Wailuku » Someone had to step up and solve Kevin Yee’s puzzle.

The Waiakea coach searched for an opening-round hurler, hoping to save his top arms for the second and third rounds of the Wally Yonamine Foundation/HHSAA State Baseball Championships. Yee didn’t have to look far.

He put shortstop Alika Guillermo on the mound, and the senior came through with six sterling innings in Waiakea’s 14-3 runaway win over Leilehua at Iron Maehara Stadium. He needed only 69 pitches as the defending state champions advanced to the quarterfinal round. They’ll meet second-seeded Mid-Pacific today in a 2 p.m. game.

"I’m pretty surprised," said Guillermo, who was told two days ago he’d be making just the third start of his career.

He allowed no earned runs, five hits and two walks. He struck out one.

"I don’t usually blow the ball past hitters. I let my defense make plays," he said.

Yee was able to stash his two best pitchers — Kodi Medeiros and freshman Caleb Freitas-Fields — thanks to Guillermo. Medeiros didn’t pitch much during the regular season (sore arm), but got some action in last week’s BIIF playoffs.

"It was a calculated risk. If we went with our best two, it would be tough to get far," Yee said.

Leilehua ace Cody Academia had Waiakea under wraps through three innings.

"Academia pitched a heck of a game," Yee said. "The jitters got the best of us at the beginning, swinging at his off-speed pitches, but we made adjustments."

Once they got going, Waiakea’s bats accumulated 13 hits. Medeiros and Aaron Nishiura drove in three runs each. The Warriors took advantage of four Mules errors, but committed three of their own.

After Leilehua failed to capitalize in the bottom of the third, leaving runners at the corners, Waiakea took control with a three-run fourth inning. Medeiros’ double to right drove in the first run and Nishiura’s double to left drove in two more.

After Leilehua scored twice in the bottom of the fourth to make it 3-2, the Warriors took advantage of two Leilehua errors in the fifth to score three more and take a 6-2 lead.

A Waiakea error helped pull Leilehua within 6-3 in the bottom of the fifth.

Kean Wong’s 360-foot tripple in the top of the sixth made it 7-3 and chased Academia. Guillermo’s sacrifice fly and Freitas–Fields’ RBI double made it 9-3.

The Warriors put the game out of reach with five runs in the seventh.

"Today was Alika’s day," said Wong, the Warriors’ catcher, who was 3-for-5, scored three runs and drove in two. "I knew he could handle it. I told him to just throw strikes, and his changeup was good."

Does this put Waiakea on track for a repeat title?

"I think we can," Wong said. "But it’s going to be hard."