Tribune-Herald Tribune-Herald ADVERTISING The attitude was business as usual, but Waiakea coach Kevin Yee said his baseball team still went through a feeling-out process in its Hawaii High School Athletic Association tournament opener. Once the Warriors got going, however, they
Tribune-Herald
The attitude was business as usual, but Waiakea coach Kevin Yee said his baseball team still went through a feeling-out process in its Hawaii High School Athletic Association tournament opener.
Once the Warriors got going, however, they had all the appearances of a team that looked ready to try and defend its state Division I championship.
Kean Wong collected three hits Wednesday and Kodi Medeiros and Aaron Nishiura each doubled to ignite an avalanche of offense in back of Alika Guillermo as the Warriors clubbed Leilehua 14-3 at Iron Maehara Stadium on Maui.
“We made the adjustments that we needed to make,” Yee said after Waiakea (9-4) broke open a scoreless game with three runs apiece in the fourth through six innings, then added five in the seventh.
Wong, a senior, scored three runs and belted a triple and freshman Caleb Freitas-Fields finished with two hits and four RBIs.
Coming off an 11-inning loss to Hilo on Sunday in the Big Island Interscholastic Federation championship game in which Yee had to use both Medeiros and Freitas-Fields on the mound, Guillermo gave the Warriors’ pitching staff a lift with six solid innings.
“We actually really needed that,” Yee said. “It’s a gamble when you don’t throw your supposed Nos. 1-2 guys.
“We thought Alika matched up well with Leilehua, threw strikes and got us through the game.”
Guillermo’s 69-pitch performance — the senior walked one and allowed five hits and three runs with a strikeout — allowed Yee to save junior ace left-hander Medeiros until today’s 2 p.m. quarterfinals, where the Warriors will face second-seeded Mid-Pacific (10-2), the Interscholastic League of Honolulu champion.
Losing pitcher Cody Academa held Waiakea in check early on for the Mules (6-11), the Oahu Interscholastic Association’s fourth-place team.
But Waiakea eventually found its feet at the plate.
“Once we scored that first run, we got it going our way,” Yee said. “That three-run fourth inning really opened the floodgates.”
Guillermo started the rally in the fourth with a single and a steal of second. Medeiros belted a double to put Waiakea ahead, and Nishiura, a senior, followed with a two-run double.
Nishiura finished with three RBIs, adding a run-scoring single in the fifth. Medeiros drove in three runs and scored three times, and Guillermo and senior Andy Filoteo each scored twice. Filoteo ended the game by making a nice diving catch in right-center field.
Freitas-Fields’ final two at-bats produced an RBI double and a two-run single.
Freshman Calvin Uemura struck out a batter with an inning of relief in the seventh.
“We’ll try to come out and be a little more aggressive against Mid-Pac,” Yee said, “and not worry about the name on the jersey.”
In an 11:30 a.m. quarterfinal today, BIIF champion Hilo (8-3) will take on Kailua (11-7). The Surfriders, the OIA’s third seed, beat Iolani 2-0.
Waiakea 000 333 5— 14 13 4
Leilehua 000 210 0 — 3 5 4
Glance
Division I
At Iron Maehara Stadium
Wailuku, Maui
Wednesday’s results
First round
Mililani 2, Waipahu 1
Waiakea 14, Leilehua 3
Kailua 2, Iolani 0
Maui 4, Pearl City 3
Today’s games
Quarterfinals
Kailua vs. No. 4 Hilo, 11:30 a.m.
Waiakea vs. No. 2 Mid-Pacific, 2 p.m.
Maui vs. No. 3 Campbell, 4:30 p.m.
Mililani vs. No. 1 Baldwin, 7 p.m.
Consolation
Waipahu vs. Iolani, 9 a.m.
Friday’s games
Semifinals
Mid-Pacific-Waiakea winner vs. Campbell-Maui winner, 4:30 p.m.
Hilo-Kailua winner vs. Baldwin-Mililani winner, 7 p.m.
Fifth-place semifinals
Hilo-Kailua loser vs. Baldwin-Mililani loser, 11:30 a.m.
Mid-Pacific-Waiakea loser vs. Campbell-Maui loser, 2 p.m.
Consolation
Leilehua vs. Pearl City, 3 p.m.
Saturday’s games
Championship game
Semifinal winners, 6 p.m.
Third-place game
Semifinal losers, 3 p.m.
Fifth-place final
Fifth-place semifinal winners, noon
Seventh-place game
Consolation winners, 9 a.m.
DIVISION II
At Hans L’Orange Field
Waipahu, Oahu
Today’s games
Quarterfinals
Kaimuki vs. No. 1 Waianae, 10 a.m.
Radford vs. No. 3 Molokai, 1 p.m.
Kamehameha-Hawaii vs. No. 4 Kapaa, 4 p.m.
Konawaena vs. No. 2 Maryknoll, 7 p.m.
Friday’s games
Semifinals
Radford-Molokai winner vs. Konawaena-Maryknoll winner, 4 p.m.
Waianae-Kaimuki winner vs. Kapaa/KS-Hawaii winner, 7 p.m.
Consolation semifinals
Waianae-Kaimuki loser vs. Kapaa/KS-Hawaii loser, 10 a.m.
Radford-Molokai loser vs. Konawaena-Maryknoll loser, 1 p.m.
Saturday’s games
Championship game
Semifinal winners, 6 p.m.
Third-place game
Semifinal losers, 3 p.m.
Consolation final
Consolation winners, noon
