Kahuku Claims Hawaii HS Baseball Crown in Epic 12-Inning Thriller

HILO — Kahuku High School captured the 2025 HHSAA Division I baseball state championship with a 5-4 victory over Baldwin High School in a 12-inning epic at Wong Stadium on May 3, 2025. Initially reported by Honolulu Civil Beat, the game tested the limits of endurance for both Oahu powerhouses, with Kahuku's bats delivering in the clutch. Red Raiders pitcher Kaimana Alani threw 3.2 scoreless innings of relief to seal the win, striking out four Baldwin hitters in the final frames.

The championship, part of the Wally Yonamine Foundation Baseball State Championships, saw Kahuku rally from a 4-2 deficit in the eighth inning. Infielder Kaiwi Lyon drove in the tying run with a single, setting up shortstop Lono Kamekona's game-winning RBI double in the 12th. Baldwin, champions of the Maui Interscholastic League, stranded 11 runners, including a critical bases-loaded threat in the 10th.

This triumph marks Kahuku's third state title in five years, building on their storied program from the Windward Oahu town of 15,000. Coach Vavae Tata called it 'the gutsiest win we've had,' crediting the team's North Shore grit amid a season disrupted by spring rains. Baldwin coach Casey Rodriguez praised his squad's fight, noting the loss stings but fuels future MIL dominance.

Hosted on Hawaii Island, the series drew over 2,500 fans, underscoring baseball's pull across the pae ʻāina. Kahuku's victory adds to HHSAA lore, falling short of the record 16-inning marathons but etching a new chapter in state tournament history.