HILO – The fifth inning was Konawaena’s breaking point.
The Wildcats stayed within striking distance of Kamehameha for four innings, but when the Warriors’ bats got hot, there was no stopping them.
Kamehameha notched 11 hits in their 12-1 BIIF Division II Championship game against Konawaena, eight coming in the fifth and sixth innings.
“We battled, but the pitchers were struggling a little today,” said Konawaena head coach Aaron Mori.
Before their late explosion, Kamehameha was contained to just three hits in four innings. The Warriors struck first with a three-run second inning, taking advantage of multiple Konawaena errors to build their early lead.
The Wildcats responded with their lone run of the game in the top of the third, when Taven Hiraishi notched an RBI single, scoring Tobias Naihe from third.
Leading 4-1 in the fifth inning, Kamehameha quickly loaded the bases against Konawaena’s starting pitcher Trez Uemoto. A bases-loaded walk scored the Warriors’ fifth run, and the floodgates opened. Kamehameha scored a combined eight runs in the fifth and sixth innings to bring an early end to Saturday’s championship contest.
“It’s a tough one for us coming off of a big win,” added Mori. “But we’ve got to come back and get ready for the state tournament… “We’ve just got to concentrate more, stop making mental errors… Mental errors are what hurts us.”
In the D-I Championship, Waiakea defeated Hilo 4-3.
The HHSAA Division II State Tournament is set to begin Thursday, May 5 at Wong Stadium in Hilo.
