Punahou carried a big wrench Friday night and tinkered with Kamehameha’s path toward clinching the Interscholastic League of Honolulu regular-season baseball title.
The Buffanblu rocked Kamehameha starting pitcher Hunter Breault early and rolled to a 7-3 victory at Ala Wai Community Park. Instead of going into today’s regular-season finale needing just a win to sew up first place and a berth in the state tournament, the Warriors (11-3) are depending on some help from the same Punahou squad they just lost to.
Kamehameha, ranked No. 2 in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser Top 10, plays Mid-Pacific at 3 p.m. and its fate could be determined by how No. 4 Saint Louis does against the Buffanblu at noon. If No. 7 Punahou wins, the Warriors wrap up the regular-season crown with a win over the Owls. If both Kamehameha and the Crusaders win or both lose, another game will be scheduled next week for the pennant.
No matter how that turns out, all ILH teams will enter next week’s postseason tournament, where a second state berth will be on the line.
“Our guys have been working on their approach at the plate; we haven’t hit that well this season,” Buffanblu coach Keenan Sue said. “I think they made some really good adjustments and that, coupled with Hunter walking a couple of guys, turned out good for us.”
In the first inning, Punahou (8-5) erupted for four runs on three walks and two hits, but the biggest blow was an outfield error that allowed two to cross the plate. Kyson Donahue collected an RBI with a groundout and Noah Loughlin hit a run-scoring single.
Four singles and two more Kamehameha errors helped the Buffanblu add three runs in the third. Of Punahou’s seven runs against Breault, only one was earned.
The Warriors chipped away for single runs in the first, third and fifth. Kawai Takemura led off with a triple in the bottom of the first and scored on a double play. Logan Salcedo and Takemura drove in runs with singles in the third and fifth.
“Punahou prepared well,” Kamehameha coach Thomas Perkins said. “They were on (Breault’s) ball and he didn’t have his stuff today, so he struggled. It happens. My mistake was leaving him in a little too long. We’ve got to work hard to get that first batter out every inning. That’s really important because that drives what’s going to happen in the inning. We didn’t do well at that today and we walked guys.”
Buffanblu winning pitcher William Bisho went 41⁄3 innings and gave up six hits and all three runs. He had relief help from Riley Guieb and Andrew Matsueda.
“(Bisho) threw strikes, and he threw first-pitch strikes,” Sue said. “That always changes the complexion of the at-bat. He did that better than he’s done it all year. Riley came in and he had all of his pitches and Andrew closed it out.”
Two Warriors relievers — Jesse Awa and especially Christian DeJesus — were in top form and shut out Punahou over the final 42⁄3 innings. DeJesus struck out five.
“Christian, he’s a sophomore and he had his stuff and was looking good,” Perkins said. “In hindsight, maybe we started the wrong guy.
“Today’s done. We’re just gonna come back and be who we are and play our game.”
Punahou can be a spoiler for a second day in a row.
“We’ll see,” Sue said. “That’s what we hope to do.”
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No. 7 Punahou 7, No. 2 Kamehameha 3
At Ala Wai Park
>> Punahou (8-5) 403 000 0 — 7 8 0
>> KSK (11-3) 101 010 0 — 3 7 3
William Bisho, Riley Guieb (5), Andrew Matsueda (7) and Matthew Nakamoto. Hunter Breault, Jesse Awa (3), Christian DeJesus (5) and Dylan Salcedo. W—Bisho. L—Breault.
Leading hitters—PUN: Cole Cabrera SB; Matsueda 2 runs; Kyson Donahue RBI; Noah Loughlin 2-4, RBI; Brent Shimoda 2B; Kai Terada-Herzer SB; Michael Viola SB. KSK: Kawai Takemura 3-4, RBI; Logan Salcedo RBI; Wilhelm Cordes 2-2; Chaeston Chon SB.
No. 4 Saint Louis 6, Maryknoll 1
At Ala Wai Park
>> Maryknoll (1-12) 100 000 0 — 1 5 3
>> Saint Louis (11-3) 114 000 x — 6 6 1
Noah Kinder, Kody Miyamoko (3), Kaylen Furuta (6), Bryce Otsuka (6), Michael Morgia (6) and Justice Yamashita. Dylan Lum, Walter Gouveia (6), Makana Fo (7) and Kai Alquiza, Jonah Zembik (6). W—Lum. L—Kinder.
Leading hitters—MS: Shane Himida 2-4, run. STL: Charlie Lopez 2-3, 2 2bs, run.
No. 9 Mid-Pacific 6, ‘Iolani 5
At Mid-Pacific
>> ‘Iolani (4-10) 003 000 2 — 5 7 1
>> Mid-Pacific (6-8) 112 200 X — 6 8 1
Jonah Miyazawa, Aaron Wehrman (5) and Blake Hiraki. Corey Takahasi, Shane Adams (3) and Kyle Layugan. W—Adams. L—Miyazawa.
Leading Hitters—IOL: Shaydon Kubo 4-4, 2 HRs, 3 RBIs, 2 runs; Matt Inaba 2-4, run, 3b, RBI. MPI: Layugan 2-3, 3 RBIs; Jacob Yoshino 2-3, 2B, run.
