Kailua’s Ballesteros 2-hits Leilehua in state baseball

Kailua’s Bryson Ballesteros held Leilehua to two hits and the OIA runner-up Surfriders advanced to the quarterfinals of the Wally Yonamine Foundation/HHSAA State Baseball Championships against No. 2 seed Mid-Pacific with a 3-0 shutout of the Mules on Tuesday at Les Murakami Stadium.

Ballesteros went the distance to record Kailua’s first shutout in the state tournament since Royce Komesu in 2014.

The Surfriders (13-3), who own the longest active streak of state tournament appearances at 14, won their opening game for the first time since 2014, when they advanced to the semifinals.

Ballesteros struck out six and allowed only two runners to reach scoring position.

“We did what we had to do and Bryson threw a good game,” Kailua coach Corey Ishigo said. “I thought we could have hit the ball better. We left some runners out there.”

Kailua had six hits and left six runners on base.

The Surfriders scored all three runs in the fourth inning after a leadoff walk and a one-out error put runners at the corners.

Dakota Kadooka ripped a single to left field to drive in the first run and two more runners scored when Stone Parker got caught in a rundown on purpose between first and second base.

The Surfriders had the bases loaded when Parker took a lead off first that stretched halfway to second.

Leilehua reliever Jerin Po‘opa‘a-Adaro stepped off the rubber and went after Parker. Meanwhile, courtesy runner Nicholas Faulkner scored from third and Kadooka crossed the plate from second before Parker was tagged out.