LIHU‘E — The night ended before the score could be settled, but the Waimea Menehune came away from Saturday’s baseball doubleheader still unbeaten in the early stages of the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation season. Waimea won the first game of the
LIHU‘E — The night ended before the score could be settled, but the Waimea Menehune came away from Saturday’s baseball doubleheader still unbeaten in the early stages of the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation season.
Waimea won the first game of the doubleheader, 7-1, before the two teams played eight full innings in the nightcap and had to stop with a 6-6 tie, due to darkness.
The Menehune (2-0-1) were led in the opener by Mikeo Rita, who threw six complete innings and gave up the one Raider run on four hits, while walking five and striking out four. Rita improves to 2-0 on the mound this season, having gotten the win in Wednesday’s victory over Kapa‘a (0-1), also by a 7-1 score.
He added a triple — one of three Waimea triples in the first inning — scored a run and had an RBI.
Kaimana Perreira-Alquiza had a pair of triples in the game, scored two runs and had one RBI.
Chyson Soares had two RBIs, a triple and a run scored, while Travis Soares went 2 for 3 with a double, a triple, two RBIs and a run.
Chyson pitched the seventh inning in relief of Rita and set the Raiders down in order.
Shea Shimabukuro had a strong all-around game for the Raiders (0-1-1), going 2 for 3 with the lone RBI, drawing a bases-loaded walk in the third inning. He also pitched the final 3.2 innings of the game and held Waimea scoreless while surrendering just one hit.
Waimea scored five runs in the first inning, lacing all three triples into left and center field. With the wind blowing out to right, they would likely have all been over the fence had they headed that direction, said KIF official scorekeeper Glenn Mickens.
The Menehune scored a pair in the fourth before being held down the rest of the way.
The second game was without a result, as the teams played to a 6-6 tie after eight innings.
Shylen Keuma went all eight innings for Waimea, giving up six runs (five earned) on nine hits. He walked three and struck out one.
Travis Koga started for Kaua‘i and lasted 2.2 innings, giving up six runs (three earned) on nine hits, while walking two.
Erin Doi came on in relief for the Raiders and held the Menehune bats the rest of the way, throwing 5.1 scoreless innings, giving up two hits, walking two and striking out two.
Hank Ibia had a 2 for 3 showing for Kaua‘i at the plate, scoring a pair of runs.
“He’s a vacuum cleaner at shortstop,” said Mickens, noting that Ibia provides great skills both with the bat and the glove.
Travis Koga was 2 for 4 with an RBI, while Austin Oshiro went 1 for 2 with a run and a pair of walks.
Mikeo Rita was 3 for 5 with a stolen base for Waimea, while Keuma, Alika Emayo and Jordan Kamakea all had two hits and scored a run, with Kamakea also driving one in.
The Menehune scored all six of their runs in the third inning, continuing to put together big innings in each game so far this season.
Kaua‘i spread its scoring out, scoring twice in the second, twice in the third, then once in the fourth to cut the deficit to 6-5.
It tied the game up in the bottom of the seventh as Travis Koga lined a base hit to left field that scored Ibia, who had reached on a hit-by-pitch and was sacrificed to second base.
The Raiders and Kapa‘a Warriors will each be looking for their first win of the season when Kapa‘a heads to Vidinha Stadium for a single game, Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.
