There’s no such thing as a stress-free game for Kamehameha baseball coach Daryl Kitagawa.
In the brutally tough Interscholastic League of Honolulu, Saturday was as close to stress-free as it gets.
Junior Aukai Kea shook off a slow start to the season with a home run and four RBIs and the third-ranked Warriors nearly matched their total runs scored over their first five games with a 12-2 victory in six innings over No. 8 Maryknoll at Central Oahu Regional Park.
Kia‘i Kawai went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and Jace Souza reached base four times and scored three runs to lead the Warriors (4-2), who had scored 13 runs entering their sixth regular-season game.
Four of their first five games were decided by one or two runs.
“It was a relief, to be honest. We had been struggling offensively,” Kitagawa said. “To put together good swings here and there and score more than we have basically all year long felt good.”
Blade Paragas, who has been battling the flu, gutted out three hitless innings to start the game.
He had a 4-0 lead when he toed the rubber for the first time as Kamehameha jumped on the Spartans (3-3) early.
Kea, who entered the game 3-for-16 with one extra-base hit, singled home two runs in a four-run first inning.
With two outs in the top of the second inning, Kea squared up a 3-2 breaking ball and hammered it over the fence in left-center for a two-run homer to push the Kamehameha lead to 6-1.
“I was just telling myself fastball adjust. He can’t beat you with the fastball, so don’t be worried about it,” said Kea, a junior who is committed to Vanderbilt. “I saw it and it happened.”
The top three batters in Kamehameha’s lineup combined to score seven runs.
Kamehameha put the game away in the top of the sixth with five runs for a 10-run lead. Matt Zarriello drew a bases-loaded walk and Dane Palimoo was hit by a pitch to force in another run.
Kawai, who doubled in the previous inning, added a two-run single for the final margin.
“We’ve been working on better approaches these past few days,” Kea said. “(Scoring) runs has been a little harsh for us these past couple of games, but we put it together this game, and it worked out.”
Greyson Osbun and Caleb Okada finished off the win on the mound for Kamehameha after Paragas left after throwing 62 pitches.
The Brigham Young commit, who is only a junior, has given up just two hits in eight innings in two starts this year. He’s stuck out seven and walked eight, with five coming against Maryknoll.
“He was actually under the weather, so we knew he was going to have a short leash,” Kitagawa said of his starter. “He gutted out three innings. Obviously he wasn’t sharp, but then again, I talk to them about just competing and being a better competitor than your talent and so he gave us what he could. I was happy for him.”
Nearing the halfway point of the season, Kamehameha stayed a game behind league-leading Saint Louis, which opened the season with a 1-0 win over the Warriors.
Maryknoll, which was held to five hits, dropped two back of the Crusaders.
JJ Noda drove in a run on a bases-loaded walk in the first inning and Allin Yap singled home the Spartans’ other run.
—
ILH
No. 3 Kamehameha 12, No. 8 Maryknoll 2, 6 inn.
W—Blade Paragas. L—Elden Villaforte.
Leading hitters—KSK: Ayda Lobetos 1-3, bb, 3 runs, 2 sb’s; Elijah Ickes 2 runs; Jace Souza 1-1, 3 bb’s, 3 runs; Aukai Kea 2-4, HR, 4 RBIs; Matt Zarriello 1-3, bb, 2 RBIs; Kiai Kawai 2-3, 2b, 3 RBIs. MS: Jake Remily 2b.
No. 1 Saint Louis 10, Pac-Five 5
W—Laakea Correa. L—DJ Kauahi II.
Leading hitters—StL: Ryder Okimoto 1-2, 2b, bb, run; Sean Yamaguchi 3-4, 2b, 2 runs, 3 RBIs; Chance Kuhlmann 2b, RBI; Kahanu Martinez 1-3, bb, 2 runs; Chyler DeSilva 2-3, 2 runs, 2 RBIs; Shannon Fee 1-2, 2 RBIs; Jacob Villacorte 2-2, RBI. P5: Ace Perry 1-4, 2 runs; Anthony Ahu Fisher 2-4, 2 RBIs.
No. 4 Mid-Pacific 9, No. 2 ‘Iolani 2
W—Payton Dixon. L—Tyler Young.
Leading hitters—MPI: Noah Kubo 3-4, 2 2b’s, 3b; Jake Comeaux 2-4, run, 2 RBIs; Coen Goeas 3 bbs, 2 runs; Nathaniel Wagner 2-4, bb, run; Chris Cannon 2-4, run, RBI; Kash Choy 1-3, run, 2 RBIs. Iol: Bruin Agbayani 2-2, bb, HR; Cole Yonamine HR.
No. 9 Punahou 2, Damien 1
W—Jason Yuen. L—Rydge Lorenzo. S—Stryker Scales.
Leading hitters—DMS: Francis O’Connor 2-3, 3b; Dyson Yasuda 1-3, 2b, run.
OIA East
Waianae 12, Kalaheo 5
W—C. Rice. L—Noah Toy.
Leading hitters—Kalh: Abram Toy 2-4, 2 runs, 2 RBI; Alika Amasiu 3-3, run. Wain: S. Nagasako 2-4, 3 runs, RBI; K. Rosa 2-3, 2 RBI; C. Rice 2 RBI; A. Jackson 2-4, RBI; X. Quismondo 3 runs; M. Moses 2 runs.
Farrington 9, Kalani 4
W—Alex Shiroma. L—Koki Hayashi.
Leading hitters—Farr: Keanu Aga 4-5, 2 runs, 2 RBI; Jakob Soriano 2-4, run, RBI; Daulton Rodriguez run, 2 RBI; Alex Shiroma 3-4, 2 runs, RBI. Kaln: Kalehua Akaka 2-4, run, RBI.
Kailua 8, Castle 2
W—Rayvin Pagan. L—Dorian Yoshizumi.
Leading hitters—Kail: Nai Iwaki 2-4, run; Titan Kauhi 2-3, 3 runs; Rayvin Pagan 2-3, 3 RBI; Charlie Burger 2 RBI; Kalama Carreira 2 RBI. Cast: Kekai Adams 2-3, run; Jesse Reppuhn 2-4; Zayden Uyemura 2-2, RBI.
Moanalua 20, Kaiser 8, 6 inn.
W—B. Deth. L—C. Hamasaki.
Leading hitters—Kais: K. Morisaki 2 runs; Z. Ho 2-3, 2 runs, RBI; K. Hue 2-4, 2 RBI; N. Sakatani 2-4, RBI; C. Ashimine 2-3, 2 runs. Moa: R. Miguel 3-5, 3 runs; C. Dempsey 2 runs, 3 RBI; K. Sonoda-Fukumoto 2-5, 2 runs, 3 RBI; C. Casinas 2-4, 2 runs, 4 RBI; S. Koga 2-4, 2 runs, 3 RBI; N. Alvaro 2-4, 2 runs, 2 RBI; D. Sugawa 3-3, 2 runs, 2 RBI; J. Ferreira 4 runs, 2 RBI.
OIA West
Waipahu 10, Radford 0, 6 inn.
W—Chase Maruyama. L—Caden Noble.
Leading hitters—Waip: Kade Maeda 2-3, 2 runs; Danen Nishimura 2 runs, 3 RBI; Mason Salausa-Galletes 2 RBI.
Campbell 13, Aiea 3, 6 inn.
W—X. Streadbeck. L—H. Mindoro.
Leading hitters—Aiea: B. Foumai 2-2, run, RBI. Camp: D. Lorenzo 3-5, run, 4 RBI; R. Choy 2-4, run, RBI; S. Sarano 2-4, run, 2 RBI; H. Lindsey 2 runs; J. Guanio 2-2, 2 runs, RBI; S. Saito 2 runs, RBI; S. Sarono 2-3, 2 runs, 2 RBI.
