LIHUE — Kauai High School’s baseball team came out on top of a pitchers’ duel to win the first round of the season with its 4-0 win over Waimea on Wednesday. Junior starting pitcher Cal Koga pitched a complete game
LIHUE — Kauai High School’s baseball team came out on top of a pitchers’ duel to win the first round of the season with its 4-0 win over Waimea on Wednesday.
Junior starting pitcher Cal Koga pitched a complete game for Kauai. He had five strikeouts and allowed four hits without surrendering an earned run.
“It was a well-pitched game from both pitchers,” said Kauai head coach Greg Killeen. “Our kids worked hard all week though. They really deserved this.”
Both Koga and Waimea starting pitcher Brock Ephan cruised through the first five innings in which neither allowed a run.
Kauai (5-1) then scored its four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning en route to securing the win and the first round.
Koga batted in the first of Kauai’s four runs.
“I think we put a little too much pressure on ourselves,” Koga said about the team’s four-run inning. “We were putting balls in play … we just had to relax. We came through in the end.
“I felt good today because my defense is probably one of the top defenses on Kauai right now,” Koga added about his performance on the mound. “I feel like (if I) just throw strikes, then my defense will work. They played a hell of a game for me.”
Waimea (3-3) had two runners on before pinch hitter Levi Sagucio hit a pop fly for the final out of the game.
Despite being on the losing end, Waimea head coach Larry Ephan said the game was an “epic battle.”
“One base hit and then we walked a few guys. They came up with big hits,” coach Larry said. “Great game of baseball. Unfortunately, the game has to end this way.”
The Menehune coach added he hopes his team’s hitting will be more consistent moving forward into the second round of the season.
Waimea’s best hitter of the day was senior first baseman Bryton Lumabao. He hit two singles in three at-bats.
“The first five innings was tough. Great defense out there,” Lumabao said. “Just that one inning. There’s always going to be the one inning in the game that’s going to turn around.
“We’re not going to forget about this one. We’ll come back and work harder,” he added.
Waimea will play a doubleheader against Kapaa at Hanapepe Stadium on Saturday, April 12 to start the second round. The first game will start at 10 a.m.
Kauai will play at Kapaa on Wednesday, April 16 at 3:30 p.m.
