HANAPEPE – Waimea countered a three-run deficit with a nine-run fourth inning to top Koloa 13-6 and capture the 2002 Pony League Sectional Title at Hanapepe on Sunday.
The All Stars of the league were picked following the game. They will represent Kaua’i in Honolulu for the Pony Regionals. They will be anounced in a future TGI edition.
Koloa struck early.
With two outs in the first, Travis Delima chipped a floater to left to score Dustin Pagador from second base. Koloa led 1-0 after one.
Koloa’s Mikiala Cup Choy tacked on another run in the second on a pass ball from third, but Waimea would match that run later in the inning on a Koloa throwing error which scored Keith Kauahi from second base.
Koloa began pulling away in the third and fourth with two more runs – a Pat Kua bomb to right-center which resulted in a successful squeeze play, and a throwing error which sent Nikko Elvenia home to score from second base.
That’s when Waimea blew up.
A five-hit, nine-run bottom fourth blew away any trace of a deficit for Waimea, and ultimately made a Koloa comeback too arduous a task .
Kai Reyes’ score on a pass ball made it 4-2. Drew Ueno smacked an RBI single to score Kauahi, and two batters later, Quentin Natividao knocked a two-rbi single to score Kaeo Girod and Kylan Gandra (pinch runner) which propelled Waimea to a 5-4 lead.
The westsiders kept on scoring while they bats were hot.
Isaac Castillo’s floater scored Natividad and Aina Emayo for another two Waimea runs; and another two-rbi double from Kaipo Requer-Yorkman, which scored Castillo and Bryson Niheu, put Waimea at a comfortable 10-4 lead.
Koloa could never recover.
They tacked on two runs in the fifth – on a squeeze to score Garrett Sakimae and on a Shannon Oketani sacrifice which brought Kaeo Dias home – but that was all they could muster for the remainder of the game.
An error following Castillo double led to an error and another Waimea run in the fifth. And in the sixth, Waimea would close it out with two more runs – Braden Hiraoka ran home on a Ueno sacrifice, and Kale Nakata scored on an error – which was enough comfort to maintain a 13-6 lead.
