HANAPEPE — Strong pitching from Kaleo Saiki, coupled with a pair of two-run homers from Zoomie Bukoski and Kaina McCallum, forced a playoff for the championship of the Americans of Japanese Ancestry baseball league. That championship will be settled Sunday
HANAPEPE — Strong pitching from Kaleo Saiki, coupled with a pair of two-run homers from Zoomie Bukoski and Kaina McCallum, forced a playoff for the championship of the Americans of Japanese Ancestry baseball league.
That championship will be settled Sunday in a single game starting at 10 a.m. at Hanapepe Stadium.
Facing a must-win situation to force the playoff, Kalaheo finished with a 13-3 win over the defending champion Hanapepe Rivermen in the nightcap of a double-header at Hanapepe Stadium.
Lihu‘e romped over Makaweli, 17-6, in the Hanapepe Stadium opener and Kapa‘a picked up its fifth win of the season with a 15-14 edge over the Waimea Tsunami in a single game at Vidinha Stadium.
Saiki picked up the Kalaheo win, going the distance and allowing just three runs on eight hits while striking out eight Rivermen batters and walking seven.
Hanapepe jumped out to a 1-0 lead when catcher Tyrus Matsumoto scored on a Vince Nitta hit, which resulted in a double play with the bases loaded, but Matsumoto getting the score.
But that 1-0 lead was short-lived as Kaina McCallum singled to get on, setting the stage for Zoomie Bukoski’s two-run blast that clonked off the bleachers in center field.
Keola “Tuki” McCallum came up with an RBI single to push Saiki, who walked, and Kainoa Santos, who singled. McCallum scored on a Jason Koga RBI clutch hit for the 4-1 margin after just one inning in the strong trades at Hanapepe.
That wind generated more home runs as Hanapepe’s Mason Lorenzo launched a solo homer to right field, opening the fifth for Hanapepe’s final run in the game.
Kaina McCallum’s two-run blast to left field pushed Dave Bukoski, walking to first, across the plate and Saiki graced the win in the eighth inning by scoring on a passed ball for the 13-3 math.
Lihu‘e pushed five runs in the eighth and ninth frame to break the back-and-forth battle with Makaweli to pick up its third win of the season.
Kawaihau Torio came up with an RBI single up the middle to score Ikaika Pezario for the 15-14 edge over Waimea, which managed to battle back and take a 14-12 lead following an eight-run sixth inning.
Entering the playoffs, Hanapepe and Kalaheo are tied with 7-3 records, followed by Makaweli settling in third place with a 5-5 record. Kapa‘a ends in a tie for fourth with Waimea, both teams finishing with 4-6 records followed by Lihu‘e at 3-7.
Following the championship, the Kaua‘i AJA league will host the state AJA tournament at Vidinha Stadium, April 3-4.
