Kailua's Keanu Kalaola scores the game's final run as the Farrington defense awaits a ball that rolled deep into left field. Michael Lasquero | SL

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_19031014_BASE-3.9.19-KAILvsFARR-0954.jpg - Michael Lasquero | SL

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KALIHI — In a game that was more about grit than style, Kailua downed host Farrington, 12-8, Saturday in Oahu Interscholastic Association East baseball at Joey DeSa Field.

The Surfriders (1-1) squandered an 8-0 lead, but snapped the 8-all game with two unearned runs in the sixth and two earned runs in the seventh to turn away the Governors (1-1).

Bryson Ewaliko delivered at the plate with a 3-for-5 performance with two RBIs. But pro scouts came to see him pitch. He did not disappoint, velocity-wise, sitting at 88 mph for the first three innings, according to one scout's report. But Ewaliko could not get out of the fourth inning with an 8-0 lead. He pitched 3 2/3 innings and left having thrown 104 pitches. He allowed two hits, but walked eight and struck out as many. Ewaliko, formerly known as Ballesteros, an All-Hawaii first-team selection last season when he did not allow an earned run, was charged with two earned runs. He made no excuses for his uncharacteristic outing.

"I just have to get into the groove of pitching more," Ewaliko said. "I just didn't have it today."

"I think we're just behind in our pitching right now," Kailua coach Corey Ishigo said. "He was a lot more wild than he was last year and I know he's a better pitcher than how he performed today, but we just have to get back to work and do what we normally do to get him back to throwing strikes."

Ewaliko was pleased his team managed to withstand the fight from the Governors, who won the OIA Division II title last season.

"It was great to have this win," Ewaliko said. "We always battle hard."

Raven Gauthe-Santos, who allowed the tying run to score in the fifth, was credited with the win in one inning of work. Shai Lolo-Tamashiro pitched two perfect innings for the save.

Treven Isobe, who allowed two unearned runs in 3 2/3 innings of relief, took the loss. Starting pitcher Caleb Sherman lasted only 1 2/3 innings, allowing eight runs, all unearned.

The teams combined for eight errors with Farrington committing five that had a hand in 10 unearned runs.

"That's supposed to be one of our strengths and we stunk it up today," Farrington coach Eric Tokunaga said of his team's fielding. "(Kailua) scored the eight runs after the two outs. That's what's really disappointing. We're usually solid defensively and we've been falling apart lately, so we gotta fix it."

Although the performance was disappointing on both sides - Kailua issuing 11 walks and Farrington's errors - the teams did show resilience. The Governors rallied from an 8-0 deficit against a perennial contending team and the Surfriders still pulled off the win.

"We just have to throw more strikes, pitch, play defense," Ishigo said. "We have to do a better job ourselves."

"I think we're going to be OK in the long run," Tokunaga said.

Kailua sent 14 batters to the plate in an eight-run second inning, when the Governors committed three errors, all with two out. Matt Kaleohi and Ewaliko each had two-run doubles to highlight the frame.

Ewaliko's first inning was telling when he walked the bases loaded with no out. But he struck out Jayden Soriano, got Landon Furukawa to hit a grounder to first to force a runner at home and struck out Reese Shioji to escape the jam. Ewaliko would strand runners in scoring position in the second and third innings, but the walks finally cost him in the fourth with two out. After walking his eight batter, he struck out his eighth on a wild pitch that moved the runners into scoring position. Kamaehu Sanchez, who walked his first two times up, lined a two-run single to center to pull the Govs to 8-2. Mikey Hanano came in for Ewaliko and got Soriano to pop out to second to end the inning.

Hanano, though, allowed a walk and two flare singles to load the bases with no out in the fifth. He walked in a run before giving way to Gauthe-Santos, who got Kimo Wilinski on an RBI ground out to first to make it 8-4. Kody Pilor walked to reload the bases, but Clyde Enos fouled out to shortstop. Sanchez followed with a two-run single down the left-field line to pull to Farrington to 8-6. Pilor took third and Sanchez made it to second on a throwing error to the infield. Soriano beat out a single to short and courtesy runner Alex Iramina scored on a throwing error to home to tie the game at 8 before Furukawa struck out.

But errors continued to haunt the Governors. The Surfriders had the bases loaded with two out in the sixth when Brandon Sarae reached on an error that scored two runs to give Kailua a 10-8 lead. Kailua added two in the seventh on Lolo-Tamashiro's two-run double.

Farrington resumes play Wednesday at Kaiser, while Kailua will visit Castle on Friday,