HONOKAA — The Honokaa High School varsity baseball team notched a no-hit, four-inning 14-1 victory over Ka‘u High School on Tuesday afternoon.
The Dragons continued their trend of hitting home runs, as He‘olu Bertelmann-Makanani hit a two-run homer in the bottom third —marking the fourth straight game in which the ten-player team has hit homers.
Aiden Joaquin got things started on the mound, and quickly flipped the frame by fanning three straight batters.
In the bottom first, Caleb Crook took to the hill for the Trojans. Honokaa tallied four runs on three singles, a walk, a hit-by-pitch and an error. Crook struck out two batters and the final out came from a runner being picked off at first.
Ka‘u went down in three batters again in the top second, as Joaquin struck out the leadoff and the next two batters grounded out to fist-baseman Ha‘o Kanekoa. In the bottom of the inning, the Dragons increased their lead to 10-0, scoring six runs on five singles, a walk and an error.
The Trojans scored their first run in the top third. Kinohi Lindsey relieved Joaquin from the mound, walked two batters and struck one out. After another walk loaded the bases, an infield error allowed Devin Alpin reach the plate — putting up Ka‘u’s first and only run of the outing. Lindsey fanned two batters in a row to leave the bases loaded.
Crook struck out the first batter of the bottom third, then Lindsey singled. Bertelmann-Makanani stepped up to the plate and homered on a fly to left field.
“It was just enough to clear the fence,” Honokaa head coach Devin Joaquin said. “It broke the game open. He‘olu has been swinging a hot bat as of late — and so has Lindsey.”
Kanekoa and CJ Sanchez each singled, then both took advantage of wild pitches to score. Crook struck out two more to put an end to the damage.
After Ka‘u’s leadoff reached first on an error, the Dragons notched a double play with Caleb Kaniho on the mound. The Trojans’ two-hole grounded to Sanchez, who passed to Joaquin to tag out the runner, then Joaquin threw to Kanekoa at first to put out the batter. A groundout ended the top fourth.
The Trojans’ defense recorded its first shutout of the game in the bottom fourth. Riley Koch relieved Crook from the mound and struck out one batter after the two previous flew out.
Gabe Key closed out the game on the hill for Honokaa in the top fifth, striking out the leadoff and third batter — with the second batter flying out.
“We want to hit the ground running in the playoffs instead of limping,” coach Joaquin said. “We’re trying to get lots of our pitchers seasoning before then.”
Bertelmann-Makanani led the Dragons at the plate, going two-for-three with a walk to score three runs and bat in four.
Lindsey, Sanchez and Kaniho also each went two-for-three in the box. Lindsey scored two runs, Kaniho batted two in and Sanchez scored one and batted two in.
Alpin walked in his one at-bat to score a run for the Trojans, batted in by Crook.
The Dragons have three games remaining before the playoffs begin the week after next week. Honokaa will play away at Kealakehe High School on Saturday, then will host Kohala High School on Wednesday for its final BIIF Division II outing — before ending its regular season with a home match against Keaau High School on the 15th.
Also on Saturday, Ka‘u will host Kamehameha Schools – Hawaii.