Shane Sasaki’s newfound power surge is electrifying.
Sasaki went 4-for-4 with two home runs on Tuesday afternoon as No. 2 ‘Iolani overwhelmed No. 10 Kamehameha 12-6 at the Raiders’ field.
‘Iolani improved to 4-0 in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu, handing Kamehameha (3-1) its first loss. The Warriors got a grand slam by Javyn Pimental in the fifth inning to avoid a TKO loss.
“All credit goes to ‘Iolani. They took advantage of our mistakes,” Kamehameha first-year head coach Daryl Kitagawa said.
‘Iolani (14-3 overall) is now 8-1 on its home field since the start of nonconference play. Punahou, at 3-0, is the only other unbeaten team in league play.
“We swung the bat OK and we threw some strikes,” Raiders coach Kurt Miyahira said. “Kamehameha is a good quality team. They’re dangerous now and they’re going to get better. Daryl is doing a great job.”
Sasaki, a center fielder and cleanup hitter, didn’t miss very often, and 20 added pounds of muscle since last year is helping.
“Our bats have been rolling,” said Sasaki, a returning All-State outfielder who did not homer in 67 at-bats last year. “It’s our senior year. We’re hitting and having a lot of fun. We always pick each other up.”
The Raiders scored early and often. In the bottom of the first inning, Kamehameha third baseman Pa‘a Elarionoff struggled with a high pop fly in foul ground and dropped the ball, giving leadoff hitter Shayden Kubo (3-for-4) new life. He singled to left, and when Micah Miyahira singled to center, the throw home by Kade Yasui sailed to the backstop, allowing Kubo to score.
Micah Yonamine followed with a double to right center, plating Miyahira for a 2-0 lead. Sasaki struggled with two sharp benders from Kamehameha pitcher Kelena Sauer, but jumped on a 1-2 fastball down the middle and clouted it over the center-field fence to open ‘Iolani’s margin to four runs.
In the second, Kubo and Yonamine singled, and Sasaki singled to right, scoring Kubo. Aaron Ujimori’s two-out single brought two more runs home to give the Raiders a 7-0 lead.
The visitors got on the scoreboard in the third. Josiah Pekelo doubled with two outs against Ujimori and came home on a throwing error by the shortstop, Kubo, on a grounder by Kaeden Shim.
In the fourth, ‘Iolani made up for it with four runs against new pitcher Joey Mahiai-Paleka. Sasaki went after a 3-2 fastball and drilled it over the left-field fence to lead off the inning. With one out, Ujimori singled and scored on a double by Taner Aranaydo. Blake Hiraki then sent a high fly ball over left for a two-run shot, his second homer in as many games. That boosted ‘Iolani’s lead to 11-1 entering the top of the fifth.
Thoughts of a TKO win were extinguished, though, by the Warriors. Yasui and Shim singled, and Ujimori was replaced by Andrew Quemado, who hit Racoma to load the bases.
Pimental then cranked a 1-1 pitch over the “One Team” banner on the right-field fence for a grand slam. That cut ‘Iolani’s lead to 11-5.
The Raiders got a two-out double by Sasaki off new pitcher Trayce Young in the bottom of the fifth. Facing the Warriors’ fourth hurler, Kala‘e Holt, Jacob Hinderleider singled to left, scoring Sasaki for a seven-run lead.
Kamehameha’s final run came on a single by Keala Alcon, who stole second base and scored on a single by Shim. That reduced ‘Iolani’s lead to 12-6 going into the bottom of the sixth.
