LIHUE — Kauai High School pitcher Keanu Camalliri came up one batter short of going the distance Wednesday night against Kapaa at Vidinha Stadium. He picked up the 6-3 victory despite running out of pitches as he neared the maximum
LIHUE — Kauai High School pitcher Keanu Camalliri came up one batter short of going the distance Wednesday night against Kapaa at Vidinha Stadium.
He picked up the 6-3 victory despite running out of pitches as he neared the maximum 110-pitch count. The situation catalyzed discussions between the Kauai Interscholastic Federation officials and coaches as copies of the Hawaii High School Athletic Association rules floated between the officials following the game to clarify the situation.
The Raiders went to Jacob Borrero to close the door when the final Kapaa batter flied out to seal the Kauai victory.
“This was a big one for us,” said Kauai coach Hank Ibia. “The boys were down and fought back to win, and that was big for them. That was the main thing we needed to do, tonight — come back from a losing situation. We still have a lot to work on with the boys. This was just one thing they could get off their backs.”
Kapaa took an early lead in the opening inning when Leighton Moniz doubled to left and scored off a triple to center by Nainoa Cardinez.
The Raiders answered in the second inning when Hoku Parbo singled to center field and later scored after on a sacrifice fly from Christian Manera to deadlock the contest at 1-1.
Kapaa broke the stalemate in the fifth inning when Trevor Kaui and Moniz walked and scored after Levi Cummings sacrificed and Ekolu Rivera singled in the wobbly Raider inning where Camalliri walked three Warrior batters.
Kauai tied things in their half of the fifth when Skyler Sadora was hit by a pitch and Sam Nakata walked. Both came around to score.
Kapaa threatened in the sixth when Cardinez singled was stranded, setting up the home half explosion where Kauai answered with three runs on three hits.
Camalliri opened the frame with a single and stretched it to two bags on a Kapaa miscue. Sadora got aboard on a bunt single before Nakata, batting under the dugout chanting of “Na-Ka-Ta! Na-Ka-Ta!” pushed Camalliri home on a double to deep left field. Borrero walked to load the bases with no outs, and another walk to Ricky Rego pushed Sadora home for the 5-3 go-ahead. A Manera sacrifice, his second on the night, pushed Nakata across the plate for the 6-3 final.
“This was a tough loss for us,” said Kapaa coach Bryan Aiwohi. “Our pitching just got tired — we walked way too many batters. ‘Noa (Cardinez) did good, tonight, but we were just tired. We’re going to work hard Friday (we have the junior varsity game, Thursday).”
Kapaa next travels to the Hanapepe Stadium Saturday for a noon doubleheader against Waimea.
