LIHU‘E — Everyone at the Vidinha Stadium Ballpark expected it and the Kaua‘i High School Red Raiders made it happen by snatching up the KIF’s first round title with a sweep of the Menehune yesterday, 10-1 and 8-2. The win
LIHU‘E — Everyone at the Vidinha Stadium Ballpark expected it and the Kaua‘i High School Red Raiders made it happen by snatching up the KIF’s first round title with a sweep of the Menehune yesterday, 10-1 and 8-2. The win gave the Red Raiders a 6-0 so far this season, but according to senior Kirby Yates, the team is far from being content.
“We still have some things to work on even though we’re undefeated, we have to cut down on our errors and mental mistakes, but we just have to keep playing and working hard,” Yates said.
The first game win clinched the title, but Kaua‘i head coach Hank Ibia Jr. wanted his boys to play as if there was something on the line in the second game.
“We don’t want to give them (Waimea) any momentum going into the second round, so if we have to beat them 20-0, we will, we’re not going to let up,” Ibia Jr. said.
However, the lack of opposition from both Kapa‘a and Waimea could hurt the Red Raiders, if they continue on their winning ways and they make it to states.
“It definitely hurts us, but we can’t do anything about it, so we just have to give it all we got in every game this season,” Ibia Jr. said.
Yates pitched the first game and dominated Menehune bats from start to finish. He also helped himself out at the plate with a 3-run dinger to rightfield which made the final score of the first game, 10-1.
The second contest mirrored the first one, with the Red Raiders jumping ahead early on with a 4-0 lead in the first inning. Dustin “Chunky” Pagador, the starting pitcher, ripped an RBI single.
Waimea answered with a run of its own in the first, as Kelly Batis scored on an error. Then in the third, Kane Zalopany slammed a homer to right, which cut the lead in half at 4-2.
With Keith Nonaka on the mound, Russell McCluskey, Jonathan Gebauer, and Jett Jasper all crossed the plate for the 7-2 advantage in the third inning. Jasper and Gebauer came across thanks to a 2 RBI single by Shannon Oketani.
Stanton Yoshimori motored around for an inside-the-park homerun in the fourth for the 8-2 lead, which turned out to be the final score.
On Wednesday, Kapa‘a will battle Waimea in the KIF first round finale at Waimea High School, starting at 2:45 p.m.
