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By adhering to the theme of the day, Kapolei extended its season at least another two.
The Hurricanes twice saw leads evaporate in a shootout with Kaiser in the first round of the OIA Division I softball playoffs. But the defending league champions rallied in the sixth inning then held off the host Cougars in a 10-9 win on Wednesday in Hawaii Kai.
“It was our focus to come out here and just be relentless, the goal of the day,” Kapolei coach Stacie Mahoe said. “They did a really good job of that. That’s going to be another critical part of the rest of the week, just to stay focused on what we’re trying to do no matter what happens.”
Kapolei senior Sadie Kapaku-You’s calm in the circle helped steady the Hurricanes amid the momentum shifts and she managed to fend off Kaiser’s final comeback bid to earn the win in the elimination game.
“I think we always believe in ourselves, no matter what the score is, no matter if we’re down or up,” Kapaku-You said. “We always know we’re going to score runs and back each other up.”
Kapolei (4-9) advanced to the quarterfinals to face OIA West top seed Pearl City (9-2) today at 3 p.m. at the Chargers’ field.
Today’s quarterfinal winners secure four of the league’s six berths in the Division I state tournament. The losers battle for the last two spots in the fifth-place bracket on Friday.
Without a fence separating the softball and baseball diamonds at Kaiser, shots through the gaps or over outfielders resulted in the Hurricanes and Cougars combining for three home runs in the first two innings.
Kapolei’s Kiley Ozaki ran out a solo homer in the top of the first, Tiana Aholelei answered with a three-run shot for Kaiser in the bottom of the inning and Tatum Guzman’s two-run homer through the left-center gap highlighted Kapolei’s five-run second.
Kaiser scratched out a run in the bottom of the second then took the lead in the third when Lauryn Wee flared a two-out, two-run single into right field to give the Cougars a 7-6 edge.
Primrose Aholelei held off the Hurricanes until the sixth when Kapolei loaded the bases and Ozaki drew a five-pitch walk to force in the tying run.
“She hit the ball hard every single time and it’s tough to pitch to someone like that with the bases loaded,” Mahoe said. “She did a good job of staying disciplined and not being too anxious and chasing.”
After the next pitch to Kapaku-You, the Cougars attempted to catch Lili Kaimi off of third. But the pickoff throw was wild and rolled out of play, allowing two runs to score. Kapaku-You’s groundout scored Ozaki from third and gave Kapolei a 10-7 lead.
Kaiser closed to within a run in the sixth when senior Kayla Russell capped a 4-for-4 afternoon with a two-run homer to center in her final high school at-bat.
“They battled hard, they really believed they had a chance,” Kaiser coach Mitch Matsumoto said.
Kapaku-You struck out the first two batters of the seventh then gave up a single to bring the go-ahead run to the plate. But she fielded a one-hopper back to the circle for the final out.
“Sadie did a good job of keeping everybody relaxed in that last inning and not like ‘we gotta hold them down.’” Mahoe said. “She’s like, ‘It’s just three outs. Let’s go out there and get the outs.’”
PREP SCOREBOARD
OIA DIVISION I SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS
Kapolei 10, Kaiser 9
At Kaiser
Kapolei (4-9) 150 004 0 — 10 12 2
Kaiser (7-6) 313 002 0 — 9 7 4
Tatum Guzman, Sadie Kapaku-You (2) and Lili Kaimi. Primrose Aholelei and Nala Dombrowski. W—Kapaku-You. L—Aholelei.
Leading hitters—Kapo: Kaimi, 2-4, 2B; Kiley Ozaki, 2-3, HR, 3 RBIs; Kapaku-You, RBI; Dallas Pollard-Brownell, RBI; Guzman, 2-4, HR, 2 RBIs. Kais: Tahani Kahawai-Robertson, 2-4; Kayla Russell, 4-4, HR, 2 RBIs; Tiana Aholelei, 3-4, HR, 4 RBIs; Dombrowski, 2-4; Lauryn Wee, 2 RBIs.
Moanalua 6, Nanakuli 5
Hilari Ballenti had a game-high two hits to lead Na Menehune past the Golden Hawks.
Cheyenne Lute homered and tossed a complete game but was pegged with the loss for Nanakuli.
At Moanalua
Nanakuli (2-11) 050 000 0 — 5 7 2
Moa. (10-3) 301 002 X — 6 7 0
Cheyenne Lute and Kalia Burnette. Jada Young and Raven Rosa-Lasco. W—Young. L—Lute.
Leading hitters—Nan: Lute 1-3, HR, 3 RBIs, run. Moa: Hilari Ballenti 2-2, run; Rosa-Lasco 1-3, 3b, 2 RBIs.
No. 3 Campbell 12, Kalaheo 0, 5 inn.
Jade Behic tossed a perfect game for the Sabers, striking out nine Mustangs in a game shorted to five innings because of the mercy rule.
At Campbell
Kalaheo (2-11) 000 00 — 0 0 5
Campbell (10-3) 704 1x — 12 9 0
Michelle Sasaki and Skyla Bain. Jade Behic and Jocelyn Alo, Dyllan Sanay (3) W—Behic. L—Sasaki.
Leading hitters—Camp: Alesia Ranches 3-3, HR, RBI, 3 runs; Cieana Curran 2-3, run.
No. 6 Leilehua 21, Farrington 2, 5 inn.
The Mules scored 14 runs in the third inning to prevail in a mercy-rule victory over the Governors.
Brandi Leong and Alo Salausa had a game-high three hits apiece for Leilehua.
At Leilehua
Farrington (4-9) 200 00 — 2 4 5
Leilehua (9-4) 13(14) 3x — 21 12 0
Kelia Miller, Kylie Carganilla (3) and catcher not reported. Kamryn Kamakaiwi, Alyssa Abe (4) and catcher not reported. W—Kamakaiwi. L—Miller.
Leading hitters—Farr: Carganilla 2-2, HR, 2 RBIs, run. Leil: Brandi Leong 3-3, 2 2b, 3 RBIs, 3 runs; Reilyenne Nahulu 2-3, 2 2b, 2 runs, RBI; Alo Salausa 3-3, 3 RBIs, 2 runs; Kawena Kahana-Travis 2-2, HR, 4 RBIs, run.
ILH DIVISION I SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS
No. 8 Maryknoll 9, Pac-Five 5
Maryknoll pitchers Maia McNicoll and Sydney Kamakaiwi each hit home runs to power the Spartants past the Wolfpack.
McNicoll earned the win on the mound to eliminate Pac-Five from the playoffs.
At Sand Island
Pac-Five (2-11) 200 201 0 — 5 6 2
Maryknoll (8-5) 500 400 X — 9 14 2
Megan Yoshioka, Kiara Peterson (4) and Mikayla Chun. Maia McNicoll, Sydney Kamakaiwi and Baylie Kahele. W—McNicoll. L—Yoshioka.
Leading hitters—P5: Kiara Peterson 2-3, run, RBI. MS: Kamakaiwi 1-3, HR, RBI, run; McNicoll 2-4, HR, 3 RBIs, 2 runs.
Mid-Pacific 4, Punahou 2
Ka’a’le’a Hanawahine scattered six hits as the previously winless Owls stunned the Buffanblu and eliminated them from the playoffs while also ending their season.
Hanawahine struck out six in a complete-game effort. Marissa Nishihara drove in two runs for the Owls.
Janell Sato homered for Punahou, which finished third in the regular season.
At Punahou
MPI (1-12) 100 210 0 — 4 5 2
PUN (7-6) 020 000 0 — 2 6 2
Ka’a’le’a Hanawahine and Lia Nakamoto. Kennedy Ishii, Bailey Akimseu (6) and Janell Sato. W—Hanawahine. L—Ishii.
Leading hitters—MPI: Marissa Nishihara 1-2, 2 RBIs. PUN: Sato 1-4, HR, run, RBI.
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