With a four-run lead and two out in the seventh, Punahou appeared ready to ease into the next round of the ILH postseason softball tournament.
But with 39 years in the game behind him, Buffanblu assistant Clyde Freitas knew better than to relax.
“I don’t consider anything safe until the end of the game,” Freitas said.
The Buffanblu felt a lot less safe after ‘Iolani’s Kaulawena Reis-Moniz slammed a three-run home run to cut the lead to one. But they could breathe easier when senior pitcher Jaci Young caught a pop-up for the final out of a 5-4 victory Wednesday at Punahou.
After surviving the ‘Iolani rally, Buffanblu will host today’s tournament final against Maryknoll with the ILH’s second berth in the Division I state tournament at stake.
Kamehameha secured the league’s seeded berth as the regular-season champion. Maryknoll joined Punahou in today’s final with a 3-1 win over defending state champion Mid-Pacific.
“To keep playing with these girls, they’re a great group and they’re a lot of fun and I’m just glad we were able to put it together,” Young said.
Young helped extend Punahou’s season another day by striking out 10 in a complete-game victory. She stranded six through the first five innings, including four in scoring position, to protect a 1-0 lead.
“(Catcher) Kylie (Popovich) called a great game; she was able to keep them off balance, so the credit goes to her,” Young said. “I just pitch whatever she calls.”
‘Iolani junior Taylor Garcia-Perreira, who’d earned a win over Punahou early in the season, kept the Raiders within a run until the Buffanblu put together a four-run sixth inning, with Young contributing a two-run single.
But Freitas still didn’t find much comfort in the margin.
“ ‘Iolani’s a very dangerous team,” said Freitas, who is leading the Buffanblu this week while head coach Bob Makahilahila is on the mainland.
“It seems every time we play them, they step it up a notch. We knew coming into the game we had to be at our best.”
‘Iolani put two runners on in the seventh, but two force plays at second left the Raiders down to their final out. They were one strike away from elimination when an error on Spencer Oda’s grounder allowed ‘Iolani’s first run to score.
Reis-Moniz had pulled several pitches deep but foul earlier in the game while going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. She made solid contact again in her final at-bat and this time she kept it fair to heighten the drama.
“Ula was having a rough day, so as a senior it was nice for her to finish her career like that, bring us back and make the game exciting,” ‘Iolani coach Corey Okamura said.
The excitement lasted two more pitches before Young got the pop-up to end the game and set up today’s high-stakes meeting with Maryknoll.
“It was a nice sense of relief for the game to be over because they were building momentum,” Young said.
At Punahou
‘Iolani (11-7) 000 000 4 — 4 5 4
Punahou (14-3) 001 004 x — 5 7 2
Taylor Garcia-Perreira, Vesi Liilii (6) and Cassie Ho. Jaci Young and Kylie Popovich. W—Young. L—Garcia-Perreira.
Leading hitters—‘Iolani: Brielle Asato, 2B; Kaulawena Reis-Moniz, HR, 3 RBIs. Punahou: Thalen Masada, 3B, RBI; Nicole Nishizawa, 3-3, 2B, RBI; Young, 2-3, 2 RBIs; Sarah Sumida, 2B.
Maryknoll 3, Mid-Pacific 1
Shearyna Labasan pitched a four-hit complete game and three Spartans paired hits to keep Maryknoll alive for an ILH state berth.
Maryknoll will play at Punahou today for the ILH’s second berth. The season is over for two-time defending state champion Mid-Pacific. Tamia Hirano, Shayna Ige and Carolann Toyama each had two hits for Maryknoll.
At Sand Island
Mid-Pac (9-7) 000 010 0 — 1 4 0
maryknoll (13-3) 000 111 x — 3 7 0
Kayla Au and Nicole Lopez. Shearyna Labasan and Carolann Toyama. W—Labasan. L—Au.
Leading hitters—MPI: Lopez, 2B; Lindsey Matoi RBI. Maryknoll: Tamia Hirano 2-2, RBI; Shayna Ige 2-3, 2 2B, RBI; Erica Inagaki RBI; Toyama 2-3, 2 runs.
