Keaau’s baseball team was enjoying a breakout season, at least until it started playing some of the larger schools in the Big Island Interscholastic Federation. ADVERTISING Keaau’s baseball team was enjoying a breakout season, at least until it started playing
Keaau’s baseball team was enjoying a breakout season, at least until it started playing some of the larger schools in the Big Island Interscholastic Federation.
Keaau’s baseball team was enjoying a breakout season, at least until it started playing some of the larger schools in the Big Island Interscholastic Federation.
Faced with the prospect of falling back to .500, the Cougars took down what had been the biggest bully around.
Byron Cachola’s bunt provided the go-ahead hit in the top of the ninth inning Tuesday, and the Cougars handed Waiakea its first loss with a 6-5 victory on the Warriors’ field.
Keaau (5-3) hadn’t beaten the Warriors (6-1) since 2002, its first year in varsity. That was also the last time until this season that the Cougars had started a season 4-0, but they subsequently lost three in a row to Hilo, Kamehameha and Kealakehe.
“Aside from the Kamehameha game, every other one was close,” Keaau coach Herb Yasuhara said. “I think our kids knew that we could play and hang with (Waiakea) this year.
“It was just a matter of coming up with the clutch hit.”
Keaau got back in the game in the top of the sixth when Derek Kalani delivered a two-run double and scored on Anson Kauwe’s groundout to tie the game 3-3.
Trayden Tamiya drove in a run with a hit for Waiakea as they scored twice in the bottom half of the sixth, but Keaau battled back again in the top of the seventh as Justin Quesada and Riley Costa reached on singles. Dathan Wong Chong’s grounder brought in a run and Nick Deremer’s bunt single and an error brought in the tying run.
Keian Kanetani pitched 3 1/3 shutout innings of relief and allowed only one hit to get the victory after Quesada worked the first 5 2/3 innings. At the plate, Quesada was 3 for 4.
“He kept us in the game,” Yasuhara of his workhorse. “He wants the ball.”
After Makoa Andres pitched into the sixth for the Warriors, Calvin Uemura pitched 3 2/3 innings and took the loss.
Wong Chong led off the ninth with a walk against Uemura and Kalani was hit by a pitch to set up Cachola, who was 0 for 5 before he laid down his bunt.
Gehrig Octavio smacked a two-run home run and finished 2 for 3 for Waiakea, and Anthony Benevides and Caleb Freitas-Fields also had two hits.
Kanetani was 2 for 3.
Division I is marked by unusual parity this season among four teams.
Keaau stayed just behind Kealakehe (4-2) and Hilo (4-2), who are tied for second.
“I think the talent level is a little down this season, and that gives us a chance,” Yasuhara said.
Keaau 000 003 201 – 6 10 3
Waiakea 000 302 000 – 5 8 1
Kamehameha 11, Pahoa 1
Jaisten Cabatbat was 3 for 3 with three RBIs, and DallasJ Duarte doubled and drove in three runs as the host Warriors improved to 6-1.
The first of four pitchers, Hinalea Cortez worked two innings and struck out two to get the victory.
Kolbie Kinzie was 2 for 3 for Kamehameha, Baron Victorino tripled, and Daylen Calicdan and Brandyn Lee-Lehano also doubled.
Julian Beimler only got two outs for Pahoa (1-5) as the Warriors scored five times in the first. Jacob Krakauer had an RBI double for the Daggers.
Pahoa 010 00 – 1 2 1
Kamehameha 520 04 – 11 9 0
