Ah Yat pitches, hits Kailua to victory

Jalen Ah Yat came in to pitch the final 1 2/3 innings and closed out the win with a walk-off single to right field. CJ Caraang | SL

MANOA — Jalen Ah Yat delivered the game-winning hit that allowed him to pick up a pitching win in Kailua's 6-5 victory against Kalani Saturday at Les Murakami Stadium.

Ah Yat threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief — the fifth pitcher used by the Surfriders (4-1) — then broke a 5-all game with two outs in the bottom of the seventh with an RBI single against the Falcons (1-4). Kailua shares first place in the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I East with Kaiser (4-1).

Kalani relief pitcher Riece Myers retired the first two batters in the seventh before walking Kayde Iranon, who reached third when pinch hitter Kayleb Mahuka-Lono reached first on a throwing error by third baseman Kaden Stremick. Mahuku-Lono stole second before Brandon Sarae walked to load the bases. Ah Yat lined a 2-2 pitch to right to drive in Iranon to end the game.

Kailua took a 2-0 lead in the fourth on Sarae's two-run double. Kalani sent 11 batters to the plate in a five-run fifth on an RBI single by Brandon Ting, a bases-loaded hit batsman by Jace Tsunami, a bases-loaded walk by Davis Sato and two-run single by Spencer Kim.

Kailua tied the game with a three-run bottom of the fifth. Orion Medeiros scored on an error after a single by Keanu Kalaola, who later scored on a double by Bryson Ewaliko, who scored an out later on Blazen Lono-Wong's single.

Both teams combined to issue 16 walks — nine by Kailua, seven by Kalani. Both teams' starting pitchers accounted for nine of those walks: Kalani's Tyrus Viela walked four and Kailua's Ryan Inouye walked five.