Weddle goes distance in Kalani's season opening win over Castle

Kalani starter Dylan Weddle was efficient on the mound, needing just 74 pitches in six inning of work. He allowed three runs, only one of them earned, while walking two and striking out one. Greg Yamamoto | SL

Dylan Weddle threw a complete game three-hitter backed up by 13 runs on 14 hits as Kalani opened up its 2022 league slate with a mercy rule victory over Castle, 13-3.

"This win was definitely important, it gives up a jump start for our season and I think there's more wins to come," said Weddle.

Weddle was efficient on the mound, needing just 74 pitches in six inning of work. He allowed three runs, only one of them earned, while walking two and striking out one.

"Felt great," said Weddle. "Fastball wasn't working today but my curveball and changeup were really good today so I'm happy with that."

Jett Ah Sam scored twice and drove in two more to lead the Falcons' offensively, one of five in the lineup to collect a pair of hits in the contest. Noah Dane Fujitani had a two for four day at the plate and also had the lone extra base hit for Kalani, a double down the left field line that scored the final two runs needed by the home team to invoke the ten-run rule.

"We were just going up there being aggressive mainly and cheering on our guys," said Ah Sam of the team's output in the hit column. "Getting base hit after base hit, just trying to get runs in."

Castle scored in the top of the first on a Kaimana Arruda sacrifice fly, but that lead was short lived for the Knights, as the Falcons plated five runs in the bottom half of the inning on two singles and an error.

The Knights plated a run each in the second and third innings, but were kept off the scoreboard the rest of the way.

Both teams combined for 10 fielding errors in the game, six of them committed by Kalani, but the Knights parlayed those miscues into just a single run, while the Falcons were able to score three runs off of the four Castle errors.

"I'd say it was first game jitters," said Ah Sam of the errors on the afternoon. "We all had that feeling right when we got to the field, but that's what get us amped up. We'll aim to fix those at practice the next day, get back to work on Saturday and try to beat Moanalua."