By KEVIN JAKAHI
By KEVIN JAKAHI
Tribune-Herald sports writer
Kamehameha right-hander Kaimana Moike and Honokaa left-hander Dylan Shiraki, a pair of senior pitching aces, kept trying to trump each other, with the one running into more trouble somehow finding a way to prevail.
Moike didn’t had a peaceful outing, only once retiring the side, but made clutch pitches when it counted and the Warriors outlasted the Dragons 2-1 in eight innings in the Big Island Interscholastic Federation Division II baseball semifinals on Friday at Wong Stadium.
The Warriors (11-5) earned a spot to the Hawaii High School Athletic Association tournament, their first state berth since 2010. They’ll face Konawaena (12-1) in the title game at 3 p.m. at today Wong.
The Dragons (9-5) were attempting to return to states for the first time since 2009 with a senior-laden lineup that features six starters, including Shiraki and the heart of their lineup: Joey Charbonneau, Lloyd Edwards and Makani Dias, the Nos. 3, 4, 5 hitters.
Moike threw 122 pitches, allowed a run on eight hits and three walks, and struck out eight, stranding eight runners on base, including the sacks full in the third.
“I trusted myself and let my defense work,” Moike said. “It was heart and help from my teammates and digging deep. Those aspects helped me out.
“Getting into trouble is nothing new. I’ve been there before and this season prepared me.”
Kamehameha coach Andy Correa pointed out that Moike is a different pitcher as a senior, a veteran who knows how to pitch without his best stuff, and work his way out of danger.
“It’s his senior experience and pitching in a lot of big games that allowed him to pull through,” Correa said. “He never had command of everything. Two or three years ago he might not have gotten out of those situations. But it was his poise and tough-mindedness.”
His future Lon Morris (Texas) junior college teammate, Shiraki, had better numbers but took the loss. He fired 107 pitches and yielded two runs — one unearned — on five hits and no walks, and struck out five, stranding four on base.
Everything unraveled in the eighth when Kamehameha’s leadoff hitter Keanu Dudoit-Isa, who was 3 for 4, singled with one out. He advanced to second on a groundout. Gideon Kalili stepped to the plate but quickly found himself in an 0-2 hole.
On the next pitch, he softly dunked a ball over second base to score the winning run — highlighting the importance of timely hitting, Moike’s pitching perseverance and Honokaa’s lack of bunting execution.
In the third, the Dragons loaded the bases with one out, and attempted a squeeze bunt but it was fouled off. A fielder’s choice with a throw to home, and strikeout followed to extinguish the threat.
Sacrifice bunts presented the Dragons problems, too.
Honokaa coach Matt Charbonneau lamented his team’s inability to bunt — more than anything.
“I don’t put our loss in the eighth inning,” he said. “We couldn’t bunt. Dylan pitched a hell of a game, but he had no run support.”
In the sixth, Austin Jardine singled, the next two hitters tried to bunt, but couldn’t and eventually struck out. Charbonneau singled, which would have scored a run. Then Moike got Edwards to fly out, escaping from a burning building once again.
Charbonneau was 2 for 3 and Kazu Tolentino went 2 for 4 to lead the Dragons, who had more hits than the Warriors.
Other than Dudoit-Isa, no other Warrior paired hits, but bunches of hits weren’t needed, only timely ones.
In the first, Moike had an RBI groundout to score Dudoit-Isa, who singled to center.
Honokaa answered with its only run in the second on Haku Daniels’ RBI single, scoring Edwards, who walked.
Shiraki suffered a tough loss, but he quickly put his season-ending game into perspective.
“Both teams brought it. We had a couple of bunts we couldn’t execute,” he said. “We hit better than them. But they had timely hits and that’s what counts. They came through and we didn’t.”
Honokaa 010 000 00 — 1 8 3
Kamehameha 100 000 01 — 2 6 1
Division II
At Wong Stadium
Friday
Semifinals
Kamehameha 2, Honokaa 1, 8 inn.
Konawaena 1, Hawaii Prep 0
Today’s final
Kamehameha vs. Kona, 3 p.m.