The race for the top spot in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu just got a whole lot tighter.
‘Iolani senior Izack Takazawa scattered 10 hits in an 86-pitch complete game to lead the fourth-ranked Raiders to a 4-2 win over No. 2 Kamehameha on Saturday at Ala Wai Field.
Coupled with Mid-Pacific’s 3-0 shutout of league-leading Saint Louis earlier in the day, four teams are within one game of the league lead with less than two weeks to go.
The Raiders (5-3-1), who played Saint Louis (6-2-1) to an 11-11 tie on Thursday, are one game back, with the Warriors and Owls tied at 6-3. The regular-season champion earns one of three coveted state-tournament berths. One of those teams is guaranteed to be left out.
“I think they will come out here and play hard. The hard work is done in practice and the games should be fun,” ‘Iolani coach Kurt Miyahira said. “A lot of times in baseball we can’t control the result, but our attitude and effort we can control, and they play hard, they don’t give up, they keep fighting.”
The Raiders put up runs in each of the first three innings against Kamehameha starter Blade Paragas.
That was enough for Takazawa, who gave up at least one hit in every inning but only allowed one walk without hitting a batter.
Dane Palimo’o led the Warriors with three hits and Aukai Kea was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs.
Elijah Ickes, who singled and scored on Kea’s two-out single in the first inning, reached on a two-out single in the bottom of the seventh inning to bring the tying run to the plate.
After a quick mound visit from Miyahira, Takazawa got his second strikeout of the game on a 1-2 slider to end it.
“Two outs, bottom of the seventh, just lay it on the line and give your best stuff and see what happens,” Takazawa said. “Pitching strikes, letting my defense work, my boys out here got my back and I’m just trying to throw strikes and not walk guys.”
Kea doubled home Souza with a drive that one-hopped the fence in left field to make it a 3-2 game in the bottom of the third.
The Warriors got the leadoff runner on base in three of the first five innings but couldn’t cash in on any of those opportunities.
Kamehameha opened the fifth with a base hit to set up the middle of the lineup to do some damage, but Takazawa managed to pick off the runner on first on his third attempt.
“The top of the lineup has some really fast guys out there, but I think we have one of the top defensive catchers in Brock (Makishima) behind the plate and sometimes without a quick delivery I’ve got to watch guys out there myself too,” Takazawa said.
Cole Ide doubled and scored on a wild pitch in the third inning and drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning after Cole Yonamine’s leadoff triple.
Kamehameha had two hits in six at-bats with runners in scoring position. The Warriors have scored two runs or less in five of nine games but didn’t catch many breaks against ‘Iolani despite squaring up a bunch of balls.
“We do what we do today and I like our chances,” Kamehameha coach Daryl Kitagawa said. “We had a great workout yesterday talking about approach and mental adjustments at the plate, and they executed — I mean what five or six lineouts today? I wasn’t counting, but like I said, we do that and I like our chances.”
University of Hawaii baseball coach Rich Hill, whose team played a few hours later against Tulane, was in the stands watching the first three innings.
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At Ala Wai field
No. 4 ‘Iolani 4, No. 2 Kamehameha 2
WP—Izack Takazawa. LP—Blade Paragas.
Leading hitters—Iol: Bruin Agbayani 2-4, 2b, run; Cole Yonamine 3b; Cole Ide 2-2, 2b, run, RBI; Rylen Miyasaki 2-3. KSK: Elijah Ickes 2-4, run; Aukai Kea 2-3, 2b, 2 RBIs; Dane Palimo’o 3-3.
ILH
Maryknoll 9, Damien 4
W—Jordan Lowery. L—Aaron Rapoza.
Leading Hitters—DMS: Dyson Yasuda 2 runs, RBI. Mryk: Luke Swartman 2-4, RBI; Kaui Kekauoha 2-2, RBI; Allin Yap 2 runs; Keegan Kahalehoe 2-3, 2 RBI.
Punahou 7, Pac-Five 0
W—Jasen Yuen. L—Zachary Holm.
Leading Hitters—Pun: Nolan Souza 2-3, run, RBI; Jake Hiromoto 2 RBI; Branson Nushida run, 2 RBI.
OIA East
Farrington 6, Castle 5
W—Alex Shiroma. L—Dorian Yoshizuma. S—Jakob Soriano.
Leading Hitters—Farr: Cade Nagamine 2-2, 2 runs; Alex Shiroma 2 RBI; Jakob Soriano 2 runs. Cast: Kekai Adams 2 runs, RBI; Keohi Arruda 2-2, run; Sean Niblock 2 RBI.
Kalani 3, Kaiser 2
W—Logan Ouchi. L—Jesse Shinagawa.
Leading Hitters—Kaln: Noa Fujitani 2-3, RBI. Kais: Tanner Kagimoto 2-4, RBI.
OIA West
Mililani 4, Nanakuli 2
W—Kayden Suma. L—Micah Nihoa.
Leading Hitters—Nan: Micah Nihoa 2-3, run; Ronald Vea III 2-3. Mil: Malosi Mataafa-Alferos 2-4, run, RBI; Brayden Suehisa 2-4; Calvin Hawes 2-3, RBI; Aukai Araujo-Waiau 3-4, run, RBI.
Campbell 11, Kapolei 1, 5 inn.
W—Carmello Fuller. L—Halona Felix.
Leading Hitters—Camp: Dayton Lorenzo 2 runs; Kayne Carlos 2 runs; Xavier Streadbeck 2-3, run, 2 RBI; Ridge Choy 2 RBI; Hunter Lindsey 2 runs; Julius Guanio 2-3, 2 runs, RBI; Cason Eliptico-Quinata 2-3, 2 RBI.
Aiea 2, Leilehua 0
W—Jonah Takeda. L—Pono Arindain.
Leading Hitters—Aiea: Cody Kamihara run, 2 RBI.
OIA Division II
Kahuku 11, Kalaheo 0
W—Mason Vargas. L—Alika Amasiu.
Leading Hitters—Kah: Gemini Vendiola 3-5, 3 runs, RBI; Malakai Vendiola run, 2 RBI; Orion Ramie 3-3, run, RBI; Madden Soliai 3 runs.
Waialua 17, Kaimuki 0, 5 inn.
W—Ian Dobecki. L—Avin Tanioka.
Leading Hitters—Wail: Davin Almeida 3 runs; Elden Myers 2 runs, RBI; Kaipo Albeso-Notebo 2-3, 2 runs, 4 RBI; Ian Dobecki 2-3, 3 RBI; BJ Keao 2 runs; Eric Boyle 2 runs; Dylan Agricula runs, 2 RBI; Reilly Green 2 runs.
