BIIF baseball: Waveriders pitcher flashes in fine debut

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He won’t have a five-run lead before he takes the mound in every start, but Eli Lai didn’t nudge a bit in his Kealakehe debut.

He won’t have a five-run lead before he takes the mound in every start, but Eli Lai didn’t nudge a bit in his Kealakehe debut.

Lai, a transfer from Mililani, pitched five shutout innings with eight strikeouts Thursday as the Waveriders beat Hawaii Prep 5-1 in what was the BIIF season-opener for both teams in Waimea.

The first seven batters reached in the top of the first for Kealakehe. The first two hitters walked and came home on Toby Estrella’s single to left. Tupu Toafili hit an RBI double and Isaac Kaku followed with a run-scoring single.

Lai allowed just three hits and walked a batter, and Hunter Cuaresma finished with two hits for the Waveriders.

Sheldon Aribal took the loss for Ka Makani before Finn Richmond came on with a stint of scoreless relief. HPA scored its run in the fifth when Richmond singled, stole second and scored on Aribal’s hit to right.

Kamehameha 22, Pahoa 0

Kyran Kai doubled and tripled as the visiting Warriors picked up 15 hits in a four-inning TKO.

Jai Cabatbat was 2 for 3 with a double and two RBIs and Bula Ahuna also had a triple for Kamehameha (2-0).

Braeden Coloma (five strikeouts) and Ahuna (six) each tossed two scoreless innings.

Justin Castro took the loss for the Daggers, pitching 1 1/3 innings.

Konawaena 17, Kohala 2

On opening day in Kapaau, Kolu Alani went 4 for 4 with two doubles and a triple, driving in four runs and scoring twice in a four-inning TKO.

Kaiya Leleiwi also had four RBIs with two doubles, scoring three runs. Boaz Ayers pitched two innings of scoreless relief along with collecting two singles.

Tristan DeAguiar started for Konawaena and pitched an inning, yielding a two-run single to Steven Medeiros. Medeiros pitched an inning and took the loss.