Hilo upsets Punahou in first round

HONOLULU — Timely hitting, strong pitching and good fortune continued to fuel Hilo’s hot streak, but the biggest reason for the team’s inspired play came from Uncle Paul.

Kian Kurokawa scattered seven hits, and the Vikings scored two unearned runs in the sixth to beat Punahou 5-3 in the first round of the Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division I state baseball tournament on Tuesday at Les Murakami Stadium, earning a matchup against top seed Kailua in the quarterfinals.

Hilo (14-5), the Big Island Interscholastic Federation runner-up, will play the Surfriders (14-1), the Oahu Interscholastic Association champion, at 7:30 tonight. BIIF champion and No. 3 seed Waiakea (17-0) will play Castle (11-6), the OIA’s No. 5 team, at 11:30 a.m. today.

“We believe that we can beat anybody in this whole tourney,” said Hilo catcher Koa Matson, who was shown great respect, drawing three intentional walks with runners on base.

“This win is special because we’re playing for Uncle Paul (Kaaukai) for the rest of this tourney,” Matson said. “We came in with the mindset that we’re going to win and fear no one. Kian did better than anybody expected. When he’s on, he can shut anyone down.”

Sophomore second baseman Micah Kaaukai’s father, Paul, died on Saturday while picking opihi. Kaaukai went 0-for-3, battling through his grief. He struck out with the bases loaded in the first inning, but his teammates picked him up.

“This whole tourney is for my dad,” Kaaukai said. “Part of me wants to play, and part of me wants to be mourning for him.”

Kurokawa, a junior right-hander, allowed three runs — all in the fourth — on seven hits. He walked three and struck out four, throwing 106 pitches and erasing the memory of a seventh-inning slippage in his last start.

“My first four innings I was shaky. After that I settled in,” Kurokawa said. “I pitched to contact and knew my defense would make plays.”

Kurokawa stranded seven runners on base, including the bases loaded in the third.

Hilo tied it at 3-3 in the bottom of the inning when Isaiah Banasan singled and later scored on a wild pitch off reliever Cole Kanazawa, who took the loss.

Then with one out in the sixth, Hilo shortstop Chayce Kaaua ripped a triple to left field, chasing Kanazawa. Left-hander Dylan Combs was brought in to face lefty Keenan Nishioka, who walked. Matson was intentionally walked for the third time, and Jodd Carter then slapped a routine grounder.

Shortstop Beau Brenton stepped on second base for the second out, but his sidearm throw skipped past first base, scoring Kaaua and Nishioka for a 5-3 lead.

Meanwhile, the Vikings had one outstanding play. In the fifth, third baseman Eli Cruz made a diving catch with his back to home plate to snag Rick Nomura’s wedge shot over the bag.

Offensively, Nishioka was 2-for-3, while Kaaua and Carter each went 2-for-4.

“It’s the biggest win for the program in a long time. It’s unbelievable,” Hilo coach Tony DeSa said.

Punahou 000 300 0 — 3 7 1

Hilo 011 102 x — 5 10 0