Kamehameha holds off Punahou, 5-3, for first win

Kamehameha starter Kewby Meyer allowed 2 runs in 4 1/3 innings of work to earn the victory. Brien Ing | SL

Kewby Meyer and Po'okela Benanua combined on a six-hitter and Hoku Botelho went 3 for 3 with two RBIs and two stolen bases today to help Kamehameha hold off Punahou, 5-3, in Interscholastic League of Honolulu baseball action.

The victory at Ala Wai Field was the Warriors' first after five ILH games; the seven-time defending state champion Buffanblu fell to 3-2.

"The first win is always the toughest," Kamehameha coach Vern Ramie said. "We had a tough series against Saint Louis (going 0-3), we played well the first two games but in the last game and the first game against Punahou, we made mental mistakes. We just had to stay positive, and it finally paid off."

Meyer, a three-year starter at first base, allowed two runs -- both earned -- on four hits with three strikeouts in four and one-thirds innings, and Benanua allowed one run on two hits with two strikeouts in two and two-thirds innings to earn the save.

"Kewby pitched well, that was also the first time we've used Po'okela this season," Ramie said.

The Warriors, who lost to Punahou, 11-1, on Saturday, jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning after Tyler Meditz' sacrifice fly and a run-scoring single by Botelho. The Buffanblu cut the lead in half in the second on Nathan Higa's RBI groundout, but Kamehameha got the run back in the bottom half on a run-scoring double by Ali'i Pedrina.

The Warriors then made it 4-1 in the third inning on a two-out, RBI single by Botelho.

The teams traded runs in the fifth, with Punahou cutting it to 4-2 on Lanson Yamamoto's run-scoring double and Kamehameha pushing the led to 5-2 after Meyer walked, stole second and scored on an outfield error after Botelho's single.

Higa then led off the sixth inning with a towering solo home run over the fence in right-center field, and Rick Nomura drew a leadoff walk in the seventh.

But Benanua induced a high pop-up to the mound and doubled off Nomura at first, then got a strikeout to end the game.

"That double play was huge," Ramie said. "(The Buffanblu) always fight to the end, and they had Nomura and (Ryan) Yamane coming up (in the seventh), so you never know what can happen."

Meyer went 2 for 2 with three runs scored, and Pedrina went 2 for 4.

"They swung the bats and hit the ball, and that shows their character," Buffanblu coach Eric Kadooka said of the Warriors.

Yamamoto went 2 for 4 and Kainoa Harrison went 2 for 3 for Punahou.