KEALAKEKUA — Konawaena powered its way into the BIIF championship game with a sweep of Kohala in a BIIF semifinal doubleheader on Friday. ADVERTISING KEALAKEKUA — Konawaena powered its way into the BIIF championship game with a sweep of Kohala
KEALAKEKUA — Konawaena powered its way into the BIIF championship game with a sweep of Kohala in a BIIF semifinal doubleheader on Friday.
The Wildcats edged out the Cowboys in an eight inning, 10-9 game to open the series. The offense was backed by solid pitching and defense in the second half of the doubleheader, with Konawaena winning, 14-2.
The victory allowed a dream to come true for Wildcats first year coach Adam Taberios. Taberios played his high school ball at Konawaena and was never able to advance to the HHSAA state tournament, but the win Friday, along with Kamehameha sweeping Hawaii Preparatory Academy, gave the Wildcats one of the two BIIF D-II seeds.
“This is the first time I have had a chance to go to state and it feels overwhelming,” Taberios said. “I feel so grateful. We worked really hard and it is an awesome feeling.”
Konawaena’s chance of advancing to the BIIF championship game and the state tournament took an early blow in game one as Kohala jumped out to a 9-3 lead with a seven run fourth inning against Wildcats starting pitcher Shelton Grace. Most of the runs were unearned as the defense struggled behind their pitcher.
However, the tide turned in the bottom of the fourth. Taking advantage of a pair of walks and singles by Kaiya Leleiwi, Kelsey Katayama and Vohn Yamaguchi, Konawaena pushed two runs across the plate to cut into the deficit.
The Wildcats added two more runs in the bottom of the sixth without picking up a hit thanks two three walks, a hit batter, and several wild pitches. In the seventh, Konawaena tied the game at 9-9 when Logan Canda and Phillip Grace scored.
The game went into extra innings where the Wildcats would pull out the win in the eighth inning. Yamaguchi led off with a single to right and Shelton Grace followed with a gap-shot to left-center. Skye Suzuki laid down a bunt to advance the runners but the Kohala second baseman did not get to the first base bag in time and the throw by the pitcher sailed into right field, allowing Yamaguchi to score the winning run.
Canda picked up the win after relieving Shelton Grace in the fourth inning.
Losing a big lead in the first game seemed to suck the life out of the Cowboys while the Wildcats rode the momentum they built into the second game.
Konawaena pushed eight runs across the plate in the top of the second inning and never looked back, adding four runs in the third and two in the second for a 12 run, five-inning victory.
Shelton Grace led the offense in Game 2 with a 2-run blast that ended the night for Kohala starter Joey Salvador, who was pulled in the second inning. Grace also had two doubles in the game and finished the day with five hits and two walks. He knocked in five runs and scored twice.
Stevie Texeira threw all five innings for Konawaena. He allowed two runs, both coming in the fifth inning. Kohala managed only three hits off Texeira, who walked one, and struck out one.
“The bats really came alive in the second game and good pitching kept us in the game from the beginning,” Taberios said. “Stevie used his pitches wisely and had very good control. He kept Kohala off balance the entire game.”
Game 1
Kohala 020 700 00 — 9 9 2
Konawaena 003 202 21 — 10 12 4
Game 2
Konawaena 084 20 — 14 15 1
Kohala 000 02 — 2 3 3
