KEAAU — Timely hitting is always a welcome relief when there’s a good pitchers’ duel going on and base hits are sparse.
KEAAU — Timely hitting is always a welcome relief when there’s a good pitchers’ duel going on and base hits are sparse.
Keaau right-hander Keian Kanetani and Kohala right-hander Austin Salvador-Racoma each pitched a two-hitter.
But Kanetani’s Cougars prevailed 3-1 over the Cowboys in a BIIF season-opening game on Saturday, producing their two hits at the right time.
The Cougars scored all their runs in the second inning on Chris Mamone’s RBI double and Elgin Santos’ two-run double.
In the third, Kohala’s No. 9 hitter Dreg’n Roque-Lewis walked and later scored on Kainalu Emeliano-Solomon’s double-play groundout, getting a run but negating an RBI.
Chance Pang, the other Cowboy basketball player besides Emeliano-Solomon, was the only one to pair hits. Pang went 2 for 3.
In seven innings, Kanetani allowed an unearned run on two hits and five walks. He struck out seven and threw 111 pitches.
Salvador-Racoma went six innings and gave up three runs on two hits and five walks. He whiffed two.
Last year, Keaau had its best season since joining the varsity in 2002, reaching the BIIF championship for the first time. However, Hilo swept the Cougars in the best-of-three series.
The Cougars graduated No. 2 starter Justin Quesada as well as Derek Kalani, Byron Cachola, and Dathan Wong Chong. Kalani was an All-BIIF first team pick, and the rest received honorable mention.
The good news for the Cougars is that they’re already in the four-team BIIF Division I playoffs. There’s Hilo, Waiakea, and Kealakehe, a team Keaau swept in the semifinals.
“Right now, we have one starter, and that’s Keian,” Keaau coach Herb Yasuhara said. “He can’t go every game, so we have to find three or four other guys.”
The No. 2 starter candidates are junior Anson Kauwe, who played shortstop (Kanetani’s position when he’s not pitching) and sophomore center fielder Bronson Pili.
Besides Kanetani and Kauwe, the other returning starters are first baseman Erik Arnold, second baseball Elgin Santos, third baseman Riley Costa and Delvin Ongais-Kilaulani, who’s at catcher.
In the outfield, Pili is flanked by freshman right fielder Ed Oguma and sophomore Mamone. All were on the junior varsity last season.
“The team has a lot of energy,” Yasuhara said. “Basically, they’re all good people and take care of each other. The goal is to get to states.”
While Keaau has never reached states, Kohala made its only appearance at the HHSAA tournament in 2008, the first year of statewide classification for baseball.
Back then, the BIIF had four teams: Honokaa, Konawaena, Hawaii Prep and Kohala in the Division II state 12-team field. (The tourney is an eight-team field now.)
Last year, Kohala was swept by BIIF runner-up Konawaena in semifinals.
Kamehameha is the four-time defending BIIF D-II champion and a strong favorite, which means it’ll be a dogfight for likely one state berth.
Kohala first-year coach Vern Karratti has a deep pitching staff with seniors Salvador-Racoma, Joey Salvador, Pang, Emeliano-Solomon, juniors Steven Medeiros and Tate Fernandez, sophomore Roque-Lewis, and freshmen Kaimi Hook, Mason Medeiros, and Ray Raymond.
Salvador had one of the most memorable performances last year when he fired a five-hitter and Kohala beat Hilo 5-2 for the first time since 2006.
Kohala’s four senior captains are shortstop Pang, catcher Emeliano-Solomon, center fielder Jayven Amanonce, and Salvador-Racoma, also an infielder.
“They all push the team and lead by example,” Karratti said. “Chance has a good attitude. He’s self-motivated and a good athlete. He gets things done and makes my job easier.
“The whole team has a got a fire and drive in them. We want to make the playoffs and go to states. For our first game of the season, it was a good game, and we got off to a good start.”
Kohala 001 000 0 — 1 2 1
Keaau 030 000 x — 3 2 2
Kealakehe 3, Pahoa 1: Toby Estrella hit a three-run double in the sixth and the Waveriders rallied to start their 2016 road odyssey with a victory.
With construction going on at its school field, Kealakehe is playing all its games on the road this season. The Waveriders were the “home” team at the Daggers’ field.
Pahoa coach Scott Salfen knows the drill. For three years, the Daggers played road games exclusively until construction on their field was finished.
“I feel for them,” Salfen said.
KT Abraham was credited with the victory, working three innings of relief after Markus Degrate started and went three. Makana Kaluau earned the save.
Zach Knoll pitched five strong innings for the Daggers, striking out two. Joaquin Ridgway provided the offense for Pahoa (0-2) with a solo home run in the seventh in which he hit the ball over the center fielder’s head and motored around the bases.
Salfen’s favorite number of the game was the zero errors his team created.
“If we make all the little plays, and the pitchers keep their location in all the right spots, we should keep scores down,” he said. “If we can do that and get some timely hitting, we can be competitive in every game.”
Pahoa 000 000 1 – 1 4 0
Kealakehe 000 003 x – 3 4 1
Hilo 12, Hawaii Prep 0: The bottom of the order was productive at Wong Stadium as No. 8 hitter Stone Miyao batted 2 for 2 with three RBIs and No. 9 batter Boston Carbaloc-Abiley had two RBIs to lead the Vikings, who won in a five-inning TKO game.
Josiah Factora batted 2 for 2 and scored four runs while Ryan Ragual and Eric Riveira each added two RBIs to back winning pitcher Noah Kalaola-Richardson, who pitched three scoreless innings. Brett Komatsu polished off the final two innings with two strikeouts.
Jonah Hurley was one of four Ka Makani pitchers, each throwing one inning, and he took the loss.The others were Kaito Lida, Tristan Sienkiewicz, and Sheldon Aribal.
Hurley and Lida each had two hits for HPA (0-2).
HPA 000 00 – 0 6 2
Hilo 443 1 x – 12 8 0
Waiakea 10, Honokaa 0: David Nakamura and Jamison Hirayama combined on a five-inning TKO no-hitter at the Dragons field. Nakamura struck out eight in four innings, and Hirayama finished the fifth with a strikeout.
Shaun Kurosawa had three hits and Trayden Tamiya added two hits for the Warriors.
Reporting scores
Host schools for baseball and softball are asked to report scores and visitors are welcome to report as well by phone: 930-7335 or email: sports@hawaiitribune-herald or fax: 961-3680.
Teams should report linescore, names of winning and losing pitchers with stats and batters with two hits and two RBIs or more.
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