Waimea returns home proud

HONOLULU — Moments after the final out of the Division II baseball state championship game Friday night, Acetyn Emayo stood just outside the gates of the field where the Waimea Menehune’s dream season was halted by a 1-0 loss to the Waipahu Marauders. As Emayo tried to assign words to the heartbreaking loss, Waimea head coach Michael Rita could be heard in the background addressing his team.

“I don’t want to see any tears,” the manager told them. “Hold your heads up. Be proud.”

Yards away, Emayo found words — and a new perspective.

“One to zero,” he said. “That’s just one hit. All we needed was one run.”

Then a smile creeped over his face as if disappointment was turning into satisfaction. Obviously Emayo and his teammates would have preferred to fly back to Kaua‘i as the fourth division II baseball champion from Kaua‘i in the last five seasons, but for a team with a  roster comprised of young talent, Emayo couldn’t help looking back fondly at what they had achieved during the season, where they are now, and what’s in store for the future.

“It was a good game and it’s a good feeling because we’re here,” he said with an accomplished grin. “It was just the experience of playing the game I love in this beautiful stadium. The feeling of playing at Les Murakami as a sophomore — and I still have two years.”

The four-day trip for the Menehune to Honolulu was filled with many moments that each player said he’ll take back home. From playing at the legendary Les Murakami Stadium, a field that first baseman Brock Ephan said “plays perfect. There’s no bad hops,” to the thrill of being in front of the cameras on live TV during the championship game, Waimea’s run through the tournament concluded a season of success for the Menehune.

This was a team that started slow in the first round of the KIF, found its form in the second and turned into a disciplined machine that thrived around coach Rita’s principles of pitching and defense.

The pitching tandem of Mikeo Rita and Bj Freitas continued where they left off in the regular season and provided solid starts for the Menehune in the tournament.

With the defense keeping its opponents off the scoreboard, the Menehune used an array of ways to win. From the triples in Game 1 to the small ball in Game 2, the Waimea lineup always found a way — until Friday night when they just couldn’t crack Waipahu starter Michah Luke.

The Menehune couldn’t come up with timely hitting against Luke and quickly ran out of innings.

“We didn’t execute the hits when we needed too,” coach Rita said.

After the Menehune were awarded their second-place medals and posed for a picture with the runner-up trophy, the boys were welcomed back to the dugout by a thunderous applause from the Waimea faithful.

Dozens of parents, brothers, sisters, friends and relatives flew over to cheer the on the Menehune and every game the Menehune crowd grew louder and more supportive. When the Waimea boys walked back to the bench, the crowd quickly let them know there was nothing to be ashamed of. They were proud.

“We have great fans that flew out and supported us,” coach Rita said. “To the great fans at Waimea High School, we thank them a lot.”

The Menehune will return to KIF play next season without the arm of Rita, the bat of Alika Emayo and the glove of fellow senior Freitas, among others. But seniors comprised only a third of the Waimea roster and the younger players said they’ll take their experience at the state tournament and build on it for the next season.

As the sun began to set and the lights illuminated Les Murakami for the Division I title game, the Menehune players filed out of the stadium to where their fans awaited with leis, cameras and hugs. Before departing, Acetyn Emayo had his head up as he surveyed the field one last time.

“We’re coming here again,” he said. “We have to keep and positive attitude, work hard and bring it home next year.”

• Tyson Alger, sports writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 237) or by emailing talger@ thegardenisland.com. Follow him on twitter.com/tysonalger.