LIHUE — The Kauai High School baseball team pushed six runs on five hits in the first inning and closed the game in the fifth inning with five runs on two hits for a 12-2 win over Kapaa on Wednesday
LIHUE — The Kauai High School baseball team pushed six runs on five hits in the first inning and closed the game in the fifth inning with five runs on two hits for a 12-2 win over Kapaa on Wednesday at Vidinha Stadium.
“The boys hits the ball well early,” said Kauai coach Hank Ibia. “But it’s not over, yet. We have the junior varsity game Thursday and a doubleheader against Waimea Saturday. We need to win out.”
Kauai High School opened strong with Micah Layosa lacing into a two-bagger. The Warriors silenced the lead-off hitter with two intentional walks and walking him in the fifth inning.
Ricky Rego had the other powerful stick, coming into the box in the fifth inning and facing a two-ball, one-strike pitch, conked the ball into the jet stream, scoring Patrick Esteban for the 12-2 win, ending the match on the 10-run ruling.
Overall, Kauai accumulated nine hits for its 12 runs led by Kobey Dias finishing with a 2-RBI triple in the opening frame and a pair of singles. Doug Miyasato finished with a pair of singles and Keanu Camalliri singled.
Brayden Abreu, conking a single in the opening frame, did the mound duty for Kauai, going four and two-thirds inning before tiring and relinquishing the ball to Miyasato, who finished.
Abreu, in his tenure on the mound, allowed just two hits to Kapaa, a single to Jake Rausch in the second inning and another single to Leighton Moniz in the fourth inning. He also walked two batters and struck out five batters before being relieved.
Both hits came up empty as Kapaa left a runner aboard in the second and stranded two runners in the fourth.
Its runs came in the top of the fifth with two outs when Ekolu Rivera walked first followed by Kade Kupihea taking a walk and moving Abreu off the mound. Chayse Basuel was hit by a Miyasato pitch to load the bags and a Kauai error saw Ekolu cross the plate.
Maka Rivera walked first to reload the bases followed by Rausch walking to score Kupihea before the Raiders closed the frame on a forced play at second base.
“We just had a bad first and last inning,” said Kapaa coach Bryan Aiwohi. “There was too much second-guessing and hesitation on our part. But I like how the boys fought back in the middle innings. We’re still a young team — we’re graduating just two seniors, Matt Schmidt in centerfield, and Rausch at first base.”
