Ishii’s opposite-field single puts Punahou over Maryknoll

Kennedy Ishii delivered a two-out, opposite-field single to bring home Maya Matsubara with the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning as No. 6 Punahou edged No. 4 Maryknoll 5-4 at Tiger Softball Stadium on Saturday night.

Ishii started on the mound and pitched seven innings, allowing four runs on five hits with four strikeouts, two walks and three hit batters. Bailey Akimseu switched from first base to the mound for the final two innings and earned the win. Ishii, batting left-handed, was facing Maryknoll relief pitcher Aloha Akaka.

“I was looking for a pitch I could drive. They were pitching me outside all game,” said Ishii, who went 2-for-4 with a double, a walk and the biggest RBI of the game. “Maya is really fast. Once she rounded (third base), I knew she was going to score.”

Punahou improved to 4-2 in a very tough ILH Division I gauntlet.

“I feel great. It was a complete game. We pitched well,” Buffanblu coach Boy Eldredge said. “Maryknoll kept us down.”

The Lady Spartans dropped to 3-2 in a game that easily could’ve gone either way.

“Give all the credit to Punahou. They changed pitchers and had a big inning,” Maryknoll coach John Uekawa said. “We’ve just got to refine the little things.”

Kahilu McNicoll went five-plus innings on the mound for Maryknoll, permitting three runs on five hits with three strikeouts and six walks.

The Lady Spartans took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second when Kiana Arcayena singled with two outs and scored on Baylie Kahele’s double to left.

In the bottom of the second, Bri Alejo doubled with one out, and with two outs, Matsubara singled to center. Alejo slid home with the apparent tying run, but was called out. Punahou’s third-base coach, Mark Rasmussen, questioned the call because of a possible bobble of the softball by Kahele, Maryknoll’s catcher.

“I thought (Kahele’s) back was turned to him and that blocked his view,” Rasmussen said.

That play loomed large in a tight game. In the bottom of the fourth, though, Punahou took a 2-1 lead on a leadoff homer to left by Ashanti Martinez.

Maryknoll answered with three runs in the top of the sixth. Nohea Hee led off with a solo shot to deep center to tie the game. Ishii hit Logan Carlos with a 1-0 pitch and with one out, McNicoll singled to left. After Liliana Thomas walked, the bases were loaded and Sydney Kamakaiwi’s sacrifice fly brought Carlos home to give the Spartans a 3-2 lead.

Arcayena (2-for-4) then doubled to right, plating courtesy runner Rayanna Mekaru for a two-run lead.

Punahou cut the lead to one run in the bottom of the sixth. Janell Sato led off with a walk and Kawai Mielke doubled. After Martinez walked to load the bases, Akaka replaced McNicoll.

Alejo then lined out to first, where first baseman Thomas made the haul and then stepped on first base for the double play. Akaka then got Eri Mizuguchi on a soft liner to first, ending the threat.

Punahou punched in the tying run in the bottom of the seventh. Matsubara (3-for-4) doubled to left and advanced to third on a grounder to second by Ishii. Maryknoll then intentionally walked D’asha Saiki before Akimseu singled up the middle to score Matsubara, tying the game at 4. After Sato walked to load the bases, Akaka bore down and struck out Mielke and Martinez to end the inning.