KEAAU – Kamehameha’s Brandyn Lee-Lehano wasn’t necessarily trying to send a message to Konawaena, but a seemingly meaningless game was from it for the right-hander.
KEAAU – Kamehameha’s Brandyn Lee-Lehano wasn’t necessarily trying to send a message to Konawaena, but a seemingly meaningless game was from it for the right-hander.
On his senior day, Lee-Lehano delivered a two-hit shutout and the Warriors earned a 10-0 TKO victory against the Wildcats, a team they will see again if the seeds hold in the BIIF Division II baseball playoffs.
“I definitely wanted to go out with a bang,” said Lee-Lehano, who struck out four and walked two in six innings.
The Warriors (13-1) got started right away against pitchers AJ Allred, who pitched on inning, and Boaz Ayers (two).
Kamehameha used a hit batter, a walk and Makana Aiona’s run-scoring single to score three times in the first inning, Daylen Calicdan hit a two-run double in the second inning and DallasJ Duarte hit a two-run single in the third inning.
“We still try to come here and compete,” Lee-Lehano said. “Every game is important to us. We’re not trying to give away any games.”
With an automatic berth to the HHSAA tournament in tow, the Warriors will host Hawaii Prep (7-7) in a best-of-three semifinal series that starts Friday.
“We’re good because we’re coming together as a family, but we still have a lot to work on,” Lee-Lehano said.
Heading in to its home semifinal series against Honokaa, Konawaena coach Adam Tabieros treated the finale as a tuneup, using four pitchers. Andrew Udac worked two scoreless innings, but Kamehameha scored three runs in the sixth against Logan Canda to end the game.
Duarte finished it with a single, going 3 for 4 with two runs scored and three RBIs. Aiona went 2 for 3.
“Meaningless game, but we wanted to get the people who weren’t playing a whole lot more playing time,” Tabieros said. “Just come here and have fun and enjoy the game all over.”
Pitching figures to take center stage in the series between the second-seeded Wildcats (9-5) and Dragons (7-6). Konawaena swept the season series, defeating two of Honokaa’s top pitchers, Caden Perreira and Jonathan Charbonneau.
“We always come in with a plan,” Tabieros said.
Konawaena 000 000 — 0 2 2
Kamehameha 322 003 — 10 7 1
Keaau 5, Kealakehe 1, first game
Kealakehe 9, Keaau 8, second game
Pulama Louis cracked a three-run homer and pitched the final 2 2/3 innings as the Waveriders salvaged a split of their road doubleheader.
In the opener, Keian Kanetani pitched seven solid innings as the Cougars (4-8) secured the third seed in the Division I playoffs. Keaau starts a best-of-three semifinal series Friday at Hilo, while the Waveriders (2-10) do the same at Waiakea.
Kanetani hit an RBI double and Anson Kauwe went 3 for 4 with an RBI and three runs scored.
Toby Estrella pitched five innings in defeat and Louis was 2 for 3, including a run-scoring triple.
Kealakehe ended a 10-game losing streak in the second game, as Louis batted 2 for 3 with four RBIs, and Markus Degrate added two hits for the Waveriders.
Makana Kaluau pitched 4 1/3 innings for the win. Louis allowed an unearned run on three hits and two walks.
Kauwe pitched two innings in the loss. Edward Oguma followed with four innings, and Chris Mamone closed with an inning.
Bronson Castro batted 2 for 3 with an RBI to lead the Cougars.
First game
Keaau 220 100 0 – 5 8 1
Kealakehe 100 000 0 – 1 4 2
Second game
Kealakehe 320 301 0 — 9 8 4
Keaau 112 030 1 — 8 8 1
Hawaii Prep 11, Pahoa 1: Kanai Gaughen batted 2 for 2 with two RBIs and Finn Richmond and Sheldon Aribal each went 2 for 3 to lead Ka Makani (7-7).
Aribal pitched four innings of one-run ball for the win. Tristan Sienkiewicz finished with a scoreless frame.
Julian Beimler went the distance in the loss for the Daggers (0-13).
Kelton Conortan batted 2 for 2 for Pahoa, which had five hits.
Pahoa 010 00 — 1 5 4
Hawaii Prep 405 2x — 11 8 0