Thirty minutes before the first pitch, Kamehameha softball coach Aloha Yamaguchi was a bit stumped.
Her lineup was written up, but she wasn’t 100 percent set. With starters shifted all over the field due to the loss of shortstop Karin Shaver, the Warriors managed to stay composed and rally past ‘Iolani 10-3 Wednesday.
Third-ranked Kamehameha improved to 5-1 in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu, hanging close to front-runner Mid-Pacific.
Lehua Gould went 3-for-4 with a run-scoring triple to lead Kamehameha’s 14-hit attack. Catcher Christine Hipa hammered a solo homer in the fifth to give pitcher Fahren Glackin a boost.
“I was looking for inside and she came inside,” said Hipa, a freshman who now has three homers.
Glackin, a sophomore, entered the game in the top of the third inning and went the rest of the way for the win. In five innings, she allowed one run on no hits with four strikeouts, two walks and three hit batsmen.
“My riser was working in pregame, but I had to make adjustments. My in-shoot, curve, fastball and change-up were working,” said Glackin.
Hipa likes the contrast of pitchers Kamalani Dung, who started, and Glackin.
“Fahren hit her spots the best she could. She picked it up,” Hipa said.
Overcoming the absence of Shaver, who had nonsports related surgery on Tuesday, required some creative shuffling by Yamaguchi. The coach left immediately after the game for a meeting, but her sister, pitching coach Kehau Yamaguchi, said the team responded as well as could be expected.
The changes? Third baseman Misty Hoohuli moved to shortstop, outfielder Rachel Dumlao moved to third, Lehua Gould switched from second base to first and Kaya Naiwi moved in from the outfield to second.
“As coaches, we have confidence in them,” Kehau Yamaguchi said.
‘Iolani fell to 2-4 despite scoring single runs in the first three innings, including two off Dung, a freshman.
“We have confidence in both of them,” Kehau Yamaguchi said of her pitchers. “It’s a different change of speed and there are different pitches they’re better at, so they balance each other out. Both of them are very accurate.”
Dung had problems early, walking the first three Raiders to start the game. Amanda McCaskill’s fielder’s-choice grounder brought Kirstyn Namba home for the first run.
Brielle Asato’s infield single brought home Nani Taniguchi in the second frame to give the visitors a 2-0 lead.
“Nobody panicked. We’ve been having very productive practices,” Kehau Yamaguchi said.
The Warriors tied it in the bottom of the second on a double to right-center by Maelia Zablan, bringing Hoohuli in. Zablan then came home on an infield single by Glackin.
The Raiders regained the lead on a sacrifice fly by Alyssa Espiritu, scoring McCaskill, but Glackin shut them out the rest of the way.
Kamehameha reached ‘Iolani starter Taylor Garcia-Perreira for four runs in the bottom of the fourth. The Warriors strung together four consecutive hits and took advantage of two errors. Gould’s triple to the right-field corner helped Kamehameha take a 6-3 lead.
HIpa’s line shot over the left-field fence opened the margin to four runs in the fifth. Hoohuli added another run on a delayed steal, scoring from third base for an 8-3 lead.
Hipa’s sacrifice fly and Hoohuli’s RBI single to left added two more runs in the sixth for the Warriors.
¯¯¯¯¯
At Kamehameha
‘Iolani (2-4) |
111 |
000 |
0 |
— |
3 |
3 |
3 |
KS (5-1) |
020 |
422 |
x |
— |
10 |
14 |
1 |
Taylor Garcia-Ferreira, Nani Taniguchi (5) and Kirstyn Namba. Kamalani Dung, Fahren Glackin (3) and Christine Hipa.
W—Glackin. L—Garcia-Ferreira.
Leading hitters—‘Iolani: Namba 1-3, run; Brielle Asato 1-2; Taniguchi 1-3, run. Kamehameha: Nohea Keaunui-Gould 1-3, double, run; Hipa 2-2, HR, double, 2 runs, RBI; Misty Hoohuli 1-3, 3 runs, RBI; Lehua Gould 3-4, triple, RBI; Maelia Zablan 2-4, double, RBI, run; Glackin 2-3, run.
No. 1 Mid-Pacific 16, St. Francis 0, 5 innings
Nicole Lopez hit a home run and drove in four runs as the Owls mercy-ruled the Saints.
At Kamamalu Park
MPI (6-0) |
241 |
72 |
— |
16 |
19 |
0 |
StF (3-4) |
000 |
00 |
— |
0 |
4 |
4 |
Keiki Carlos, Kayla Au (5) and Nicole Lopez, Taylor Oda (4), Nicole Lopez (5). Rasela Vili, Brooke Langsi (4) and Kelsie Hee.
W—Carlos. L—Vili.
Leading hitters—MPI: Oda 2-2, 2B, 2 RBIs; Lopez 2-4, 2B, HR, 4 RBIs; Aliitasi Docktor 2-3, 2B, 3B, 2 RBIs; Carlos 2-4, 2B, RBI; Gabi Hollinger 2-3, 3B, RBI; Karis Kochi 2-3; Amanda Kurose 2B, RBI; Kacy Aoki 2B.
Sacred Hearts 5, Pac-Five 1
Pitcher Jordyn Waracka went the distance as the Lancers defeated the Wolfpack.
At Ala Wai Community Park
SHA (3-4) |
101 |
300 |
0 |
— |
5 |
4 |
4 |
P5 (2-3) |
000 |
001 |
0 |
— |
1 |
5 |
0 |
Jordyn Waracka and Raven Sapla. Kaleihiwa Ah New, Anuhea Memea (6) and Courtney Kipi.
W—Waracka. L—Ah New.
Leading hitters—SHA: Jamie Tang 3 runs; Jamie Toler 2 RBIs. P5: Paige Salavea 2B.