yaris RBI.
Kalaheo, sporting “KAJA” jerseys, capitalized on a tiring Makaweli mound as Kaleo Saiki, Kainoa Santos and Kaina McCallum walked in order with no outs.
That set the stage for Kalaheo firstbaseman Jason Koga who cleared the bases with an RBI single to leftfield.
Earlier, Makaweli took the lead in the sixth inning behind a 3-RBI shot from Kaylen Wakumoto. Jason Miyazaki and Mike Shimatsu each posted RBI as the Indians drove in five runs on four hits in the frame.
The Waimea Tsunami held a 5-1 lead going into the sixth inning.
It increased that lead to 9-1 with four runs fueled by an RBI-double from Dylan Ishihara.
But Kapa‘a answered with four runs led by an RBI play from Kawaihau Torio who got first on a Tsunami miscue.
Austin Alfiler scored on a passed ball, Braden Kamibayashi crossed on a fielder’s choice with Ryan Silva and Torio crossing on Waimea errors.
Micah Furtado’s 2-RBI double kept the Kapa‘a scorebooks open in the seventh inning, Furtado scoring on an Allen Mundon RBI single.
Mundon advanced by stealing two bases and scoring off a Waimea error that got Matsumura to firstbase and set the stage for the go-ahead that came on Miyashiro’s RBI single with two outs.
The Kaua‘i AJA league continues Sunday with games being played at both Vidinha Stadium and Hanapepe Stadium.
