Punahou beats Kamehameha before coronavirus pandemic puts sports on the shelf

The clouds above were dark and gray.

The kids still played with verve and joy.

Defending state champion Punahou played the part well, though No. 7 Kamehameha competed with aplomb in what may have been the season finale for both baseball teams. The top-ranked Buffanblu rallied with five runs in the top of the seventh inning for a wild 13-9 win over the Warriors at Patsy Mink Central Oahu Regional Park on Saturday afternoon.

Less than one week into the Interscholastic League of Honolulu regular season, 15 Punahou seniors and 13 Kamehameha seniors may have had their swan song. Families of the players adorned them with lei after the battle in senior-night style. The specter of COVID-19 lurks everywhere, but for two-plus hours, the two rivals simply played elite-level baseball.

>> PHOTOS: Punahou vs. Kamehameha

“A lot of mixed emotions right now,” Punahou pitcher Tyler Shimabukuro said. “All of the seniors, we came together and we’re all in shock with all this stuff that’s going on. We all just said, this might be our last game so leave it all out there. I felt like that today.”

The right-hander went five innings on Monday in a 1-0 loss to Saint Louis, then started the game on Saturday and went one scoreless inning as he neared his pitch limit for the week. Coach Keenan Sue stuck to his game plan, utilizing an all-senior pitching corps — five hurlers in the in the first five innings not including Shimabukuro.

Down 9-8 in the fifth, Punahou turned to him once again. Kamehameha had runners at third and second bases with one out, but Shimabukuro struck out Tui Ickes and Jameson Hussey to end the threat. He retired Paa Elarionoff in the sixth and met his pitch limit.

Center fielder Koa Eldredge, a BYU signee, took the mound and struck out four Warriors in 1 2/3 innings to get the win.

“That mentality that we had last year in the postseason where each game could be our last, so we play as hard as we can. Today was that same mind-set. It was just like a playoff game for us, like a state championship game,” said Eldredge, who also hit 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base. “If the season gets resumed, we’re just grateful for every game we have and we get, potentially.”

While the HHSAA and most high school leagues are leaving timetables open, the ILH is aiming for a return to spring sports on April 13. By then, spring breaks at the private schools will be done. Some have speculated that would be enough time for anyone who currently has the virus to heal past the theorized incubation period of 14 days, though it is still a mystery.

“We told them from Day One, you control the things you can control, and this is completely out of their control,” Sue said. “They handled it well. It doesn’t mean they weren’t upset about it, but like they have done their whole careers at Punahou, they always bounce back. This particular group of guys are easily the most competitive players I’ve ever coached or been on a team with in my entire career. I love these guys. They were seventh-graders when we came into the program, so we’ve all kind of grown up together. We’ve made mistakes together. We’ve grown and really had a lot of memories together. I’m super happy for them.”

If the best-case scenario presents itself, Apr. 13 would be adequate, coaches say. The ILH double-elimination playoffs were scheduled to begin on Apr. 27. That’s why coaches and players are hoping, perhaps against the odds, for an abbreviated season. Hope for a state tournament remains.

“Last game, you want to go out with a bang. It wasn’t really a big bang for us,” said Kamehameha ace Jayven Pimental, an Arizona signee.

He showed off an 89-mph fastball and array of breaking pitches. He went four innings and struck out six with three walks. He allowed two earned runs and seven hits.

“It is what it is. We’ll still keep in shape. We’re still hoping for a season. We’re going to meet up somewhere every day. Nothing is going to change. Just because there’s a virus and you can’t go to school, it doesn’t matter.”

According to Pimental, the circumstances and emotions have been different for non-athletes.

“Everyone who’s not playing sports, stoked. Stoked. Everyone who is playing sports, we’re all pretty low on life right now,” he said. “Yesterday, Coach told us we can’t work out on campus.”

Pimental, roughly 6 feet, 3 inches and 190 pounds, believes his teammates are ready to grind through this next month.

“We’re going to work out, all 27 of us. I want to leave my mark on this campus,” he said.

Warriors coach Daryl Kitagawa empathized with his players.

“It’s tough, it’s super tough. None of us have ever experienced this. The safety of the public is first and foremost. Whoever is making the decisions is doing the right thing, and then we’ve just got to wait and see what happens,” Kitagawa said. “I’m praying that no one here contracts the virus, and that we can come back and play, but not at the risk or expense of the people of Hawaii. Cannot help.”