WAILUKU >> Waiakea is knocking at the door of a state championship once again.
For the third time in the past four tournaments held, the Warriors find themselves playing for it all after coming from behind to defeat Saint Louis 5-4 on Friday night in the first Division I semifinal of the Wally Yonamine Foundation/HHSAA Baseball State Championships at Iron Maehara Stadium.
Devin Garza tied the game with a two-run single in the top of the sixth and Dylan Honda dropped a bunt with one out in the seventh for his third hit to score Kedren Kinzie with the eventual winning run.
Saint Louis’ Nu’u Contrades, who drove in the go-ahead run in a four-run fifth inning, singled to left with one out in the bottom of the seventh.
Shortstop Aiva Arquette followed with a line drive right to Garza at second. Garza doubled off Contrades at first to end it.
“I seen the live drive off the bat and thought, ‘Oh please, don’t choke this,’” Garza said. “I got the line drive, secured the catch and secured the throw.”
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Waiakea (10-0) remained undefeated this season and won its second consecutive game after trailing by multiple runs.
“The boys are very resilient and they can play,” Waiakea coach Chris Honda said. “They never say die, they chip away one run at a time, keep fighting and they do the little things. We’re not a power baseball team.”
Neither team had an extra-base hit, but the Warriors kept the pressure on throughout the game with 11 singles.
Honda finished 3-for-4 with the game-winning RBI and scored the first of three unanswered runs for the Warriors over the final two innings.
With one out and runners on first and third in the seventh inning, Honda dropped a bunt down the third-base line that Saint Louis couldn’t make a throw on to score Kinzie, who led off the inning with a walk.
“Coach gave me the bunt single and I knew I had to lay it down,” Honda said. “Xander (Sielken) at first base, he was very far in and I didn’t think I would be able to get it and we’re not going to score if I bunt to first, so I laid it down to third because they wouldn’t expect it.”
Saint Louis (15-4-1), the two-time defending ILH champion, fell behind 2-0 on RBI singles by Waiakea’s Elijah Igawa and Mason Hirata in the second inning.
Waiakea starter Loren Iwata allowed one hit over the first four innings but managed to record just one out in the bottom of the fifth.
Iwata walked the first two batters in the inning and gave up an RBI single to Ryder Okimoto to cut the lead in half.
Sielken followed with a grounder off the third baseman for an error that allowed Cody Antone to score from second to tie it.
Contrades and Arquette followed with RBI singles to left to put Saint Louis ahead 4-2.
Saint Louis’ 3-4 hitters had a chance to come through again in the final inning, but caught an unlucky break when Arquette’s screamer was hit right at Garza.
“The first thought in my head was if it goes through, to get it and first to third,” said Honda, who was in right field. “I knew Nu’u is fast and was going to try to go to third, but we caught it.”
Waiakea’s Justice Dorser entered the game with two on and one out in the sixth inning and got Saint Louis to hit into double plays in both innings to finish it off and earn the win.
“Saint Louis has a long history of terrific programs in all of their sports and coming into this game they were one of the teams in the state, no question,” Honda said. “We really started to put the ball in play and stay out of the air with this strong wind it’s tough. Things went our way. It was a very stressful game.”
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HHSAA STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Boys Division I
Semifinal
WAIAKEA 5, SAINT LOUIS 4
At Iron Maehara Stadium
Waiakea (10-0) 020 002 1 — 5 11 1
Saint Louis (15-4-1) 000 040 0 — 4 5 1
Loren Iwata, Kaleb Dela Cuesta Sato (5), Justice Dorser (6) and Elijah Igawa. Kahiau Schenk, Jacob Villacorte (4), Ray Seabury (7) and Ezekiel Ribuca.
W—Dorser. L—Villacorte.
Leading hitters—Waik: Dylan Honda 3-4, run, RBI; Mason Hirata 2-3, RBI; Devin Garza 1-3, 2 RBIs; Kaden Oshiro 2-4, run. StL: Nu’u Contrades 2-4, RBI.
Consolation
Maui 7, Moanalua 2, 6 inn.
Pearl City 5, Kalani 1
Hilo 5, Mililani 0
