By JOE FERRARO
By JOE FERRARO
Stephens Media
WAIMEA — Between the first and second innings, Cyrus Inglis found the right spot for his plant leg on the rubber at Hawaii Prep’s field.
He had found a groove.
“Once I find it, I feel untouchable,’’ Inglis said on Tuesday after throwing a complete-game three-hitter in Ka Makani’s 12-1 win over Honokaa.
The baseball game ended after four and a half innings because of the Big Island Interscholastic Federation’s 10-run mercy rule.
Inglis’s only mistake came in the top of the fifth, when Robert Abran hit a towering solo home run to left to account for Honokaa’s lone run.
At that point, HPA’s offense had given Inglis all the support he needed, collecting 13 hits off junior Austin Jardine, who like Inglis made his first start on the mound.
Ryan Rice continued his torrid hitting, going 3-for-3 with three RBIs. Lii Purdy, who also went 3-for-3, and DJ Sekiya each had two RBIs while Koa Ellis and Mike Nakahara added two hits apiece for HPA (1-0 BIIF, 2-0 overall).
All the while, Inglis thrived with a sharp curveball that Honokaa (0-1 BIIF, 0-2 overall) had trouble squaring up.
“It had a nice 12 to 6 break,’’ said Inglis, who struck out six and walked one in an efficient 66-pitch performance.
Inglis got into trouble just once in the game, giving up back-to-back singles to Abran and Jon Charbonneau with two outs in the top of the second. He then leaned on his curveball against Keahi Esquerra, inducing a pop-up to third base.
“I think we have to go back to the drawing board and start working on (hitting) curveballs,’’ Honokaa coach Matt Charbonneau said.
Most everything HPA hit against Jardine found an open patch of grass. The Dragon junior struck out two batters, walked none and hit one.
Ka Makani batters fared particularly well hitting behind in the count, getting three of their five hits in a five-run second inning with two strikes. They didn’t try to do too much, content with lining the ball up the middle or taking pitches to the opposite field.
Purdy’s first two hits came with two strikes, and both plated Rice. The first gave Ka Makani a 3-0 lead in the first, and the second gave HPA an 8-0 lead in the second.
“They were shortening up with two strikes and just trying to make contact,’’ HPA coach Jordan Hayslip said.
Rice hasn’t spent much time shortening up on the bat this season. In two games, he has gone 6-for-6 with two home runs, a triple and eight RBIs.
“He’s just hitting line drives and getting his weight behind the ball,’’ Inglis said. “I hope it keeps up.’’
Inglis’s complete game came on the heels of Sekiya’s three-hit shutout against Hilo on Saturday.
Last season, Ka Makani relied on the senior trio of Jayse Bannister, Holden Pattengill and Kai Fink. Now a group of sophomores that includes Ellis has finally received an opportunity to make its mark.
“It’s young guys that are stepping up and deciding it’s their turn,’’ Hayslip said.
Honokaa 000 00 — 1 3 5
Hawaii Prep 350 4x — 12 13 0
• Waiakea 10, Pahoa 0: Aaron Nishimura threw 3 2/3 scoreless innings, Bryce Felipe got an out and Alika Guillero pitched an inning to help the defending BIIF and state champion open its season.
Trevor Shimokusu batted 2 for 4 and scored two runs, Kean Wong was 1 for 3 with an RBI, Taylor Mondina 2 for 3 with two RBIs and Chase Komatsu 1 for 2 with two RBIs for Waiakea (0-0 BIIF, 1-0 overall).
Mark Gouveia took the loss for the Division II Daggers (0-1 BIIF, 0-2 overall).
• Hilo 2, Kamehameha 0: Kian Kurokawa, Jordan Tagawa, Conrad Kauffman and Kody Kaniho combined on an eight-hitter for the Vikings (0-1 BIIF, 1-1 overall). Kurokawa scattered seven hits through five innings and walked none. Tagawa pitched a scoreless innings, Kauffman got two outs and Kaniho the final out.
Jodd Carter scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-0 in the fourth inning. He had two hits and Tyler Higa-Gonsavles had an RBI single in the third.
Chay Toson pitched five innings in the loss for the Warriors (1-0, 1-1). Bronson Pulgados had two hits to lead Kamehamehama.