It’s not that a rare dose of winning is making the game of baseball more fun for Keaau.
No, coach Herb Yasuhara said, the Cougars naturally enjoy the game this season, and winning is taking care of itself.
Keian Kanetani keyed a four-run rally in the sixth inning with his fourth hit Tuesday, and Keaau beat visiting Konawaena 6-5 in a Big Island Interscholastic Federation game.
The Cougars are 4-0 for the first time since Yasuhara fielded his initial varsity squad in 2003.
“It’s not surprising since we match up pretty good with the teams we’ve played,” Yasuhara said of wins against Division II schools Kohala, Hawaii Prep, Honokaa and the Wildcats. “These are teams we lost to in the past when we didn’t have enough weapons.”
Keaau is on spring break this week, and Yasuhara said he offered the Cougars a day off from practice on Tuesday, but he was rebuffed. Keaau plays its first Division I opponent Friday when it visits Hilo at Wong Stadium.
“They want to practice everyday,” Yasuhara said.
Keaau has never won a BIIF title or been to the HHSAA tournament.
One big difference this season, Yasuhara pointed out, was the energy brought to the team by young assistants TJ Yasuhara, RT Ebesu and Jensen Sato, each of whom is a former college ballplayer.
“What they bring to the table is that they are able to demonstrate more,” Yasuhara said. “Better than the old guys.”
Konawaena (1-3) has tormented Keaau in recent years, but the Wildcats lost their third straight after pushing across three runs in the top half of the sixth to take a 5-2 lead.
Konawaena starter Steven Texeira was solid through five innings, but he faltered in the sixth as his pitch count grew.
The Cougars loaded the bases on two walks and a Byron Cachola single. Anson Kauwe and Riley Costa walked to draw Keaau within 5-4, Kanetani’s single tied the game and Justin Quesada’s sacrifice fly put the Cougars ahead.
“They were having a hard time getting it over, so we were taking the first strike,” Yasuhara said. “In the past our pitchers had a hard time getting it over, but now they’re battling.
“At the plate, the kids are buying in more with the two-strike swing. In the past, it was three pitches and sit down.”
Kanetani got the win in relief of Quesada, allowing three runs – two earned – on three hits and a walk with two strikeouts. In five innings, Quesada struck out five and walked three, yielding four hits and two runs.
Kolu Alani was 3 for 3 for Konawaena with two RBIs, including a run-scoring single in the sixth. But he also took the loss in relief of Texeira, who threw 90 pitches and gave up five runs on 10 hits and five walks with three strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.
Skye Suzuki’s RBI single put Konawaena ahead 2-1 in the second, but Kanetani’s run-scoring single in the fifth tied the score.
Cachola finished with two hits and two runs scored.
Konawaena 011 003 0 – 5 7 0
Keaau 101 014 x – 6 11 1
• Kamehameha 8, Kealakehe 3: Daylen Calicdan pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings in relief, and Kobi Candaroma batted 2 for 4 with two RBIs as the Warriors (3-0) made their BIIF debut at their astroturf Kameeiamoku Field.
Candaroma and freshman DallasJ Duarte each followed with a scoreless inning. Reese Mondina started and went 1 1/3 innings and allowed three runs. Duarte also batted 2 for 4 with an RBI.
Keoki Meyers went four innings and allowed seven runs (four unearned) in the loss for the Waveriders (1-2).
Pohaku Dela Cruz batted 2 for 4 to lead Kealakehe.
Kealakehe 030 000 0 — 3 6 3
Kamehameha 131 210 x — 8 9 3
• Hilo 4, Honokaa 3: RJ Ragual hit two doubles and Noah Higa-Gonsalves was 2 for 3 as the Vikings won at Wong Stadium to even their record at 2-2.
Joey Jarneski pitched 1 2/3 innings of relief to get the win.
Jeremy Charbonneau had two hits for the Dragons (0-4).
Caden Perreira took the loss, working 6 1/3 innings.
