HANAPEPE — A double-header sweep by Waimea earned the Menehune the Round 1 title in Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation baseball, Saturday at Hanapepe Stadium. With one more game scheduled in the round, the Menehune closed its round with a 4-3 and
HANAPEPE — A double-header sweep by Waimea earned the Menehune the Round 1 title in Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation baseball, Saturday at Hanapepe Stadium.
With one more game scheduled in the round, the Menehune closed its round with a 4-3 and 6-4 win over Kaua‘i High School.
Relying on the combination of its pitchers and hitting, the Menehune piled up three runs in the third inning of game one, and despite Kaua‘i coming back to push a run in in the fifth and sixth frames, Waimea prevailed. Kaua‘i did not score its first run until the third inning.
Waimea continued that aggressive stance by pushing a run home on three hits in Game 2 as Kalani Fernandez, getting aboard on a fielder’s choice, scored on a Paul Correa RBI single.
Kaua‘i, chasing a 4-0 deficit, did not get on board until the fourth inning when Lanan Rice-Kashima and Dayne Murata singled and was moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Taran Tani.
Dalston Miyasato ripped a two-RBI single to center field with two away to get Kaua‘i on the boards, 4-2, still two runs short.
Waimea answered with two runs of its own in the bottom of the fourth as Max Agor opened with a triple to center field and scored when Michael Acoba followed with an RBI sacrifice fly to right field.
Kylan Malama singled followed by Correa doubling to advance Malama to third.
Robert Perreira’s sacrifice bunt with one away pushed Malama home to end a two-run, three-hit frame.
But Kaua‘i would not go away and in the seventh inning, with two away, Murata singled to right field; Tani was hit by a pitch and lead-off hitter Dustin Prem walked to load the bases.
Chris Kaiakapu, the closer for Steven Werner, faced Kaylen Wakumoto, re-entering the fray, and on a 2-2 count, went down swinging to end the threat.
Waimea took Game 1 with four runs on seven hits while Kaua‘i picked up its three runs on five hits, all five being allowed by Menehune starting pitcher Andrew Ouderkirk.
In picked up the win, Ouderkirk finished with two earned runs of three allowed, walked one batter while striking out six. Kaiakapu closed with no runs, no hits, or walks allowed but striking out three batters.
Tani suffered the loss on the mound in Game 1 with four runs allowed, all earned, five hits and walked three while striking out one.
Kalani Fernandez, the Menehune leadoff hitter, was 3-3, scoring twice. Waimea first base Michael Acoba scored once and had an RBI as did Paul Correa. Perreira, Dylan Ishihara also marked Waimea hits in Game 1.
Rice-Kashima had a hit and an RBI along with Prem to lead Kaua‘i. Austin Oshiro, Travis Koga and Matthew Ebueng marked scores for Kaua‘i. Rysan Sakamoto and Tani posted Raider hits.
Acoba paced the Menehune bats in Game 2 with two hits and three RBI. Correa finished 2-3 with an RBI. Agor, finishing 2-2, scored twice.
Malama, Ishihara (1-1 double), Dalton Brun (1-1) and Fernandez (0-4) each scored.
Miyasato (2-2, double) scored once and had an RBI for Kaua‘i. Rice-Kashima (2-2) scored once and Murata (3-3) scored twice.
Kaua‘i High School next plays Kapa‘a to end Round 1.
