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Farmers beat Spartans, win regular season

Nainoa Kaahanui of Molokai High School pitches during the second inning Friday. -- The Maui News / BRAD SHERMAN photo

MAKAWAO — With a regular-season title in the balance, the Molokai High School baseball team did enough to tip the scales in its favor.

The Farmers recorded three outs on the basepaths and Nainoa Kaahanui allowed an unearned run in six innings on the way to a 5-1 win over Seabury Hall on Friday at Eddie Tam Field to clinch the top seed in the Maui Interscholastic League Division II tournament.

Molokai (7-1) committed four errors, but Seabury (6-2) had five — leading to three unearned runs — and also allowed a run to come home on a wild pitch.

“We just wanted to capitalize when there were opportunities,” said Farmers coach Ilika Kaahanui.

Nainoa Kaahanui struck out six batters and picked off a runner at first base while allowing four hits. Molokai catcher Kekaiakea Maliu threw out Blayde Omura at third on an attempted steal, and the Farmers also turned a double play.

Kekaiomalu Adachi scores a first-inning run for Molokai. -- The Maui News / BRAD SHERMAN photo

“When there are mistakes, we just work through them,” Nainoa Kaahanui said. “That’s what we always do. We always just bounce back.”

Molokai has won 44 of its last 45 MIL games — the lone loss was to Seabury on March 10 — and is seeking a fifth straight league title. The MIL D-II tournament begins Thursday at Maehara Stadium in Wailuku, and only the overall league champion will earn a spot in the state tournament.

“It doesn’t stop here,” said Ilika Kaahanui. “We still have to keep on winning.”

Molokai scored three times in the first inning. Kekaiomalu Adachi came home on a wild pitch by Ben Belew after advancing two bases on a flyout to left field that left Quintin Tanaka shaken up after he crashed into the fence. Chevy Augustiro later hit a single that drove in Nainoa Kaahanui and Kairos Torres-Umi, both of whom had advanced on an error by Belew earlier in the inning.

Kaimana Nakayama and John Michael Duvauchelle each reached on errors in the sixth and eventually scored.

After the Farmers scored their first three runs, Belew retired 14 of 16 batters, allowing only two walks in that stretch.

“They’re super competitive on and off the field, so nothing really fazes them when they’re down,” said Spartans coach Joe McFarlin. “They locked in real quickly after the three runs.”

* Brad Sherman is at sports@mauinews.com

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Molokai 300 002 0–5 5 4

Seabury Hall 000 001 0–1 4 5

Nainoa Kaahanui, Kekaiomalu Adachi (7) and Kekaikea Maliu. Ben Belew, Drew Belew (6) and D. Belew, Rafe Perrin (6). W–Kaahanui. L–B. Belew.

Leading hitter–D. Belew 2-3.

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MIL STANDINGS

DIVISION I

W L Pct GB

Baldwin 10 1 .909 —

Maui High 8 3 .727 2

Kamehameha Maui 7 4 .636 3

King Kekaulike 3 8 .273 7

Lahainaluna 0 12 .000 10 1⁄2

DIVISION II

W L Pct GB

Molokai 7 1 .875 —

Seabury Hall 6 2 .750 1

Lanai 2 6 .250 5

St. Anthony 1 7 .125 6

Friday’s Results

Lanai 12, St. Anthony 2

Molokai 5, Seabury Hall 1

Baldwin 2, Maui High 1

Kamehameha Maui 9, King Kekaulike 4

Today’s Games

Seabury Hall vs. Lanai at Eddie Tam Field, 10 a.m.

St. Anthony vs. Molokai at Maehara Stadium, 10 a.m.

Kamehameha Maui vs. King Kekaulike at Maehara Stadium, noon

Baldwin vs. Maui High at Maehara Stadium, 2 p.m.

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