LIHU‘E — It was all Waimea from the get-go as the Menehune blasted away at the Kaua‘i Red Raiders and came away with a 22-2 victory to claim the first-round championship, Saturday at the Vidinha Stadium baseball field. With both
LIHU‘E — It was all Waimea from the get-go as the Menehune blasted away at the Kaua‘i Red Raiders and came away with a 22-2 victory to claim the first-round championship, Saturday at the Vidinha Stadium baseball field.
With both teams tied in the standings, sporting identical 4-2 records, a playoff was in order to determine who would win the first-round title.
The Menehune made their statement early and often, striking for four runs in the top of the first inning, then putting a nine-spot on the board in the second to create plenty of distance.
The game was called after the fifth inning, due to the 10-run rule.
Shylen Keuma was awarded the win for Waimea, though he did not start the game. He came on in relief of Kalani Fernandez in the third inning and threw 2.2 shutout innings without allowing no runs and no hits.
Fernandez was also very effective, going 2.1 innings, giving up two runs on one hit, but began laboring in the third after having thrown a high amount of pitches so far this season.
Chyson Soares was a menace at the plate, going 4 for 4 with a triple, three runs and two RBIs.
Gavin Jardin was 2 for 4, smacking a double and a triple, with two runs, two RBIs and a stolen base.
Micah Rita went 2 for 4 with three runs scored, while Kaimana Perreira-Alquiza went 2 for 4 with a triple, a walk, two runs, an RBI and two stolen bases.
The Menehune outhit the Raiders, 18-1.
Leading 4-0, Waimea busted the game wide open in the top of the second inning.
Perreira-Alquiza led off the inning with a triple, but was thrown out at home, trying to score on a chopper hit by Fernandez.
Jardin laced a triple to right field, scoring Fernandez from first. He was then brought home on a Paul Correa single. Micah Rita followed with a single and Soares came up with the fourth straight hit on a two-RBI single.
Dylan Ishihara was hit by a pitch, prompting a pitching change by Kaua‘i. Mikeo Rita laid down a sac bunt to move Soares and Ishihara into scoring position.
Alika Emayo capitalized with an RBI single and Perreira-Alquiza followed with one of his own.
Fernandez made it three straight with an RBI single, before he was brought home by a Jardin double to put Waimea up 13-0, before the Raiders retired the side.
Waimea got two runs in the third on three hits, before Kaua‘i got on the board in the bottom half. Raiders catcher Lanan Rice-Kashima notched the only Kaua‘i hit in the game, picking up two RBIs on a single to score Dalston Miyasato and Hank Ibia.
Three more runs in the fourth and four in the fifth completed the action for Waimea.
Shea Shimabukuro was strapped with the loss for Kaua‘i.
The Menehune will have a long rest before starting their second half and going after a KIF championship. They will not take the field until April 7, when they return to Vidinha Stadium for their fifth matchup with the Raiders this season. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
The Raiders will have a week to regroup before taking on the Kapa‘a Warriors in a doubleheader, Saturday at Ron Martin Field in Kapa‘a. The first game will begin at 10 a.m.
