Menehune clinch 2nd-round title

With a doubleheader sweep at home on Senior Day, the Waimea Menehune clinched the second round of the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation season, Saturday at Hanapepe Stadium.

Bryson Tacata had five hits on the day as Waimea won 6-3 in the opener, then 11-1 in the afternoon affair, which lasted six innings. Tacata had the walk-off double that drove in Javan Torres to end the game via the 10-run rule.

Tacata, a senior outfielder, went 2 for 3 with a run scored in the opener, then 3 for 4 with three runs and two RBIs in the finale.

Jae “Niko” Delos Reyes got the start in the first game for Waimea and he threw six innings of no-hit baseball for the win, giving up one run while walking seven and striking out three. Mikeo Rita came on to close it out and went the final inning, giving up two runs (one earned) on one hit with one walk.

Tacata and Chyson Soares were each 2 for 3 in the game, with Soares scoring a pair of runs and also driving in two. Jordan Kamakea was 1 for 2 with an RBI and Alika Emayo and Kaimana Perreira-Alquiza each went 1 for 3 with a run scored.

The Menehune scored two in the bottom of the first as Emayo led off the game with a single, then was driven home by a Soares single. Soares later scored on a throw to first base after a dropped third strike.

The Warriors got one back in the second as Rashaan Kuhaulua hit a sacrfice fly to left field that brought in AJ Cummings to make it a 2-1 game.

Waimea scored four runs in the third inning, as the first five hitters all reached safely. That included singles from Tacata, Soares and Kamakea. Perreira-Alquiza and Mikeo Rita each walked and scored a run, while Tacata and Soares also crossed the plate for the 6-1 lead.

Kapa‘a picked up a pair of runs in the top of the seventh, but it wasn’t enough to come all the way back and Waimea grabbed the 6-3 victory.

A win in game two would seal the second round for Waimea and it was Shylen Keuma who got the ball on the mound. The junior picked up the victory with a one-hitter, allowing one run while walking three and striking out eight.

Tacata led the bats once again, followed by Soares going 2 for 3 with two runs and two RBIs. Senior James Dupree came into the game in the third inning and went 2 for 2 with a triple and an RBI. Kamakea went 1 for 1 with a triple and a run scored, while Emayo scored a pair of runs. Brock Tacata scored a pair of runs as a courtesy runner, while also stealing two bases. Torres scored a run and was 1 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Justyn Nagahisa was 1 for 2 with an RBI for Kapa‘a, as he brought in Grant Mitchell with a fielder’s choice grounder for the Warriors’ lone run in the fourth inning.

The Menehune scored one run in the first inning, then added five more in the second on just one hit. Ahead 4-0, Bryson Tacata came home on a wild pitch. Kamakea, in his second at-bat of the inning, was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score Soares from third and give the Menehune a 6-0 edge.

Waimea piled on four more in the third inning, as Bryson Tacata brought home Brock Tacata with an RBI single to start things off. Soares then laced a two-RBI double to left-center field that scored Shawn Tavares and Bryson Tacata. Dupree folowed it with an RBI triple to right for a 10-0 Waimea lead.

Leading 10-1 in the sixth, Bryson Tacata finished things off with an RBI double that scored Torres for the victory.

The two wins now put Waimea’s record at 4-0 in the second round. With the Kaua‘i Red Raiders at 2-3 and Kapa‘a at 1-4, Waimea cannot fall out of first place. The game between the Warriors and Menehune that was rained out on April 6 will not be made up, since it will have no bearing on the standings.

The Menehune will head to Vidinha Stadium on Wednesday for a single game against the Red Raiders to close out the regular season. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.

The two teams will then play one more time for the KIF championship. Time, date and location for that matchup has not yet been officially determined.