Warriors win 2nd round

KAPAA — On the last day of the regular season, the Warriors won the season’s second round.

Kapaa High School’s varsity baseball team won both games of Saturday’s doubleheader against Kauai High School at the Ron Martin Field in Kapaa.

“After that first round and that first round playoff game, that really hurt. So, we got the boys refocused and back to work,” said Kapaa head coach Bryan Aiwohi.

Kauai defeated Kapaa in a first-round playoff game on April 4, 11-1.

“We told them what we needed them to do to get us back in the running of winning a championship,” Aiwohi said. “We told them win out, especially against Kauai High. We battled, and we got into a good position right now. Now, we got to get back to work because we got a tough championship game.”

The league championship game between Kapaa and Kauai, the season’s first-round winner, is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Wednesday at Kapaa High School.

“They got us, but we still was in the game,” said Kauai head coach Hank Ibia. “For us, we need to overcome that if we like win the big one next week Wednesday.”

In the first game, Kapaa (10-3 KIF, 6-0 2nd round, 0-1 playoff) won to clinch the second round, 2-0.

The Warriors took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when third baseman Ekolu Rivera scored on an error in the outfield. Kapaa got its second run in the fourth as shortstop Ka‘imi Malina scored from third as first baseman Levi Cummings was thrown out at first base.

“Part of the plan was getting somebody to third,” Aiwohi said. “If that happens and we got a runner on third, we can take advantage of that.”

Kauai (8-5 KIF, 3-3 2nd round, 1-0 playoff) had runners on base but couldn’t drive them in as Kapaa got crucial pickoffs of those runners in scoring position in the second and third innings.

“Good game. We made a couple of errors here and there that cost us the game, but these guys are young,” Ibia said. “They’re kids. We’re still trying to make plays. … We’re all right. We’re OK.”

In the first game, Kapaa got its two runs on two hits, left five runners on base and recorded one error.

Warriors starting pitcher Noa Cardinez was the winning pitcher. In six innings, Cardinez allowed no runs on four hits and had two strikeouts and three walks. Malina relieved Cardinez in the seventh inning, getting one strikeout and allowing a walk.

“I think I did all right. I could have done better,” Cardinez said. “I think I was over-striding and trying to overthrow. But later on, I calmed down and just tried to get it over.”

Cardinez added of winning the round and looking forward to the title game: “I think our team just came together in the second round. We started seeing the ball a lot better, just pretty much good defense.”

Kauai got zero runs on four hits, left six runners on and recorded two errors.

Red Raiders starting pitcher Christian Manera took the hard-luck loss. In six innings, he allowed two runs on two hits and had two strikeouts and three walks.

“He did good. He always do good for us. We’re always in the game with him,” Ibia said of Manera.

Then in the second game, Kapaa routed Kauai to finish the second round unbeaten, 10-0. Play ended during the sixth inning because of the 10-run mercy rule.

With a 5-0 lead, the Warriors plated five more runs in the bottom of the sixth to end play. In the inning, Rivera had a two-RBI single.

Later on, Warriors designated hitter Dayim Souza-Yim hit an RBI single to left field to plate Kapaa’s 10th run.

Kapaa got 10 runs on nine hits, left seven runners on base and did not record an error. Warriors outfielder Trevor Kaui was 2-3 batting with an RBI double and a single.

Malina was the starting pitcher in Game 2 and got the win. In six innings, he allowed no runs on two hits and had two strikeouts and four walks.

Kauai High got zero runs on two hits, left six runners on base and recorded five errors.

Red Raiders starter Jacob Borrero took the loss in the second game. Borrero went the first four innings, allowing four runs on three hits and had one strikeout and five walks.

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Nick Celario, sports writer, can be reached at 245-0437 or ncelario@thegardenisland.com.