HONOKAA — The Honokaa High School varsity baseball team won its final regular season BIIF Division II game, defeating Kohala High School 6-0.
The game was a defensive struggle, with no runs until the bottom fourth.
“Kohala hung around for a long time,” HHS head coach Devin Joaquin said. “Their pitcher (Hezekiah Wilson) kept us off balance.”
The Cowboys out-hit the Dragons 2-1 during the first three innings as their pitchers battled. Wilson struck out three and allowed no runs on a hit, two walks and two HBPs. Josyah Umeda pitched those first three innings for Honokaa, and struck out seven of 12 batters faced while allowing the two hits and no walks.
“(Kohala) was a well-coached team,” coach Joaquin said. “They came out wanting to battle.”
Aiden Joaquin relieved Umeda from the mound in the top fourth. Joaquin fanned the leadoff, walked the two-hole, punched out the next batter and fanned the four-hole.
Ha‘o Kanekoa led off the bottom fourth with a single, then Umeda walked. The pair advanced on a passed ball in the next at-bat before Wilson sent the batter down swinging. The next pitch was wild, allowing Kanekoa to put up the outing’s first run. The batter grounded out, and the next flew out to strand Umeda on third.
Joaquin continued to rack up K’s in the top fifth. The leadoff was put out at first following a dropped third strike, then Joaquin fanned the next two.
The bottom frame saw the Dragons put distance in front of the Cowboys, scoring four runs. Joaquin walked, then stole second and reached third on Kinohi Lindsey’s single. Isaac Dergeo singled on a center-field line drive to bat Joaquin in, but Wilson whiffed the next two batters. Umeda hit a first-pitch line drive single to right field, batting in Lindsey and Derego. Umeda stole second, then CJ Sanchez sent him home with another right-field line drive single. After Gabe Key walked, Wilson punched out the next batter to end the frame.
A flyout and two more putouts at first on dropped third strikes kept Kohala off the board in the top sixth.
Joaquin notched another successful leadoff appearance by singling on a groundball — then after Wilson fanned a batter, Derego doubled to send Joaquin across the plate for the game’s final run.
He‘olu Bertelmann-Makanani took the mound in the top seventh and whiffed the leadoff. The two-hole flew out, then Skyler Caravalho walked — but was stranded by a groundout.
Derego went three-for-three with a walk to score a run and bat two in, leading Honokaa in the box.
On the hill, Joaquin allowed no hits and two walks, striking out eight of 11 batters faced.
Easton Hoshida went two-for-three to lead the Cowboys at the plate, doubling once.
The Dragons stand at No.3 in Division II — behind Konawaena High School and Kamehameha Schools Hawaii, who are tied for first and will face off today for the first time this season. Unless the standings shift HHS out of No.3, it will enter next week’s season in the No.3 seed — and play a three-game series against the No.2 seed in the semifinals.
“Defensively, we’re doing okay,” coach Joaquin said. “We just need to come out hot early. It’s been a great season, and it’s unfortunate it’s going to end soon — but I’m looking forward to the playoffs.”
Honokaa’s final regular season outing will be its senior game at 1 p.m. on Saturday, a non-division match against Kea‘au High School.
Kohala will cap off its season with a division play road test on Saturday afternoon at Ka‘u High School. The Cowboys stand at No.6 of the division’s seven teams, above only the Trojans. Saturday’s game will be Ka‘u’s chance to avoid finishing the season at the bottom of the division.
