HONOLULU — Tyler Manibog wasn’t originally slated to pitch against Waianae, but he wanted to end his senior year on a high note. Having only pitched an inning the night before in the semifinals, Manibog returned to the mound for
HONOLULU — Tyler Manibog wasn’t originally slated to pitch against Waianae, but he wanted to end his senior year on a high note. Having only pitched an inning the night before in the semifinals, Manibog returned to the mound for the Wally Yonamine Foundation Baseball tournament’s third place game and led the Kauai High School Red Raiders to an 8-2 victory over No. 3 Waianae Friday afternoon at Les Murakami Stadium.
“I wanted the ball for this game,” Manibog said. “I went up to coach at the hotel before the game and told him I wanted the ball.”
Manibog pitched all of Kauai’s six innings, giving up seven hits and two runs. Manibog was also Kauai’s leading hitter, with two hits and an RBI. Manibog got Kauai’s first hit of the game in the bottom of the fourth inning when he singled to left field. When they batted around, he also got their second.
“It was one of the best games I’ve played all year,” he said. “I was getting the hits and I was pitching well.”
That fourth inning proved to be a wild one. Up until then, Waianae’s Sheaven De Lima held Kauai (9-3 KIF, HHSAA 2-1) hitless.
The bottom of the fourth started with Micah Layosa being hit by a pitch, then advancing to second on a wild one. With a man in scoring position, Manibog singled to left, advancing Layosa to third. Nick Vallatini reached on an error Waianae’s Kekoa Kaluhiokalani. With the bases loaded, the Seariders’ meltdown continued.
In that inning alone, De Lima walked John Dumlao, Keala Iwasaki, Kanoa Iwasaki and Layosa. De Lima walked Layosa twice, for a total of five. De Lima also hit Dumlao with a pitch. Their infield committed three errors.
Kauai took advantage of it and scored eight runs off only two hits.
“We capitalized on their mistakes,” said Kauai head coach Greg Killeen. “If we’re not getting the hits we need, we’ll find out another way to win the game.”
It was the only inning in which Kauai plated runs, but that one inning was all they needed.
Kanoa Iwasaki finished 1-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored. Vallatini was 1-for-4 with a run scored. Cal Koga went 0-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Layosa was 0-for-1 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Waianae’s Chaestin Nash-Santia finished 2-for-2, Daysin Bailey went 1-for-2 with a run scored and Jerzy Ramento was 1-for-2 with an RBI. De Lima, despite the loss, only allowed three hits in five innings.
Kauai has made four appearances in the Division II state tournament and, in each appearance, have finished in the top three. Kauai won the first-ever Division II state championship in 2008. They returned in 2009 and finished as the runner-up. The Red Raiders went back to win it in 2011. Five of Kauai’s current seniors were on that 2011 championship team.
The Waianae Seariders (13-2 OIA, 1-2 HHSAA) take the fourth-place finish. Last year, Waianae finished third.
