KEAAU – Fundamentally solid as is its tradition, Kamehameha did what it needed to do on a breezy Saturday afternoon to turn away Hawaii Prep Academy 3-0 to secure a two-game sweep of the best-of-three BIIF Division II semifinal behind
KEAAU – Fundamentally solid as is its tradition, Kamehameha did what it needed to do on a breezy Saturday afternoon to turn away Hawaii Prep Academy 3-0 to secure a two-game sweep of the best-of-three BIIF Division II semifinal behind a combined one-hitter.
“We played good enough to win, but they pushed us all the way,” said Kamehameha (15-1) coach Andy Correa. “We would get something going on the bases and they’d turn a double play to get out of it. They gave us a battle.”
It was close, but after the bottom of the Warriors order strung together three straight base hits in the second for a 2-0 lead, starting pitcher Tai Atkins and reliever Justice Ishii kept HPA (7-9), off the scoreboard.
Kamehameha, visitors on their home field in the second game of the playoff series, started things off with three ground ball outs and appeared headed for the same result in the second inning with two more infield outs, then right fielder Kyron Kai singled to right, advanced to third on a double to right by designated hitter Brandyn Lee-Lehano and they both came around to score when first baseman Kobie Kinzie tripled to deep left-center.
It turned out that was all they needed, but catcher DallasJ Duarte singled in an insurance run in the seventh.
“I’m proud of the way we battled out there,” said Ka Makani coach Jordan Hayslip, “but let’s face it, that’s a complete team over there, they can hit, they pitch and they can catch it. They’re pretty tough to beat, you have to be at your best and hope they aren’t.”
Atkins went the first five innings and allowed the only HPA hit, a single by shortstop Finn Richmond in the fourth inning, but that was erased on a 1-6-3 double play to snuff out the threat.
Along the way Atkins stayed in something close to complete control, striking out eight while issuing just one base on balls. Ishii was just as effective, facing just seven batters over the final two innings, with a walk and a strikeout.
“I would say it was an average effort, but most of it was my catcher (Duarte), who was giving me good looks and keeping me on my game,” Atkins said. “We changed speeds a lot and that seemed to help.”
Jonah Hurney went the distance for HPA, scattering six hits, with three walks and two strikeouts.
Between them, Duarte and Atkins did much of the damage for Kamehameha, with Duarte collecting the key RBI in the top of the seventh that made the hill just that much steeper for HPA to climb. In his previous plate appearance in the fifth, Duarte laid down a well-placed bunt that put him on base but that uprising ended with one of three Ka Makani double plays.
“I tried to bunt again, but I couldn’t execute it,” Duarte said. “When I got the sign to hit away, I was looking for a fastball but I got a breaking ball and coach always says to sit on the breaking pitch, and I was able to do that.”
After two shutouts (7-0 Friday), it might be natural for the Warriors to look toward their fifth consecutive BIIF Division II championship, but if so, they were keeping it to themselves heading into a championship series against Konawaena that starts Friday.
“We just have to wait and see what happens next,” Correa said. “We go into every game expecting it to be tough, to be a challenge and it was today.”
Duarte was singing the same song.
“As long as we work together, as long as we continue to pick each other up, we’ll have a chance,” he said. “Communication is the key for us, playing together is how we win.”
The communication was loud and clear Saturday.
Kamehameha 020 000 1 – 3 6 0
HPA 000 000 0 – 0 1 2
