WAIMEA — Kaua‘i High School pitcher Joshua Rego threw a two-hitter and a pair of Red Raider batters conked a pair of home runs to lead an 11-1 win on Wednesday over Waimea High School in a Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation baseball game at Cook Field.
The victory gave Kaua‘i High School the KIF first round title at the field where the contest was played during the daylight hours due to no lights being available at Cook Field.
Rego, who earlier in the year signed with Hawai‘i Pacific University, went the distance for the win, allowing one run on two hits, walking two, hitting one and striking out four.
One of the Menehune hits came in the fourth frame when Kody Erdman singled and eventually scored Waimea’s sole run in the game shortened by the 10-run rule.
Rego’s shaky fourth frame also yielded one of the Menehune walks, as well as a Waimea player being hit by a pitch before Rego recovered to end the shaky frame with an inning-ending strike out.
He continued to throw in the fifth and final frame, allowing the second Menehune hit by Kameron Lee.
Niko Yamauchi, who threw a no-hitter during Waimea’s win over Kapa‘a on Saturday, suffered the loss for the Menehune after giving up eight Red Raider hits, striking out one and walking three.
Red Raider bats sprouted in the second inning when Kaua‘i scored four runs. Kaua‘i added five runs in the fourth frame on two hits, including an inside-the-park home run by Aukai Arruda.
Kaua‘i’s second inside-the-park homer came in the fifth frame when Jacob Andres hit into a 2-run shot, scoring Arruda who got to first base on a Menehune miscue.
The Red Raiders next host Kapa‘a High School on April 13 at Vidinha Stadium, when the first pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
