Red Raiders sweep Saturday’s doubleheader

LIHUE — Kauai High School’s baseball team squeaked by Waimea twice Saturday at Vidinha Stadium.

Kauai (7-2, 2-1 in second round) won the first game of the doubleheader 8-7 in extra innings and the second game 6-5.

“We did boot around the ball quite a bit,” Red Raiders head coach Greg Killeen said about the first game. “We shouldn’t have won the game probably … Sometimes, lucky is better than good.”

In the first game, Kauai rallied from a 3-run deficit to tie the game at 7 after seven innings.

First baseman Tyler Manibog hit the game-winning RBI in the bottom of the 10th inning. Catcher Cal Koga, who was in scoring position, crossed home plate for the winning run.

In the second game, Kauai had a 6-3 lead in the seventh inning before Waimea scored two runs to cut the deficit.

Waimea starting pitcher Theron Shigematsu hit into a double play to end the game.

“We pitched well in the second game,” Killeen said. “Shane Ogata, coming in with bases loaded, got the double play to win the game. That was big.”

Ogata, who played shortstop in both games and relieved starting pitcher Manibog in the second game, recorded the save for Kauai. He hit two singles and scored a run in the first game, and hit two singles, an RBI and scored a run in the second.

“We just played our game … We had nothing to lose,” Ogata said. “Just do what we do in practice and play hard.”

Waimea head coach Larry Ephan said errors cost his team. Both teams combined for nine errors in the first game.

“It was just a snowball effect. One thing led to another,” the Menehune coach said. “We tried to make plays … tried to find a way to get us out of that inning. Unfortunately, that led to an error, then another error. That’s tough to overcome.”

Waimea senior Brock Ephan was the starting pitcher in the first game and played as catcher in the second. He hit a double and single and scored two runs in the first game. In the second, he hit a double, a single and an RBI and scored another run.

“All the hits were there. Just the errors. That’s what killed us in the end,” Brock said. “I think our teammates just though we had (that first game) in the bag already … Just mental (things). It’s something we’ve been trying to work on throughout the season.”

With the two losses, Waimea (3-7, 0-4 in second round) is now out of contention in the second round.

“They’re a very prideful team,” coach Ephan said. “They worked their tails off … Unfortunately, none of the balls have been bouncing our way. That’s the game of baseball though. That’s how it goes.”

Waimea will play at Kapaa at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Kauai will host Kapaa for a doubleheader on Saturday at Vidinha Stadium. The first game will begin at 10 a.m.