Tony De Sa isn’t complaining, but while Hilo High’s depth is annually the envy of many BIIF baseball coaches, it makes it hard when it comes time to fill out his lineup card.
He got a reprieve Tuesday even as he was busy making switches. Everybody on the Vikings’ roster played and most flourished in a 16-0 victory against Kealakehe at Wong Stadium.
“We have some good players who are not playing and it’s a tough situation,” De Sa said. “A lot of good players. It’s not easy.
“But it’s good to have depth.”
Taking the field for the fourth time in seven days – including a 4-1/2 inning last affair last Wednesday at Kamehameha that was washed away by rain – Hilo (4-2) belted 17 hits and pitchers Donald Saltiban (three innings) and Briden Silva (two) allowed only one hit apiece.
The Vikings may be tired, but they’ll get little sympathy from the Waveriders (1-3), who are playing all their games on the road this season because of construction at the their school. Thanks to two rainouts, Kealakehe hadn’t played since March 5.
“It’s challenging to say the least,” coach Josh Hansen said. “It’s a work-in-progress and I really only have two returning senior starters, and I have a good group of freshman.”
Kealakehe starter Markus Degrate struggled with his control, walking four batters the first time through the lineup, and when he found the plate in the second inning, the Vikings started their hit parade, getting two run-singles from Noah Higa-Gonsalves and Joey Jarneski.
Each spot in the lineup accounted for at least one hit as the Vikings batted around in the second, third and fifth innings, and De Sa sent nine consecutive pinch-hitters to the plate at one point. Logan Respicio came off the bench in the third and finished with two hits. Higa-Gonsalves led the way, going 3 for 4 with a double and three RBIs.
“This is the first time this season we went out there and really hit the ball,” De Sa. “It was good to see us capitalize at the plate.”
Saltiban, a sophomore, struck out four and walked three. Silva struck out the side in the fourth and worked around a walk in the fifth.
“He does throw with some velocity for a 10th-grader,” De Sa said of his starter. “What he does need to work on is to get out of those situations where he starts to throw balls.”
In 2 1/3 innings, Degrate yielded nine hits and five walks and was charged with 11 runs with two strikeouts before Pulama Louis worked the final 2 2/3. Dennison Joaquin and Randy Hatori compiled Kealakehe’s hits.
Neither team made an error.
The Waveriders will be busy travelling across the island as they enter a stretch in which they are scheduled to play five games in seven days. Kealakehe was the home team Tuesday, and it will be back at Wong as the visitors on Monday. In between, the Waveriders have a makeup game Wednesday at Honokaa, a short jaunt to Konawaena follows Thursday, and they visit Waiakea on Saturday.
Making matters even tougher this season, Kealakehe only has access to practice four days a week at Simmons Field, which doesn’t have a pitcher’s mound.
“It’s brutal,” Hansen said. “But we’re having a good time. The guys are fun and we’re trying to keep our heads up and just compete.
“The consistency hasn’t been there because we haven’t played much.”
Hilo 056 14 – 16 17 0
Kealakehe 000 00 – 0 2 0
Konawaena 3, Kohala 0
Steve Texeira provided five innings of strong relief in Kapaau, striking out six, and the Wildcats ended a three-game losing streak.
After Logan Canda worked two innings, allowing a hit and two walks, Medeiros yielded just one hit and two walks the rest of the way as Konawaena (5-3) scored single runs in the first, fifth and seventh innings.
Vohn Yamaguchi led off the game with a walk against Joey Salvador, and scored after Canda doubled. Tyler Kitaoka’s single scored Boaz Ayers, who led off the fifth with a bunt single. In the seventh, Yamaguchi walked with one out, moved to third on two walks and scored on Kolu Alani’s groundout. Ayers and Tevin Canda were each 2 for 3
Salvador pitched a complete game for the Cowboys (2-5), striking out two and walking three and allowing eight hits. All three runs were earned.
Konawaena 100 010 1 – 3 8 2
Kohala 000 000 0–0 3 0
Waiakea 11, Keaau 1
David Nakamura struck out 11 in a one-hitter and the host Warriors won to set up an undefeated showdown against Kamehameha on Thursday night at Wong Stadium.
Taylor Mondina finished with two hits and five RBIs for Waiakea (6-0), Nathan Minami hit a two-run double and drove in three and Mackanzy Maesaka was 2 for 2 with an RBI.
Edward Oguma took the loss for the Cougars (2-3), allowing five runs – two earned – on two hits with two strikeouts and three walks.
Nakamura was only dented by Riley Costa’s RBI double. Costa was 2 for 2.
Keaau 000 100 – 1 3 6
Waiakea 031 124 –11 8 1
Kamehameha 12, Hawaii Prep 1
Daylen Calicdan hit a two-run triple and a two-run double, and Jaisten Cabatbat pitched three spotless innings for the host Warriors (6-0).
DallasJ Duarte had three hits, including a double, with two RBIs and two runs scored, Kobie Kinzie was 2 for 3, driving in two and scoring two, and Kegan Miura ripped a run-scoring triple.
Finn Richmond was the losing pitcher for Ka Makani (3-6). In three innings, he was touched for 10 runs, nine earned, on nine hits and three walks with two strikeouts.
Cabatbat retired all nine hitters he faced, striking out three.
HPA’s Jonah Hurney tripled to lead off the fourth and scored on Braden Kojima’s sacrifice fly.
HPA 000 10 – 1 4 2
KS-Hawaii 703 2x – 12 11 0