Kamehameha edges Saint Louis to win double elimination tourney

Brian Bautista | SL

Kamehameha punched its ticket to states with a 6-5 win over Saint Louis, as Alakai Kiakona's go-ahead RBI single with one out in the top of the eighth proved to be the difference in the victory.

The win marked the fourth straight for the Warriors, who finished the ILH double elimination tournament without a defeat, and forces a winner-take-all playoff with Saint Louis, the first round champion, for an all-important seeded berth in the HHSAA Division state tourney.

Kamehameha parlayed a bases-loaded situation into a three run margin, with a hit by pitch, walk and an error accounting for all scores in the top of the first.

The Crusaders got on the board with a run in the second on a Jadon Murakami single, and took the lead in the third with four runs in the inning, one coming off an error, two via bases loaded walks, and the last on another fielding error that allowed Shea Yamaguchi to score the go-ahead run.

Kamehameha got to within a run on a sacrifice fly by Nalu Grace that scored Kaulana Quinlan, and tied it up in the seventh when Jace Souza came in to score on a wild pitch.

Souza was 2 for 5 with two runs in the game, the only player on either team to collect multiple hits in the contest.

Elai Iwanaga came on in the sixth and allowed no hits or runs in two innings of work, striking out three and walking none to earn the victory, while losing pitcher Shannon Fee allowed two runs on three hits, striking out three and walking two in three innings of work.

The overall championship game, the last game on the ILH baseball slate, is set for Monday, May 6 at Central Oahu Regional Park. First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m.