It was do or die for No. 7 Maryknoll, and the Spartans survived with a 10-6 victory over No. 6 Kamehameha in an Interscholastic League of Honolulu softball tournament game Monday.
A loss would have meant the end of the season for Maryknoll (9-5). Instead, with the upset over the regular-season champion Warriors (11-2-1), the Spartans can make it into the state tournament by beating upstart Mid-Pacific on Wednesday. That game is for the tournament title and the winner will play Kamehameha on Friday for the overall league crown. Both teams in Friday’s showdown will be in the upcoming state tournament.
“At the beginning of the season, we played well, but then slowed down and now we’re starting to peak again,” Spartans coach John Uekawa said. “We’re a team to be reckoned with at this point.”
Maryknoll led 5-1 after four innings, but the Warriors tied at 5-all with Maiah Motta’s two-run homer in the fifth and Alana Cobb-Adams’ two-run double in the sixth.
In the top of the seventh, the Spartans erupted for five runs for a 10-5 lead, virtually putting the game away. Sydney Kamakaiwi, a freshman third baseman, cranked a run-scoring double for a 6-5 lead, and Kamalei Labasan followed with what turned out to be the winning RBI single. The three other runs in the inning scored on a wild pitch, a bases-loaded walk and a bases-loaded hit by pitch.
“She’s a gamer,” Uekawa said about Kamakaiwi. “Not only did she hit a double in the gap, she can also play good defense.”
Laa Bertulfo’s solo homer in the bottom of the seventh got a run back for the Warriors, who stranded 11 runners on base in the contest, including three in the second inning.
“Timely hitting (was a problem),” Kamehameha coach James Millwood said. “We had a chance to score with the bases loaded and didn’t score.”
Warriors starting pitcher Rayla Jacobs-Kea, who allowed seven of the runs in two separate stints, is nursing a shoulder and back injury. Reliever Alyssa Mahoe took the loss.
“Kayla is gritting it out, doing whatever she can for the team,” Millwood said. “We still have a chance (for the ILH title). We’ll see who we play Friday.”
Spartans starter Maia McNicoll went the distance for the win.
“(Maia) is staring to jell,” Uekawa said. “We told her at the beginning of the season that when the ball is in her hand that we’re going to live and die with her on the mound and that’s what we’ve done.”
Maryknoll’s defense came up with two big double plays. In the third, a relay throw from shortstop Kanoe Tanigawa nailed a runner at the plate. That was immediately followed by catcher Baylie Kahele’s gun to third to catch a runner trying to advance. In the fourth, first baseman Kiana Arcayena caught a pop-up and fired to third to catch a runner off base.
At Kamehameha
Maryknoll (9-5) 013 100 5 — 10 14 2
KS (11-2-1) 010 022 1 — 6 12 4
Maia McNicoll and Baylie Kahele. Rayla Jacobs-Kea, Alyssa Mahoe (4), Jacobs-Kea (7), Mahoe (7) and Kyler Stephens. W—McNicoll. L—Mahoe.
Leading hitters—Mryk: Kamalei Labasan 2-5; Logan Carlos 2b; McNicoll 2 RBIs; Nohea Hee 2b; Kaylah Santos 2-4; Kiana Arcayena 2 runs; Sydney Kamakaiwi 3-4, 2 runs, 2 RBIs. KS: Tausani Tavale 3-5; Alana Cobb-Adams 2b, 2 RBIs; Maiah Motta HR, 2 RBIs; Kaili Castillo 2b; Shaylee Alani 2b; Laa Bertulfo HR; Gabrielle Tyrell 2-3.
