It wasn’t a pretty win, but it certainly was a victory a daddy could love.

With second baseman Micah Ka‘aukai playing with a heavy heart, pitchers Nick Fukunaga and Jordan Tagawa combined on a six-hitter as Hilo shocked No. 1 seed Kailua 3-2 last night in the Division I quarterfinals of the Wally Yonamine Foundation/HHSAA Baseball State Championships.

A small but spunky crowd at Les Murakami Stadium saw the unseeded Vikings (15-5) make it three neighbor island teams in today’s semifinal round.

Fukunaga went six innings with crafty use of off-speed pitches against Kailua (14-2).

“Everything was working, especially my curve,” said Fukunaga, a junior.

Tagawa closed it out in the seventh for a save against the Oahu Interscholastic Association champs.

“I just wanted to go in there and throw strikes,” Tagawa said.

This marks the first time since 1999 that three neighbor islands teams reached the semifinals. That year, Molokai won the title, while Hilo placed third and Kauai finished fourth.

For Ka‘aukai, it’s been an incredibly emotional week. His father, Paul, 43, died in an accident on a Big Island beach while picking opihi on Saturday. By Sunday, the youngster was back at practice, staying busy.

“He said that’s what his dad would’ve wanted,” Vikings coach Tony DeSa said.

“I knew I was playing for my dad and all my teammates backed me up on this,” said Ka‘aukai, a sophomore. “I’m just so surprised right now. If my dad was here, he’d look at me and smile and say, ‘Good job, boy. Good job.’”

With all the expectations of a No. 1 seed, Kailua had its struggles early. Starting pitcher Elijah Davidann lasted just 21⁄3 innings, walking the bases full.

Facing relief pitcher Jacob Cobb-Adams, Jodd Carter walked, forcing Chayce Ka‘aua home for Hilo’s first run.

Kailua tied it in the top of the fifth on Davidann’s line-drive single to left, scoring Kea Vierra from third.

In the bottom of the fifth, Carter came to the plate with the bases loaded again, and again he walked. Randall Iha scored to give Hilo a 2-1 lead.

Two batters later, Ka‘aukai was hit by a pitch with the sacks filled, bringing Ka‘aua in for a 3-1 Vikings lead. That turned out to be the key run.

The Surfriders whittled away against Fukunaga. In the top of the sixth, pinch hitter Tyler Takata’s squeeze bunt brought Bryce Ah Sam home, cutting the lead to 3-2. But with two on, Fukunaga retired Kila Zuttermeister on a fly out to center.