HANAPEPE — Kaua’i’s Kirby Yates just focused on each and every pitch. He didn’t think about the score or the significance of the game. He just kept his concentration on locating his pitches and getting outs. He needed three more
HANAPEPE — Kaua’i’s Kirby Yates just focused on each and every pitch.
He didn’t think about the score or the significance of the game.
He just kept his concentration on locating his pitches and getting outs.
He needed three more of them in the bottom of the seventh as his Red Raiders’ baseball team was leading by a run and within three outs of winning the KIF title and advancing to the state tournament in Mau’i next week.
However, Yates and his Kaua’i teammates had a lot to contend with before they could celebrate any victory.
Yates would have to work through the middle of the Waimea batting order which terrorized pitchers all season long.
The task was daunting and became even more difficult when Waimea’s Oliver Moniz worked a full-count leadoff walk to get the tying run to first base.
Clarence Aki, the leading RBI man in the KIF, then sacrificed Moniz over to second base giving Waimea a couple of cracks at bringing in the tying run.
Yates, though, didn’t lose focus.
He got Waimea’s cleanup hitter Leonard Zalopany to ground out to second base.
Down to its final out, Waimea’s Robbie Correa stepped to the plate with a runner at third.
Correa worked the count full before Yates induced a game-ending flyout to right field that Garen Itamura hauled in to end the threat and preserve the Red Raiders’ 8-7 championship victory at Hanapepe Field.
“I think most of the pitches to Oliver were close. I just didn’t get the calls.” said Yates. “I continued to concentrate and take it one pitch at a time.
“They (Waimea) kept battling. We just finally were able to put them away.”
Yates and his Red Raiders’ team finished the regular season 8-5. The club started strong in the KIF, winning the first round with a 5-2 record. They struggled in the second round going 2-3 before rebounding on Saturday.
Waimea won the second round with a 4-2 mark and finished 8-6 overall.
The Menehune trailed in Saturday’s game 5-1 before rallying.
After Yates, Jake Oketani (2-for4) and Shannon Oketani produced RBIs in the first and second innings to give the Red Raiders a four-run edge, Waimea pulled to within a run in the bottom of the third.
Rayson Cacal (1-for-3) blasted a two-run homer to deep left field and Zalopany crushed an RBI double to bring the Menehune to within a run of Kaua’i at 5-4.
The Red Raiders came right back with three runs in the top of the fourth inning as five-straight Red Raiders’ batters reached base.
Yates walked with the bases loaded to force in a run while Alec Reichle (2-for-3) and Daryl Higashi added RBIs.
The Menehune continued to pressure Kaua’i pitching and scored two more times in the bottom of the fourth inning as Jay Parinas had an RBI groundout and Shawn Yadao scored from third base on a wild pitch. Correa added an RBI double in the bottom of the fifth inning to bring Waimea closer at 8-7.
“We knew that it was going to come down to the end,” Jake Oketani said. “They (Waimea) showed a lot of heart all day.”
Both starting pitchers, Reichle and Michael Yaris struggled.
Reichle did pick up the win for Kaua’i but only went 4 1/3 innings yielding seven runs on seven hits with four walks and four strikeouts.
Yaris was relieved in the second after going 1 2/3 innings allowing four runs on five hits.
Yaris relieved in the seventh and allowed a walk with a strikeout.
The Wally Yonamine Foundation State Baseball Tournament begins on Wednesday at Iron Maehara Stadium.
