Malu Peralta pitched a gem to get Kamehameha’s annual run for the state title off to a good start.
The senior right-hander fired 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball, and the Warriors topped Molokai 5-1 at the HHSAA Division II baseball tournament, becoming the only BIIF team to win on Thursday at states.
Kauai pummeled BIIF runner-up Konawaena 14-1 in the other first-round quarterfinal game at Hans L’ Orange Park.
Kamehameha-Kapalama defeated Hilo 5-1 in a Division I quarterfinal game at Les Murakami Stadium.
Waiakea (9-3) played ILH champion Mid-Pacific (12-3) in another quarterfinal game that finished after West Hawaii Today’s deadline.
In a water polo game at Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex on UH-Manoa’s campus, Kapolei beat Kamehameha 8-5.
The BIIF batted 1 for 4 on the day, excluding Waiakea.
Peralta scattered seven hits, walked one and whiffed five for his first win in his first start at states. He did his best work when the Farmers were breathing on his neck.
In the sixth, Codi Kamakana hit an RBI single to get Molokai within 5-1 with two on and one out. Then Peralta got a strikeout and groundout to escape the threat.
The seventh was equally exciting for the Warriors, who have finished runner-up to Maryknoll the last two years. Two Farmers reached on errors with one out. Then Peralta got a flyout, and turned the ball over to Daylen Calicdan, who induced a flyout to center field to end the game.
Hanalei Dudoit-Enos went five innings and allowed five runs on seven hits and one walk in the loss for the MIL champion Farmers (11-1).
DallasJ Duarte had two RBIs while Kobi Candaroma and Calicdan each went 2 for 3 with a run, and Makana Aiona was 1 for 3 with an RBI for the Warriors (13-1).
Kamehameha scored four runs in the fourth with the heart of the batting order doing the damage. Candaroma, the No.3 hitter, and cleanup batter Calicdan belted back-to-back singles.
Then Aiona followed with an RBI single, and Brandyn Lee-Lehano hit a sacrifice fly for a 2-0 lead before the lineup turned over. Duarte, the leadoff hitter, stroked a two-run single to left.
In the sixth, Lee-Lehano was hit by a pitch, and pinch runner Zachary Riveira later scored on a passed ball.
Kamehameha will play the Aiea-Pac 5 winner in the semifinals at 1 p.m. Friday.
Kauai 14, Konawaena 1
The Red Raiders exploded for 10 runs in the fourth inning, leading to a five-inning TKO victory.
Cal Koga pitched four shutout and no-hit innings for the win. Micah Layosa tossed an inning, and allowed a run on two hits.
Logan Canda batted 1 for 2 with an RBI and Tyler Kitaoka 1 for 2 for the BIIF runner-up Wildcats (5-8-1).
Shelton Grace went three innings and gave up four runs on six hits and two walks in the loss. Canda recorded one out, and allowed 10 runs on seven hits and two walks. Stevie Texeira got two outs, and yielded no runs.
KS-Kapalama 5, Hilo 1
The ILH runner-up Warriors rallied for four runs with two out in the top of the seventh, and held the Vikings to just three hits. Until then, Hilo pitcher Joey Jarneski had pitched six innings of one-run ball.
The sophomore right-hander took the loss in 6 2/3 innings. He allowed five runs (one unearned) on eight hits and two walks, and struck out five. Kaiden Cox recorded an out.
Ladd Ah Choy pitched 4 1/3 scoreless innings in relief for the victory.
RJ Ragual batted 1 for 3 with an RBI, while Jarneski and Josiah Factora each went 1 for 3 for Hilo (10-5).
Water polo
Kapolei 8, Kamehameha 5
It was close at halftime with the Warriors trailing 4-3, but the six-time BIIF champs got hit by a double whammy in the third quarter. The Hurricanes scored three goals, and pitched a shutout during that eight-minute period.
Leilani Herrera and Mailani Wendt each had three goals for Kapolei (12-1).
Alyssa Pelanca scored two goals while Katelyn Kubo, Pua Wong, and Halia Nahale-a had one score apiece for Kamehameha (11-2).