Waimea's hopes of claiming its first state baseball title appeared all but extinguished.

Trailing by nine through three innings, the Menehune instead ignited its offense to rally to an 11-10 win over Kamehameha-Hawaii in the final of the Wally Yonamine Foundation/HHSAA Division II State Baseball Championship last night at Hans L'Orange Park.

Kamehameha-Hawaii batted around in the second and third innings in racing to a commanding lead. But Waimea sent 13 batters to the plate in an eight-run fourth and vaulted ahead with two more in the top of the fifth.

After KS-Hawaii tied the game in the bottom of the fifth, Waimea reclaimed the lead at 11-10 on Kalani Fernandez's two-out RBI single in the top of the sixth.

Fernandez, who was credited with two three-inning saves earlier in the tournament, corralled the KS-Hawaii offense over the final 4 1/3 innings to earn the win and tourney most outstanding player honors.

Waimea had jumped on its first two opponents of the tournament, scoring 14 runs in the first and second innings. But KS-Hawaii starter Kaimana Moike struck out four over the first two innings last night and the Warriors bolted ahead with five runs in the bottom of the second and four in the third.

Nainoa Hart opened the scoring with an RBI single and Maverick Kang—who earned a complete-game win over Hawaii Prep in the semifinals—doubled off the left-field fence to drive in Gideon Kalili. Hart later scored on a wild pitch and Jayce Carvalho singled in Kang. Kupono Correa's sacrifice fly to right brought in Thomas Kackley, who reached on a walk.

Moike got two quick outs in the third before loading the bases on a hit batter, an error and a walk. But he got Shylen-John Keuma to fly out to left to end the threat.

Kang delivered another RBI double in the bottom of the inning and scored when Carvalho's fly ball fell in. The Warriors' lead reached 9-0 when Taylor Goo was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Carvalho scored on Moike's infield single.

After stranding five runners in scoring position in the first three innings, Waimea's offense awoke in the top of the fourth. Dylan Ishihara led off the inning with a single and scored on a single by Chyson Soares. Fernandez later drove in two runs with a sharp single to center, Micah Rita brought in two more with a triple to center field and Soares capped the rally with his second RBI single of the inning.

Rita then gave Waimea its first lead with a two-run single in the top of the fifth and the Warriors knotted the game at 10 when Cody Walker scored from third on an error on Kalili's grounder.

Fernandez answered for the Menehune with a two-out RBI single in the sixth and shut out the Warriors the rest of the way to send the Division II title back to the Garden Isle.