Waiākea rolls past Konawaena, sets up East Hawaii championship clash
Waiākea’s 15-0 shutout of Konawaena pushed the Warriors into an all-East Hawaii Division I final against Kamehameha-Hawaii, capping a dominant BIIF run.
East Hawaii baseball moved into title-round territory with four BIIF teams advancing, and Waiākea’s 15-0 run-rule win over Konawaena put the biggest spotlight on an all-East Hawaii championship showdown next week with Kamehameha-Hawaii.
Waiākea needed only four innings Wednesday in Hilo to finish the job. The Warriors scored in every frame, broke the game open with seven runs in the second inning and finished with 12 hits in a game that never tightened. Jerrell Alston handled the rest on the mound, throwing a complete-game shutout and striking out five as Waiākea kept Konawaena from ever finding a foothold.
The result carried extra weight because Waiākea has looked untouchable all season. The Warriors entered the championship game at 10-0 and had outscored opponents 103-5 through 10 games, with a shutout streak that stretched back to March 9. That kind of run does more than fill a standings page. It raises expectations across Hilo, where Waiākea is now one win away from a Division I crown and where every postseason game draws classmates, alumni and longtime supporters into the same stands.
Kamehameha-Hawaii made sure the final would stay close to home. The Warriors swept Hilo in their semifinal series and closed it out with a 5-3 victory in Game 2 after trailing early. That sets up one of the season’s most anticipated local matchups, a championship between familiar East Hawaii rivals with plenty of shared history and little room for surprises.
The BIIF bracket also sent Honokaa and Hawaii Prep into the Division II title round after semifinal sweeps, widening the reach of championship week well beyond the Division I spotlight. For Big Island schools, these games are more than postseason stops; they become island-wide gatherings where family networks, school pride and town loyalties converge around one field. With Waiākea, Kamehameha-Hawaii, Honokaa and HPA all still alive, the BIIF postseason has turned into a full slate of local title games that will keep East Hawaii at the center of spring baseball.
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