Menehune face Monarchs for D2 baseball crown

HILO — The Waimea High School Menehune baseball team will meet the Damien High School Monarchs for the Wally Yonamine Foundation Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association Division 2 baseball state championship, tonight at the St. Francis Wong Stadium in Hilo. First pitch goes starting at 7 p.m. The game will be livestreamed on GameChanger: https://tgilinks.com/3wc5s85

The Menehune are the only seeded team in the championship fight after beating the No. 3 seed Nanakuli Golden Hawks, 3-2, Friday in Hilo. The top-seeded Kamehameha Schools-Hawai‘i was upset 12-2 by the unseeded Monarchs, Friday to set the stage for the title game.

Trailing 2-0 in the seventh, Waimea pushed three runs across the plate on two hits to earn the title fight berth.

With one away, Haweo Akea and Tyrus Haumea were both hit by pitches from Golden Hawk hurler Keahi Ah Sui. Kaedin Grace took to the base paths as a pinch runner for Haumea, and Chet Pimsaguan singled to load the bases.

Tresten Shigematsu got aboard on a fielder’s choice, but not before Haweo scored on the Menehune’s second out at second base.

Shigematsu stole the empty bag, and scored with Grace on a two-RBI shot by Kade Erdmann for the 3-2 edge.

Ah Sui suffered the loss for Nanakuli, throwing a no-hitter until the seventh inning when he gave up the three runs on three Waimea hits. He went on to finish with four Menehunes fanning, and three walking.

Noah Delanoza, going in relief of Robbie Correa, picked up the Menehune win in three innings of work, allowing no runs on no hits while striking out five and walking two.

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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.