Walking up to the plate with a chance to give her team the lead, some old advice returned to ‘Iolani’s Kenedi Lopes.
After ‘Iolani rallied to tie Maryknoll in the bottom of the sixth inning on Wednesday, Lopes fell behind two strikes, fouled off a couple more, then lined a single into center to drive in the go-ahead runs and the No. 7 Raiders hung on for a 4-2 ILH softball victory over the fourth-ranked Spartans.
“One of my old coaches told me never to play up an at-bat in that circumstance,” Lopes said. “I just viewed it as any normal at-bat and did it for my team.”
A day after ‘Iolani pulled out an 8-7 win over Punahou in eight innings, a second straight dramatic victory left the Raiders tied with Kamehameha atop the ILH Division I standings at 4-1-1 with Maryknoll just behind at 4-2.
“Just going up against two strong teams in two days back-to-back … it makes us stay mentally focused and mentally tough. So these games taught us a lot,” Lopes said. “We were kind of going off of that momentum and I think that definitely helped us today.”
After both teams fended off scoring opportunities through the first five innings, Maryknoll took the lead with two out in the top of the sixth when catcher Baylie Kahele’s opposite-field looper landed just inside the right-field foul line for a two-run double.
‘Iolani put runners on first and third with one out in the bottom of the inning and ninth-place hitter Kawai Scanlan lined a single into left center to score Ashlyn Okamoto. Leila Anoina was hit by a pitch to load the bases but Maryknoll pitcher Maia McNicoll fielded a grounder and got a force out at the plate to keep a 2-1 lead.
But a high throw on Aleia Agbayani’s grounder to shortstop allowed Scanlan to score the tying run and Lopes waited on a changeup to drill the go-ahead single.
“Ken’s been clutch the whole season,” said ‘Iolani coach Dean Yonamine, who played a hunch in moving Lopes into the cleanup spot.
“She’s such a patient hitter and a smart hitter and she knows her zone really well too. So she’s just fouling them off and waiting for something she knows she can handle and drive.”
Maryknoll’s Kayla Santos led off the seventh with a ground-rule double to center field. But after two groundouts, ‘Iolani third baseman Maddie Ikeda made a diving catch of a line drive in foul territory to end the game and give Marcee Nakamura the win with four innings of relief.
“You have to admit that’s an opportunistic team, that’s how good teams are,” Maryknoll coach John Uekawa said of the Raiders.
“We’ll keep on going, and do the best we can hopefully somebody beats up on each other and we’ll be back in it.”
The outcome is pending a protest Uekawa filed in the fifth inning contending ‘Iolani made an illegal substitution. Yonamine also protested, stating the umpires had allowed the substitution.
Yonamine initially called for a courtesy runner (limited to pitchers and catchers) for Agbayani, who had moved to first base in the fourth inning. After realizing the error, he re-entered Agbayani as the baserunner. Maryknoll contended Agbayani should have been called out when she returned to the dugout.
PREP SCOREBOARD
ILH II SOFTBALL
No. 7 ‘Iolani 4, No. 4 Maryknoll 2
At ‘Iolani
>> Maryknoll (4-2) 000 002 0 – 2 7 1
>> ‘Iolani (4-1-1) 000 004 x – 4 5 1
Maia McNicoll and Baylie Kahele. Aleia Agbayani, Marcee Nakamura (4) and Kai Barrett. W—Nakamura. L—McNicoll.
Leading hitters—Mryk: Logan Carlos 2b; Kahele 2-3, 2b, 2 RBIs; Kayla Santos 2-3 2b. Iol: Kennedi Lopes 2 RBIs.
No. 3 Kamehameha 9, Mid-Pacific 3
At Kamehameha
>> Mid-Pacific (0-6) 003 000 0 – 3 6 3
>> KS (4-1-1) 020 034 x – 9 6 0
Ka‘a‘le‘a Hanawahine, Mikayla Fonoti (6), Hanawahine (6) and Lia Nakamoto. Gabrielle Tyrell, Reese Mokuau (4) and Kyler Stephens. W—Mokuau. L—Hanawahine.
Leading hitters–KS: Laakea Bertulfo 2b; Maiah Motta 2-4, 2 HRs, 2 runs, 5 RBIs.
St. Francis 11, No. 5 Punahou 5
At Ala Wai Field
>> Punahou (3-3) 000 023 0 – 5 7 6
>> St. Francis (4-2) 514 010 x – 11 13 2
Jolie Fujita, Kennedy Ishii (3) and Janell Sato. Kailee Mahelona, Tiare Guerrero (5), Sierrah Kupihea (6) and Kalyn Higa. W–Mahelona. L–Fujita.
Leading hitters–Pun: Ishii 2-3, 2b; Fujita 2-4; Laura Tachino 2b, 2 RBIs; Sarah Yamada 2b. StF: Joerdan Lovell 3-3, 2b; Sammie Ofoia 3-3, 2b; Jordyn Lono 2-4, 2b, 2 RBIs; Kolbee Kealoha 2-3, 2 runs; Mahelona 2-3; Kaena Keliinoi 2b, 2 RBIs; Higa HR; Skye Ah Yat HR, 2 runs.
