This is not the year to have a number next to the team name in the Wally Yonamine Foundation/HHSAA Baseball State Championships.
A day after all four seeded teams lost in the Division I quarterfinals, Division II top seed Kamehameha-Hawaii was upset by Kauai, 2-1 in 10 innings, in the semifinals on Friday at Les Murakami Stadium.
Junior Christian Manera and sophomore Ricky Rego combined to hold the defending state champion Warriors (17-3) to four hits and an unearned run to advance to the Red Raiders’ first state final since they won the D-II crown in 2011.
“(We’re) young and still trying to learn how to win, but we played good,” Kauai coach Hank Ibia said. “Now we’ve got to finish.”
Kauai, who will play the winner between Hawaii Prep and Damien tomorrow at 4 p.m., scored the winning run in the top of the 10th inning on an errant throw to second base.
Catcher Skyler Sadora hit a grounder to second, forcing KS-Hawaii second baseman Kalai Klask-Hoopii to his left. Klask-Hoopii fielded the ball cleanly but elected to get the lead runner at second instead of going to first.
The throw was low and led shortstop Jaisten Cabatbat directly into the sliding legs of Sam Nakata, causing a nasty collision. Cabatbat wasn’t able to field the ball allowing the go-ahead run to score from third.
Both Cabatbat and Nakata stayed down on the field for a minute or two before shaking it off and staying in the game.
Rego hit two batters to put the tying and go-ahead runs on base in the bottom of the 10th inning before getting a fly ball to right to end it.
Rego did not allow a hit in 3 1/3 innings of relief with one strikeout and four walks. Manera gave up four hits and one unearned run in 6 2/3 innings with no walks and three strikeouts. He had to be pulled with two outs in the seventh inning after reaching his maximum pitch count. Manera threw 81 pitches after throwing 29 in a 4-3, 8-inning win over Molokai on Thursday.
“I was really bummed to come out,” Manera said. “With all the confidence we had we felt like we were going to move on to tomorrow and I really wanted to pitch in that game but Coach needed me today.”
Manera also helped out his team at the plate with a two-out RBI double in the second inning to score Jacob Borrero, who doubled to lead off. Those were the only two extra-base hits all game.
Junior Justyce Ishii started the game for Kamehameha and gave up the one run on three hits in three innings. Freshman Zakaia Michaels did everything he could to keep the Warriors in the game, tossing 5 1/3 scoreless innings allowing only two hits and two walks with two strikeouts.
at Les Murakami Stadium
Kauai (12-3) 010 000 000 1 — 2 6 1
KS-Hawaii (17-3) 010 000 000 0 — 1 4 3
Christian Manera, Ricky Rego (7) and Skyler Sadona. Justyce Ishii, Zakaia Michaels (4), Kyran Kai (9) and DallasJ Duarte. W—Rego. L—Kai.
Leading hitters—Kauai: Sam Nakata 2-4; Jacob Borrero 2b, run; Manera 2b, RBI. KSH: Bulla Ahuna 2-3.
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