The Wally Yonamine Foundation Division I State Baseball Championships kicked off with a thriller, as Hilo outlasted King Kekaulike 8-6 in an eight-inning marathon at Hans L’Orange Park. The game had all the drama of a classic postseason clash—early leads, late heroics, and a nail-biting finish.

With the score tied 6-6 in the top of the eighth, Hilo senior catcher Cole Hatayama stepped to the plate with two outs and delivered the biggest hit of the game. He ripped a 2-1 pitch down the right-field line, clearing the 337-foot sign for a double that scored Logan Schlueter and Braden Ota, putting Hilo ahead for good. Tyson Santiago followed with a triple to right field, adding an insurance run that proved crucial.

“He’s our leader,” Hilo coach Baba Lancaster said of Hatayama. “I told him from the beginning of the season, ‘wherever you take us this year, that’s where we are going to go.’”

Hilo pitcher Liam Villanueva, who entered in relief, faced a tense bottom of the eighth. He allowed a run but escaped further damage by inducing a foul pop near first base that Santiago handled, stranding runners on first and second to seal the victory.

The game started with Hilo jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, capitalizing on a pair of errors by King Kekaulike second baseman Taylor Hashimoto and a dropped throw by starting pitcher Keona Baraza. But King Kekaulike answered quickly in the bottom half, as Cove Campas launched a towering home run over the left-field fence—estimated at more than 370 feet—to drive in Baraza and tie the game.

Baraza was a force for King Kekaulike, collecting three hits and pitching into the sixth inning. However, Hilo chased him with a three-run outburst, capped by Santiago’s double. Santiago and Hatayama each finished with three hits for the Vikings, setting the table for the extra-inning drama.

The victory avenges a preseason loss to King Kekaulike and sends Hilo into a second-round matchup against ILH champion Kamehameha. “I know they are a pretty good team,” Lancaster said. “We just have to show up and play hard. Every team is good at states.”