Alston's grand slam lifts Waiakea to perfect BIIF title season

Jerrell Alston ended a tense title game with one swing, sending a two-strike pitch over the left-field fence with the bases loaded in the fifth inning and turning a 2-2 deadlock into Waiakea’s BIIF Division I championship at Wong Stadium.

Hurley Soong made the lead stand up. The Waiakea pitcher worked the entire game, allowed four hits and struck out four as the Warriors finished the BIIF season 11-0. They did it in commanding fashion, outscoring opponents 109-7 and going nearly two months without allowing a run, numbers that show how thoroughly the Hilo program controlled the island season.

The title also underscored how much production Waiakea got from Alston before the biggest moment of the year. Earlier BIIF coverage said the right fielder entered the championship as the team leader in hits, runs, RBI, doubles, triples and home runs, and head coach Chris Honda said it was the first time in his coaching career that a player had finished a game that way. Alston’s blast also settled the east-side rivalry after Waiakea had beaten Kamehameha-Hawaii 6-4 in the regular season.

Honokaa matched Waiakea’s unbeaten march on the Division II side, finishing 14-0 after rain suspended Tuesday’s championship game against Hawaii Preparatory Academy in the fourth inning and the teams returned Wednesday to complete it. A tarp covered the infield during the delay, a familiar Big Island reminder that weather can shape postseason baseball as much as any matchup.

The two perfect runs made title day feel bigger than a pair of trophy presentations. At Wong Stadium, the island’s longtime baseball showcase, the BIIF’s top programs delivered proof that power in Big Island prep baseball remains concentrated in programs built on steady development, senior leadership and deep community backing from Hilo, Honokaa, Kona and beyond.

Both champions advanced into the 2026 Wally Yonamine Foundation HHSAA state baseball tournaments, which were set to begin May 6 on Oahu. The Hawaii High School Athletic Association listed Waiakea as the BIIF Division I representative and Honokaa as the BIIF Division II representative, with the league sending two Division I and two Division II berths into the state bracket.