Baldwin is a perfect 10-0 against King Kekaulike since March of 2022 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Wednesday. Baldwin will look to defend their home field against King Kekaulike at 4:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Baldwin is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Hawaii's top teams: Maui, who was ranked ninth at the time (Baldwin was ranked third). Baldwin was the clear victor by a 10-3 margin over Maui on Saturday. The win was just business as usual for the Bears, who after six games remain undefeated this season.
Hope Batulayan-Cadorna
| 03/29/25 @ Maui | 2 |
| 03/26/25 vs Kamehameha Maui | 2 |
| 03/19/25 @ Lahainaluna | 0 |
| 03/12/25 vs Maui | 2 |
Hope Batulayan-Cadorna spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned runs on nine hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Baldwin got a massive performance out of Khaili Higa (Yaya), who went 1-for-2 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base. That home run was Higa (Yaya)'s first of the season. Another player making a difference was Bailey Nagasako (Bailey), who went 3-for-4 with three RBI, one triple, and one double.
Baldwin hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now struck out at most four strikeouts every time they've taken the field this season.
Meanwhile, King Kekaulike came tearing into Saturday's contest with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 9 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They blew past the Warriors 12-2.
Trista Otani and Kamalei Kekaualua made a splash no matter where they played. Throwing, Otani tossed four innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits. Meanwhile, Kekaualua tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. At the plate, Otani scored a run while going 1-for-3, while Kekaualua scored a run while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Chiyo Salas, who scored four runs while going 2-for-4. Aki Tamayose was another key player, scoring three runs while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances.
Baldwin pushed their record up to 6-0 with the victory, which was their fifth straight on the road dating back to last season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 15.6 runs over those games. As for King Kekaulike, their victory bumped their record up to 5-1.
Wednesday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Baldwin hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .509. However, it's not like King Kekaulike struggles in that department as they've averaged .358. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Baldwin beat King Kekaulike 11-6 when the teams last played on March 5th. Will Baldwin repeat their success, or does King Kekaulike has a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
