The bad news about the No. 4 ‘Iolani vs. No. 2 Kamehameha softball game Friday is that it ended in a 4-4 tie.
The good news? Both teams are 2-0-1 and at the top of the Interscholastic League of Honolulu standings.
“You hate to tie,” Warriors head coach James Millwood said.
The game — which featured clutch hitting by both teams — ended after seven full innings due to darkness at the Kamehameha field.
“Coming up here and getting a tie, that’s huge for us,” Raiders head coach Dean Yonamine said.
The two rivals meet again at ‘Iolani on March 29. A year ago, both teams made the state tournament after the Warriors topped the Raiders for the league title.
“I want to play them again and come back fighting,” said Kamehameha starting pitcher Reese Mokuau, who left in the second inning due to control problems and re-entered to strike out four over the final 2 2/3 innings and preserve the tie.
Without usual starter Rayla Jacobs-Kea, who hurt her pitching shoulder Wednesday in a win over Punahou and the date of her return is unknown, three Warriors pitchers walked 11 batters and gave up six hits.
“That’s too many walks; that’s the one thing we don’t like,” Millwood said. “‘Iolani is a very disciplined team and you can’t give them runners like that.”
Fortunately for Kamehameha, the Raiders left 13 runners on the base paths, including the bases loaded three times.
Warriors catcher Kyler Stephens had the biggest clutch hit of the contest — a two-run single off of Aleia Agbayani in the bottom of the fifth to tie it up 4-all.
Previously, in the top half of the fifth, ‘Iolani’s Macy Uehara broke a 2-2 tie with an RBI double to left center. Another run scored on a bases-loaded walk to Agbayani for a 4-2 lead.
Earlier, ‘Iolani held leads of 1-0 and 2-1 — on Kai Barrett’s first-inning RBI single and Ashlyn Okamoto’s solo homer to left center in the second.
“We’re working on it,” Okamoto said when told the Raiders stranded 13 runners. “We all kind of had the jitters for this game. Kamehameha is a really good team and we respect them a lot. They beat us for the ILH championship last year, so we really wanted to go for it and give it our all. (A tie is) better than a loss.”
Kamehameha came back at 1-1 and 2-2 on Stephens’ sacrifice fly in the first and Maiah Motta’s run-scoring single in the fourth.
Raiders pitchers Marcee Nakamura and Agbayani combined to yield seven hits with four walks and four strikeouts.
“Marcee gave us four good innings,” Yonamine said. “And Aleia made some corrections at the end. It’s going to come down to pitching for us. We’ve got a great defense and we’ve always said we’re going to score runs.”
‘Iolani second baseman Leila Anoaina made two catches in the bottom of the seventh, including a hard liner by Alana Cobb-Adams, and the game ended when Agbayani caught Ka‘ili Castillo’s pop-up.
ILH Softball
No. 4 ‘Iolani 4, No. 2 Kamehameha 4
At Kamehameha
| ‘Iolani (2-0-1) |
110 |
020 |
0 |
— |
4 |
6 |
1 |
| KS (2-0-1) |
100 |
120 |
0 |
— |
4 |
7 |
1 |
|
Marcee Nakamura, Aleia Agbayani (5) and Kai Barrett. Reese Mokuau, Alysaa Mahoe (2), Shaylee Alani (4), Mokuau (5) and Kyler Stephens.
Leading hitters—‘Iolani: Macy Uehara 2-5, 2b; Ashlyn Okamoto HR, 2 runs. Kamehameha: Tausani Tavale 2-3; Stephens 3 RBIs; Maiah Motta 3-3.
No. 6 Punahou 13, Mid-Pacific 10
At Punahou
| Mid-Pacific (0-2) |
123 |
013 |
0 |
— |
10 |
7 |
1 |
| Punahou (2-1) |
532 |
000 |
3 |
— |
13 |
13 |
6 |
|
Michaela Fonoti and Lia Nakamoto. Bailey Akimseu, Kennedy Ishii (6) and Janell Sato. W— Ishii. L—Fonoti.
Leading hitters—Mid-Pacific: Beyli Correa 2-4, 2 RBIs. Punahou: D’Asha Saiki 4-4, 3 HRs, 3 runs, 8 RBIs; Kara Tsuruda 2-2; Kelsey Wong 2-4.
Maryknoll 8, St. Francis 7
At Ala Wai Field
| Maryknoll (1-1) |
000 |
014 |
3 |
— |
8 |
13 |
0 |
| St. Francis (1-2) |
002 |
100 |
4 |
— |
7 |
8 |
3 |
|
Kahilu McNicoll, Sydney Kamakaiwi (4), McNicoll (7) and Kiana Arcayena. Sierrah Kupuhea, Tiare Guerrero (6), Kailee Mahelona (7) and Kaena Keliinoi. W—Kamakaiwi. L—Guerrero.
Leading hitters—Maryknoll: McNicoll 2-3, 2 2bs, 2 runs; Kamakaiwi 2-3, 2b, 2 runs; Kaylah Santos 3-4, 2b, 3b, 3 runs, 3 RBIs; Rayna Mekaru 2b, 2 RBIs; Kamalei Labasan 2b. St. Francis: Sammie Ofoia 2b, 2 runs; Kolbee Kealoha 2-2, 2 RBIs; Nanea Kalama 2 RBIs.
OIA WEST SOFTBALL
No. 9 Leilehua 6, No. 7 Mililani 4
At Leilehua
| Mililani (2-1) |
002 |
101 |
0 |
— |
4 |
7 |
1 |
| Leilehua (2-1) |
200 |
040 |
x |
— |
6 |
10 |
3 |
|
Misha Carreira, Cheyenne Ardona (5) and Katie Carlos, Markie Okamoto (5). Kaena Nistal and Staisa Micky. W—Nistal. L—Carreira.
Leading hitters—Mililani: Maya Yoshiura HR, 2 RBIs; Tarah Aniya 2b; Carlos HR. Leilehua: Brandi Leong 2-3, 2b; Alo “Ashley” Salausa 2-4, HR, 2 runs; Nistal 2-3, 2b, HR, 3 RBIs; Gianna Araki 2b; Reilyenne “Pomai” Nahulu HR.
