A grand moment ADVERTISING A grand moment We were in attendance for all 11 games of the Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division II Baseball Championships played May 5-7 at Wong Stadium to support Kamehameha Schools-Hawaii and Konawaena of the
A grand moment
We were in attendance for all 11 games of the Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division II Baseball Championships played May 5-7 at Wong Stadium to support Kamehameha Schools-Hawaii and Konawaena of the Big Island Interscholastic Federation.
The ninth annual three-day event also featured Kapolei, Radford and Kalaheo of the Oahu Interscholastic Association; Kauai of the Kauai Interscholastic Federation; Molokai of the Maui Interscholastic League; and St. Francis of the Interscholastic League of Honolulu.
Some close contests and several one-sided scores pretty much kept the fans entertained, including the battle for the tournament title between eventual champion KS-Hawaii and Kapolei. In fact, the 2,400-seat grandstand drew large crowds each day. Even a strong contingent of fans from the six Neighbor Island schools helped fill the place to near capacity the final two nights.
Hats off to KS-Hawaii coach Andy Correa and his staff and players for winning the school’s first championship crown in Division II play in what will go down as a nail-biting, come-from-behind victory. The Warriors displayed toughness and confidence in their quest for the title.
We only wish the whole place could have heard and witnessed what took place following the game after Kapolei lost by a 5-4 margin in eight innings.
One of the Kapolei players, the team’s third baseman, dropped what would have been the third out in the seventh frame. It resulted in the run that tied the game at 4-all. The youngster just couldn’t control himself. He had to be restrained by one of the team’s coaches from the field to the dugout.
But something better followed. Kapolei’s catcher, senior Mykah Kuratani, named to the all-tournament team, was in tears and emotional on the field under the watchful eyes of his dad, who walked down to the rail above the third-base side of the Kapolei dugout, right next to where we were seated. He twice called his son in from the field to try and console him, which we believe he did.
Without a single talk-back remark, and looking up at his dad, the youngster just nodded when the elder Kuratani told him, “Mykah, it’s over. You have to forget it, son. There is nothing more. You had a good season, and the team did very well. I love you Mykah.”
When we heard these comments, we told the boy’s father how much we admired him for his comforting remarks, and also to his son, who just stood there in tears and swallowed it all in style.
This had to be one of the highlights of our being there. We just hope that, should an incident like this be repeated at any of our youth events here, the result will duplicate the one we witnessed.
Andy Baclig
Hilo
