Kealakehe has been here before, but coach Josh Hansen saw signs Saturday that this year could be different.
Down to their last out on their home field, Waveriders’ workhorse Pohaku Dela Cruz scored the tying run on an error. An inning later, Shaden Lewi laced a single to drive in the winning run as Kealakehe beat Keaau 5-4 in a Big Island Interscholastic Federation matchup between Division I teams that are perpetually trying to find themselves.
Hansen says Kealakehe (3-2), which rode an 118-pitch, eight-inning effort by Dela Cruz, might be figuring things out.
“I think the ball is starting to bounce our way,” he said. “We battled.”
Dela Cruz allowed Dathan Wong Chong’s go-ahead RBI double in the top of the seventh. The Cougars’ Keian Kanetani retired the first two batters in the bottom half, but Dela Cruz was hit, moved up on Louie Garcia’s single and scored all the way from second when Hunter Cuaresma’s groundball was misplayed.
Bryton Lewi led off the eighth with his second hit but was picked off. Pulama Louis doubled off reliever Justin Quesada and Keoki Meyers reached on an error to set the table for Shaden Lewi, who fell behind in the count, fouled off two 3-2 pitches, and then lined a single to left for his second hit of the game.
“That was such a clutch at-bat,” Hansen said. “A laser.”
Keaau (4-3) has lost three in a row to fall into last place among four teams in Division I.
The Waveriders were also 3-2 last season, but injuries took their toll as they lost their last seven, bowing to Hilo in the BIIF semifinals.
“The really big difference is that we’re paying attention to detail and making the routine plays,” Hansen said. “We’re playing the game the way it’s supposed to be played.”
He said he would have pulled his ace right-hander after 120 pitches. Dela Cruz struck out five and allowed eight hits – three to Kanetani – with five walks and five strikeouts. One of the runs he allowed was unearned.
Quesada and Wong Chong (2 for 4) opened the sixth with singles and scored as Keaau went ahead 3-1. Kealakehe answered in the home half with RBI singles by Garcia (2 for 4) and Makana Kaluau.
Marcus Degrate (2 for 3) tripled in a run in the third and Hansen lauded the defensive job done behind the plate by Cuaresma, who threw out two runners trying to steal.
Looking to avoid another trip to East Hawaii in the postseason, Kealakehe is a half-game behind second-place Hilo.
“I think the BIIF is really starting to even out,” Hansen said. “With the exception of maybe Waiakea, anyone can beat anyone.”
Kanetani tied the game with an RBI single in the fifth and he also had a triple. He struck out nine in a seven-inning no decision in which he threw 122 pitches. The junior walked three and yielded nine hits and four runs – three earned.
Keaau 000 012 10 – 4 8 2
Kealakehe 001 002 11 – 5 12 1
Waiakea 16, Konawaena 5
Taylor Mondina homered and drove in six runs in Kealakekua, Caleb Freitas-Fields worked four innings and the Warriors remained the BIIF’s lone unbeaten.
Mondina finished with three hits, including a two-run single in the second as Waiakea scored seven times. Ryder Oshiro started the scoring off with an RBI triple.
Nathan Minami doubled to lead off the fourth and scored on Mondina’s home run to left. Minami was 3 for 5 with an RBI and three runs scored, and Anthony Benevides and Oshiro each had two hits.
Logan Canda took the for the Wildcats (2-5), allowing seven runs – five earned – on four hits and two walks in 1 2/3 innings.
Waiakea 070 342 – 16 16 1
Konawaena 020 030 – 5 5 2
Kohala 11, Pahoa 1
Wily Perez collected a double and a triple with three RBIs and Joey Salvador also tripled and drove in three runs as the Cowboys pounded out 15 his to win in Kapaau.
Jayven Amanonce was 2 for 3 with two RBIs, and freshman Dreg’n Roque-Lewis pitched two shutout innings to earn the victory, striking out a batter and walking four.
Salvador worked an inning and Anson Fernandez finished with two as Kohala (3-3) moved 1 1/2 games ahead of Konawaena in second place in Division II. The Cowboys welcome the Wildcats on Friday.
“Haven’t seen it this wide-open in a long time,” said coach Pono Nakamura, whose team was coming off a loss at Honokaa. “We stranded a lot of runners (against the Dragons), but we got them home today.”
Tryson Kenui struck out four in four innings for the Daggers (1-4) and had a hit.
Pahoa 001 00 –1 2 3
Kohaa 161 3x –11 15 2
Kamehameha 15, Hawaii Prep 0
Baron Victorino tripled during the Warriors’ eight-run first and he doubled as they tacked on five more runs in the second, and visiting Ka Makani made four errors in losing their fifth consecutive game.
The rematch of last season’s Division II championship series lasted only four innings. HPA (1-5) beat Hilo in its opener but has since lost three 15-0 games, including two this week.
Malu Peralta struck out six and yielded only two hits with two walks in three innings for Kamehameha (5-1).
Jonah Hurney took the loss, allowing 13 runs – only two earned – six hits and six walks with a strikeout. He was 1 for 2 at the plate.
Victorino finished 3 for 3 with three runs scored for the Warriors, DallasJ Duarte had two RBIs and scored three times and Makana Aiona drove in two runs.
HPA 000 0 – 0 2 4
Kamehameha 850 2 – 15 9 0