LIHU‘E —There was no shortage of blue Sunday as Lihu‘e Airport awoke to an abundance of blue Waimea High School baseball supporter shirts. Fans, some arriving on flights from Honolulu, milled about the baggage claim area waiting on the arrival
LIHU‘E —There was no shortage of blue Sunday as Lihu‘e Airport awoke to an abundance of blue Waimea High School baseball supporter shirts.
Fans, some arriving on flights from Honolulu, milled about the baggage claim area waiting on the arrival of the Waimea High School baseball team — the new Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association Division II baseball champions.
“We talked to the boys in the third inning,” one of the team coaches said after deplaning. “We told them they needed to believe. They thought about it and the bats came alive and things began to happen.”
Waimea, playing Kamehameha-Big Island for the championship Saturday night at the Hans L’Orange Field in Waipahu, had piled up a 9-0 advantage by the third inning, holding Waimea to just two hits up to that point.
But the Menehune, leaving six runners stranded in three innings, had their opportunities, being unable to close the door on any scores.
“The boys were angry,” said Michael Rita, the Menehune head coach. “We told them to settle down. They were out there to play baseball and there was still a lot of baseball left to play.”
That third inning talk must have worked, because the Menehune came alive for eight runs on eight hits to pull themselves back into the fray, 9-8 in the fourth inning.
Waimea third-baseman Micah Rita came up with a two-RBI single in the fifth inning to capitalize on Gavin Jardin’s walk and Paul Correa’s single for the 10-9 go-ahead, the first time the Menehune led in the game.
“It was wild,” one parent said. “There were so many Waimea fans in the stand.”
Teddy Perreira, the Waimea girls softball coach who will be on O‘ahu starting Tuesday, said when he found out there wasn’t going to be a televised game, he booked a flight out after Friday night practice, joining a lot of other Menehune supporters who spent the weekend with their team in Waipahu.
But Kamehameha answered in the bottom of the inning when Cody Walker, pinch-running for Kupono Correa, knotted the game at 10-10 on a Waimea error.
Kalani Fernandez, eventually earning Most Valuable Player honors in the all-tournament team, drove in the winning run in the sixth inning, scoring Mikeo Rita on an RBI single to centerfield to break the 10-10 stalemate.
Fernandez closed with 41/3 innings on the mound for Waimea, allowing just one run on two hits while striking out four and walking one.
Shylen-John Keuma, earning pitching honors on the all-star team, started and went 11/3 innings, credited for five runs on three hits while striking out one and walking two.
Also making the all-tournament team were Mana Alquiza-Perreira, Gavin Jardin and Micah Rita.
Waimea will have an opportunity to add to its trophy showcase as the Menehune softball team, seeded No. 2 in Division II play, opens play Wednesday in the state quarterfinals. The boys volleyball team will also be in action on O‘ahu, unseeded in its bid for a state title. The Menehune track team will also be on O‘ahu for the state track championships.
