Valez

WAILUKU — The Kamehameha Schools Maui baseball team has not been to the Wally Yonamine Foundation/HHSAA state tournament since 2018, but that will change next week when the Warriors board a plane on Monday afternoon and play a first-round game on Tuesday.

Thanks to pitcher Raige Velez and a stellar defense, the Warriors blanked Maui High 2-0 on Friday in a game that started Wednesday, only to be stopped in the top of the fifth inning due to pouring rain.

Velez threw only 39 pitches Wednesday to get through four innings and thus by national rule — one day of rest is required for pitchers who throw more than 35 pitches — he was able to finish a four-hit shutout on Friday at Maehara Stadium.

Combined with Saturday’s complete-game 8-1 win over the Sabers in a must-win for the Warriors in the Maui Interscholastic League tournament semifinals, Velez held Maui High to one run and 10 hits, struck out three and walked one over 14 remarkable innings.

“Oh, it feels amazing, I can’t really ask for more,” Velez said. “My team did what they did, it’s just a good feeling, never really been in this situation before and it just comes natural. I did what I did and had fun.”

Kamehameha Maui was swept by the Sabers in their three-game set in the regular season and went 1-5 against Maui High and Baldwin. Now, at 9-6, the Warriors are headed to the state tournament for just the third time since winning the MIL crown in 2009.

The Warriors committed just two errors against the Sabers in their last two wins.

“Full confidence,” Velez, a right-handed senior headed to NCAA Division III St. Martin’s University in Lacey, Wash., said of his defense. “Without that, it’s not possible. I’m confident with them with all my heart.”

The Sabers immediately got out of the runners on first and second, one-out situation in the top of the fifth when the game resumed Friday.

Kamehameha Maui’s Laiku Wong put down a sacrifice bunt that pitcher Jonah Richardson fielded and threw to first for the second out. Maui High first baseman Kanale Kuloloia fired to the plate to nail pinch runner Teiva Kauhaa-Po trying to score from second.

The Sabers got a leadoff single from Chris Mata in the bottom of the fifth, but the inning ended scoreless on a 6-4-3 double-play grounder off the bat of Drechen Vinoray-Perreira.

The Warriors got a two-out single from Halii Dudoit and Duke Aloy followed with a tough grounder to third base that was mishandled for an error, putting runners on first and second.

Kamole Gilliland followed with a sharp grounder down the third-base line that was also mishandled for an error, making it 2-0 and leaving runners at first and third. Richardson got out of further trouble by inducing a flyout to center by Bransyn Hong.

With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Nariyuki Dumlao singled to center and Haiden Sanchez followed with a single to right to put runners on first and third, but Nick Nashiwa grounded out to end the threat.

Kamahao Akima reached on an error, the Sabers’ third of the game, to start the top of the seventh inning, but he was thrown out by catcher David Vergel de Dios trying to steal second base. Japheth Joaquin and Wong each grounded out to second base to end the inning.

In the bottom of the seventh, Vergel de Dios reached on an error and Aaron Omuro came on to courtesy run. Mata grounded out to second base for the first out, Omuro taking second base on the play.

Kuloloia fouled out to right field and Vinoray-Perreira flied out to center field to end the game.

It was a tough loss for the Sabers (10-4), who lost four of their last five games to miss the state tournament less than two weeks after being the consensus No. 1-ranked team in the state.

“We fought all the way to the end, to the last,” Maui High coach Chase Corniel said. “And I’m proud of my boys. We’re looking forward to next year and just gotta continue to work.”

Corniel was impressed with Velez.

“I tip my hat off to him, he pitched a hell of a game,” Corniel said.

The Warriors led 1-0 with two on and one out in the top of the fifth inning when the game was postponed by rain on Wednesday.

In the top of the second, Hong smacked a one-out, ground-rule double over the left-field fence and took third on a wild pitch.

Maui High’s Logan Kuloloia struck out Kamahao Akima for the second out and Japheth Joaquin walked to put runners on first and third. The Sabers threw out Joaquin in a rundown, but Hong scored on the play to make it 1-0.

In the end, Kamehameha Maui coach Shane Dudoit was all smiles.

“We talked to these kids about just getting better every day, get us to play the last game of the season, and that gives us the best chance,” Dudoit said. “These kids have done it, they believed in what we were preaching to these guys. You know, it’s a great win for them, a great win for Kamehameha Schools.”

Dudoit shook his head when asked about Velez.

“Definitely, he’s always had the tools,” Dudoit said. “And now when he has guys behind him, we can score runs, we can manufacture runs, it makes it a lot more comfortable for him to throw with that defense behind him.”

n Robert Collias is at rcollias@mauinews.com

KS Maui 010 001 0–2 3 1

Maui High 000 000 0–0 4 3

Raige Velez and Duke Aloy; Logan Kuloloia, Jonah Richardson (5) and David Vergel de Dios. 2B–Kamehameha Maui, Bransyn Hong; Maui High, Nariyuki Dumlao.

Leading hitter–Maui High, Dumlao 2-3.