The Big Island Interscholastic Federation (BIIF) baseball and softball season continued over the weekend with a wrap-up of regular-season matchups. Baseball island playoffs begin today, while the softball tournaments start Tuesday.
See the paper all week for coverage.
Waiakea 12, Kona 0
Waiakea softball officially swept the season series against Konawaena on Saturday afternoon, blanking the Lady Wildcats 12-0. The game was called after six innings due to the run rule. It was the fifth time Waiakea has won by the run rule this season.
Previously, the winners beat the green and white 12-2 on March 22.
Kaitlyn Miura had herself a day on the diamond, collecting three hits and seven RBI, including a home run. She also was named the game’s pitcher — allowing two hits and no runs while striking out 10.
Miura leads her team in innings pitched (23.0), wins (three) and strikeouts (38). She is posting a 1.83 ERA.
Miura’s teammate, Kaelyn Sewake, added three hits — including a triple. Sewake leads the Lady Warriors in hits (14), doubles (six) and RBI (17). Teammates Lexi Santiago and Meghan Spencer logged two hits each, while Tehani Chinen, Jayda Kaimi and Kamberlyn Kelekoma rounded out the rest of Waiakea’s base hits with one each.
Leilani LeBrun-Ward and Milinda Garcia produced Kona’s only two hits with one each. LeBrun-Ward was also the Lady Wildcats’ sole pitcher in the circle.
The Lady Warriors concluded the regular season at 6-2, while Kona ended at 0-8.
Waiakea will be a No. 2 seed in the BIIF DI tournament, slated to play No. 3 Kealakehe in Game 1 of a best-of-three semifinal series on Tuesday in Hilo. The Lady Warriors have gotten the best of the Lady Waveriders this season, going 2-0.
The Lady Wildcats’ season has officially ended, missing the playoff cutoff.
Kealakehe 7,
Kea‘au 5
After dropping the previous five games, Kealakehe baseball got back on track after a 7-5 win over Kea‘au on Saturday morning on the windward side of the island. It was the winning Waveriders’ second win against the Cougars this season, improving to 2-8 overall. Kea‘au dropped to a winless 0-9.
Kealakehe scored two runs in the opening inning and five in the sixth to seal the deal. Rome Joaquin, Kaden Telles and Zakai Kramer led the ‘Riders with one hit each. Joaquin was the game’s winning pitcher on the mound, allowing two hits and two runs while striking out six across 75 pitches (4.0 innings). Drake Kennedy closed for Kealakehe.
For the Cougars, Scott Ebesuno-Tahara, John Ramos, Koen Kaeo, Victor Fernandez and Blair Grotkin with one hit each.
Ebesuno-Tahara, Rupert Gomes-Cabral and Elson Kalawe all shared time on the mound for Kea‘au.
Both teams missed the island playoff cutoff, and their seasons are offically over.
Waiakea 11,
Kona 0
Waiakea baseball got its second win of the year after an 11-0 run rule of Konawaena on Saturday morning in Hilo town. The game ended after five innings.
The Warriors leveled up to 4-3 on the season, while the Wildcats fell to a .500 record of 5-5.
It was hits galore for Waiakea, who out-hit Kona with 15 base hits to three. Tycen Baruela posted a game-high four hits, while teammates Teysen Tamiya, Ivor Brooks, Boston Kobayashi and Conor Wallace logged two each. Jesse Inouye, Clemson Julian and Jerrell Alston rounded out the rest of the Warriors’ hits with one apiece.
Logan Doran was the Waiakea’s game-winning pitcher, allowing just two hits and no runs while striking out seven.
Hayden Nishida, Makani White and Aycen Blanco produced all of the Wildcats’ hits with one each. Koa Nakagawa and Stephen Amafala-Marquard pitched on the mound for the green and white.
The Warriors will be the No. 3 seed in the BIIF DI tournament, set to take on second-seeded Hilo in Game 1 at 3 p.m. this afternoon in Hilo town. Waiakea is 0-2 against the Vikings this season.
Kona will be the No. 4 seed in the same tournament, set to take on No. 1 KSH at 3 p.m. this afternoon in Kea‘au for Game 1 of the semifinals. The Wildcats are 0-2 against the Warriors this season.
Kealakehe 12, Kea‘au 2
Kealakehe softball ended its regular season on a high note with a 12-2 rout of Kea‘au on Saturday in Kea‘au Village. The Lady Waveriders improved to 4-4, while the Lady Cougars fell to 2-6. It was the second time this season that Kealakehe was victorious over Kea‘au.
The game was called after five innings due to the run rule. The Lady ‘Riders posted 12 hits to the Lady Cougars’ three.
Rhianna Joaquin and Emalia Emmsley were the stars for Kealakehe, combining for four hits and two homers. Teammates Saige Telles, Zuleika Isisaki and Jaida Valeho each added two hits, while Freeda Tosie and Katherine Keizer had one apiece for the Lady ‘Riders.
Emmsley was Kealakehe’s long pitcher in the circle, allowing just two hits while striking out seven. Emmsley leads her team in innings pitched (40.0), wins (three) and strikeouts (43) while holding a 2.98 ERA.
Reyna Pettypool, Tiani Kaupu and Makayla Valencia produced all three hits for Kea‘au with one each. Kaupu and Leila Chapman were the two pitchers in the circle for the Lady Cougars.
While the Lady ‘Riders will play Waiakea in the island semifinals this week, Kea‘au will be a No. 4 seed in the BIIF DI tournament — set to play unbeaten first-seeded Hilo at 3 p.m. Tuesday on the road. The Lady Cougars are 0-2 against the Vik Queens in 2025.
KSH 9, Hilo 2
KSH baseball concluded its regular-season slate with a 9-2 victory over Hilo on Friday in Kea‘au, winning its fifth straight.
The Warriors also won the season series over the Vikings — 2-0.
KSH edged Hilo in hits 7-6. Shiloh Santos led the winners with two hits, while teammates Braden Gomes, Noah Palea, Kamaka Ili, Iokepa Martines and Kanai Nettrour each had one hit.
Dayton Hanson, Hunter Yamamoto and Kailoa Nobriga each spent time on the mound for the Warriors. Hanson was awarded the win.
Barden Oda led the Vikings in hits with two, while Hunter Pangelinan, Zayvin Fujoka, Brennan Woods and Talus Soto each had one.
Hilo had a surplus of pitchers on the mound, including Oda, Jaydon Geraci, Tyson Santiago, Kamren Agpalza, Ghage Daquep, Axel Akau and Logan Schlueter.
The Warriors elevated to 9-1, while the Vikings fell to 7-3.
KSH will serve as the first seed in the DI tournament, and will face Kona this week in the semifinals. Hilo is the second seed, and will take on local rival Waiakea this week.
Cowgirls, Lady
Warriors split
doubleheader
Kamehameha-Hawaii and Kohala softball split Friday’s doubleheader in Kea‘au. The Cowgirls finished their regular season slate 7-1 overall, while the Lady Warriors concluded at 5-3. Both teams will await the island playoffs.
In the first matchup of the afternoon, KSH trailed 13-6 after five innings, but rallied eight runs across the final two frames to win 14-13. The winning Lady Warriors posted 12 hits, while Kohala had 13. The Cowgirls also committed 13 errors to KSH’s three.
Lady Warrior Kealohi Ili finished with a team-high three hits, while teammates Layla Masaoka, Kaohinani Christensen and Caroline Newman logged two each. KSH also had Alaula Awong, Kaililia Thompson-Ua and Kaila Garrett each record one hit apiece.
Masaoka and Olaa Brown were the Lady Warriors’ two pitchers in the circle.
Kohala was spearheaded by Kalia Marquez, who finished with three hits and four RBI. Faith Alejandro-Cazimero and Mele Cazimero additionally had two hits each for the Cowgirls. Teammates Kailani Valenzuela-Conte, Mahea Pang, Maile Karratti, Loryn Rose-Carvalho, Saydee Kawai and Sydnie Marquez had one hit apiece.
Kalia Marquez was Kohala’s long pitcher in the circle.
In the second matchup, the Cowgirls got their get-back with a 16-5 win. Both teams logged seven hits and committed three errors.
Marquez finished with two hits and three RBI, including a home run. Karratti also blasted a home run. Pang added three hits, while Carvalho had one.
Marquez additionally redeemed herself in the circle, getting the win after striking out six batters.
Ili homered for the Lady Warriors, while Masaoka added two hits. Awong, Christensen and Mya Domingo-Bautista each had one hit. Awong and Masaoka both pitched for KSH.
Kohala officially clinched a No. 1 seed in the upcoming BIIF tournament with the win. The Cowgirls have scored an outstanding 158 runs across their eight games this season. They’ll take on No. 4 Pahoa in Game 1 of the BIIF DII semifinals at 3 p.m. Tuesday in Kapa‘au. Kohala is 2-0 against the Lady Daggers this season.
KSH will serve as the second seed in the BIIF DII field, and will take on No. 3 Honoka‘a at 3 p.m. Tuesday in Kea‘au for Game 1 of the island semis. The Lady Warriors are 2-0 against the Lady Dragons in 2025.
Other games
The paper was unable to obtain the following results by deadline. If any readers have official scores, please email clangs@westhawaiitoday.com:
• 4/19 Kohala baseball at Ka‘u
