Justin Pascua’s home run was deep in its own right, Honokaa baseball coach Devin Joaquin said, hitting a supply shed next to the softball field at Konawaena.
That was a mere pop fly compared to Aiden Joaquin’s blast.
Teammates can be heard “oohing” and “aahing” Wednesday on a video after the left-handed batting junior unloaded on a pitch, sending it over the softball backstop.
“Absolutely crushed it,” Devin Joaquin said.
The Dragons (4-0) have been the busiest BIIF Division II team heading into a home showdown next Thursday against eight-time BIIF champion Kamehameha, which has only played once so far, beating the Wildcats.
“They wanted to be in position to play Kamehameha for first place,” said Devin Joaquin, a first-year coach who inherited a program that hasn’t won a league title since 2008. “This is what they dreamed of. To be able to contend for first.”
The teams reconvened Wednesday in Kealakekua after playing into the fourth inning Monday before rain wiped the slate clean. Taven Hiraishi wasn’t able to pitch again for Konawaena because he surpassed the pitch limit two days earlier, Joaquin said. Honokaa took advantage by belting 13 hits in an 11-3 victory, including three apiece for the usual suspects: Aiden Joaquin and Justin Birch.
“Birch and Joaquin, more of the same,” the coach said.
They are the only two pitchers the Dragons have used this season, combining to strike out 53 batters in 25 innings.
Birch threw 60 pitches Monday and returned to work 2 2/3 innings and strike out six, allowing three hits, two runs and a walk. Joaquin struck out eight and allowed only an unearned run on three hits.
The first five batters in Honokaa’s lineup combined for 11 hits, six for extra bases. Pascua’s home run was his first and he drove in two. Ioane Ka’aekuahiwi had two hits with a double and two runs scored, Joaquin posted three RBIs and three runs scored with two doubles, Birch was 3 for 4 with two RBIs and Kinohi Lindsey finished 2 for 3 with two runs scored and a double. Jake Bannister also had two hits, including a double
For the Wildcats (0-2), Charlie Kuwada homered and was 2 for 2 with two RBIs and Maika Akamu was 2 for 3.