KAILUA-KONA — With the seeding already locked up for the BIIF Division I playoffs next week, Kealakehe hosted Hilo Saturday afternoon in a regular season finale.
Both offenses were stymied early by solid pitching and questionable defensive calls, but the No. 4 seeded Vikings managed to pull out a 6-4 victory and give themselves a bit of momentum heading into the playoffs against top-seeded Waiakea.
Kealakehe (6-3) holds the No. 2 seed and will meet No. 3 Keaau (6-3) in the semifinals.
The Vikings scored first, putting two runners on the board in the top of the first inning. With two outs, Russell Ragual, Eric Riveira and Chase Costa-Ishii all picked up singles, the last scoring the first run of the game. Riveira then scored on a wild pitch, sliding head first into the plate, and past the tag of Kealakehe starting pitcher Keoki Meyers.
Riley Macanas took the hill for Hilo in the bottom of the inning and put the Waveriders down in order. Meyers worked a better second inning, allowing only a walk. The runner was thrown out attempting to steal second. It was the second Hilo runner thrown out at second in the first two innings by Kealakehe catcher Hunter Cuaresma.
The Waveriders cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the second. Pohaku Dela Cruz led off the inning with a single up the middle and took second on a wild pitch. He scored on a single to left by Cuaresma.
Meyers continued to get stronger as the game went along. He allowed only one runner to reach base in the third, and that runner was thrown out attempting to scramble back to first. In the fourth, Meyers allowed a one-out single, but struck out the next two batters.
A walk and single to Markus Degate in the top of the fourth surprisingly ended the night for the Vikings starter despite Hilo being up, 2-1. Toa Barclay took the hill and struck out the first Waverider batter he faced. Cuaresma stepped to the plate and laid down a bunt. He reached base safely on a throwing error by the pitcher and Degrate scored to tie the game. A sac fly to center by Pulama Lewis scored Dela Cruz from third and Kealakehe led, 3-2.
Hilo fought back in the top of the fifth, tying the game when Micah Bello walked, stole second, and scored on a single to right by Kahale Huddleston. A single to left by Ragual, and an error by the left fielder, put runners on second and third, ending the night for Meyers. Dela Cruz took the mound with two on and two out. He struck out out Riveira to get out of the jam.
The Waveriders went back up by one in the bottom of the fifth when Louie Garcia singled down the left field line, moved to second on an error, advanced to third on a bunt single by Myers, and scored on a sac fly to center by Degrate. Kealakehe led 4-3.
Hilo took advantage of an untimely error in the top of the sixth to go up by one run. After Josh Breitbarth singled to center and Josiah Factora was hit by a pitch, Austin Aina laid down a sac bunt. Dela Cruz struggled picking up the ball and hurried his throw to first. The ball sailed into right field, scoring Breitbarth and Factora.
The Waveriders put a runner in scoring position with a two out double in the bottom of the sixth, chasing Barclay from the game. Nick Antony stepped up and struck out the next Kealakehe batter on three pitches.
Hilo added an insurance run in the top of the seventh off new Kealakehe pitcher, Makana Kaluau Huddleson walked, worked his way around to third, and scored on a squeeze bunt by Breitbarth.
Antony worked a 1-2-3 inning for Hilo in the bottom of the inning to close out the game.
Hilo 200 012 1 — 6 7 2
Kealakehe 010 210 0 — 4 6 6
Hawaii Prep 15, Pahoa 0
DJ Sekiya pitched four hitless innings and Ka Makani took advantage of seven errors at Waiakea’s field to lock down the final playoff berth in Division II.
In a rematch of last season’s championship series, HPA (3-6) will visit top-seeded Kamehameha (8-1) in the best-of-three semifinals.
The Daggers finished 1-8.
Kamehameha 9, Kohala 0
Reese Mondina pitched six shutout innings in Kapaau and Makana Aiona drove in three runs with two hits as the Warriors spoiled the Cowboys’ chances of hosting the Division II semifinals.
Kohala (3-6) will be the third seed and faces Konawaena (3-5-1) in Kealakekua in a best-of-three series.
DallasJ Duarte (3 for 5) and Kobi Candaroma (2 for 3) each finished with an RBI and scored twice as Kamehameha won its fifth in a row. Mondina struck out four, walked one and yielded five hits.
Kohala starter Dregn Roque-Lewis allowed two hits and walked three in an inning of work with one strikeout. Kainalu Emeliano-Solomon hit a double and triple for the Cowboys, who enter the season on a three-game losing streak.
“We have to clean up the little things here and there and pay attention to detail,” coach Pono Nakamura said.
KS-Hawaii 400 011 3 – 9 10 1
Kohala 000 000 0 0 6 4