Baseball Wins 3-Game Sweep

The Molokai High School Boys Baseball Team improved to 6-1 on the season with three wins over visiting Lanai (1-6) last weekend at Duke Maliu Park in Kaunakakai. Saturday’s game was the Farmers’ last home game of the season so it was senior day, honoring the team’s seven seniors: Aaron Rapanot, Kairos Torres-Umi, Paul Kanemitsu-Toa, John Michael Mokiao-Duvachelle, Jayden Dudoit-Tabilangan, Nainoa Bishaw-Mokiao and Kekaiakea Maliu.

Thursday’s game had lefthander Nainoa Kaahanui on the mound for Molokai and the Farmers got the win 12-2 in six innings. Kaahanui had seven strikeouts and was 2-3 at the plate with one RBI and two runs scored. Cody Hunter Hiro was 2-2 with two runs scored and Mokiao-Duvachelle was also 2-2 at the plate. Lanai’s Blaise Dimaya was 2-2 with a double and a triple and two RBIs.

On Friday, the Farmers had Dudoit-Tabilangan on the mound and Molokai won 9-7 in seven innings. Dudoit-Tabilangan had six strikeouts. Maliu was 1-2 with a run scored; Chevy Augustiro was 1-2 with double and two runs scored. Naighel Calderon had a triple and two runs scored for the Pine Lads.

Saturday’s game was the seniors’ last home game and Torres-Umi pitched a great game with five strikeouts in a 16-2 victory in five innings. Torres-Umi was also 2-3 at the plate with a double and a triple and two runs scored and two RBIs. Rapanot was 2-3 with double. Augustiro was 3-3 with three runs scored. Kekai Adachi was 2-2 with three runs scored and two RBIs.

Head Coach Ilika Kaahanui was pleased with the wins.

“Our boys played good and with the pitchers throwing strikes and the batters getting hits we were able to score a number of runs and get the wins in this three game series,” he said.

Torres-Umi, who along with his teammates has dedicated this season to his late father William “Uncle Bill” Umi III,  is looking forward to a successful season.

“It was a great feeling playing in my last home game but it was bittersweet,” he said. “I’ve had my four years of Farmer Baseball here and it was a tough road with some ups and downs but I am happy that I persevered through. This season is going to be a good one.”

The Farmers will have a week off before finishing the season on Maui with single games against St. Anthony and Seabury on March 31 and April 1. The MIL Championships are at Maehara Stadium on Maui on April 13-15.