Kalaheo beat defending champs Hanapepe 13-2 Sunday to capture the 2002 AJA Baseball Title. The championship, which Kalaheo dominated from 1996-1998, returns to the ball club following three years of runner-up finishes. Kalaheo improved to 6-0; runner-up Hanapepe falls to
Kalaheo beat defending champs Hanapepe 13-2 Sunday to capture the 2002 AJA Baseball Title.
The championship, which Kalaheo dominated from 1996-1998, returns to the ball club following three years of runner-up finishes.
Kalaheo improved to 6-0; runner-up Hanapepe falls to 3-2-1.
Pitching phenom Kaina McCallum may have been the knight in Kalaheo’s armor, sweeping the season with a picture-perfect 5-0 record (1 save), but hitting is what made the championship run a fast walk to victory lane.
With 13 runs in five innings – 17 hits in total – McCallum got the cushion he needed to bring his team all the way.
Kainoa Santos clobbered his first home-run of the year; Scott Serizawa hit a double and two singles; Kyle Higashi belted three hits and drove in three runs, and his father, Lance Higashi, stroked a two-run base hit along with a single. Casey Oketani, McCallum, and Troy Kaneshiro each notched two base-hits.
Lihue two-runs came on a monster home-run bash from Hanapepe’s Derrick Lincoln. The blast sent Kelly Robinson home, and he was the first of the last two runs Hanapepe would score.
Hanapepe’s pitchers were Buddy Taniguchi, Russel Ijima and Kelly Robinson.
In game two of Sunday’s AJA double-header, Makaweli smoked 18 hits to top Lihue 16-3.
Credit Makaweli pitchers Ray Shirai (5 IP) and Scott Shimatsukuro (2 IP) for allowing only three runs on five hits through seven innings.
For Makaweli, Shirai slammed a run-scoring double and notched a bases-loaded walk to bring home a run; Issac Castillo cranked a double and two singles; Brandon Ishibashi drove in two runs on a base-hit; Royce Ijima hit a double and two singles; Mike Shimatsu’s single drove in two runs; Kule Nakagawa rounded the stat sheet with three singles and two runs; Cody Dotario slugged a base hit and scored two runs.
For Lihue, Ahren Kaneshiro scored a double, Curtis Sadamitsu, Kurt Vidinha, Barry Kawamura and Scott Ebisu each notched basehits.