Pain can be an effective teacher.
No. 7 Punahou learned rather quickly, dealing out 16 base hits in a 13-5 rout of No. 2 Kamehameha on Wednesday afternoon. Bailey Akimseu and D’Asha Saiki belted home runs on Punahou’s visually startling, slanted field.
It was a major turnaround for Punahou, which is now tied with Kamehameha at 5-2 atop the Interscholastic League of Honolulu softball standings. Maryknoll is just a half-game behind at 4-2.
On Feb. 28, Kamehameha was the home team and stomped Punahou 17-7 in five innings. Punahou has since won five of its past six games.
“We came in pretty strong and pretty focused because last time, we lost pretty badly to them,” said Saiki, a junior who has committed to Cal.
It was Kamehameha freshman Momi Lyman who stymied the Buffanblu four weeks ago. This time, she started and lasted just two innings, giving up three runs on four hits. Kamehameha’s second pitcher, Kilinahe Pascua, had a shorter stint, getting just one out while giving up four runs on three hits. Pascua took the loss.
Kennedy Ishii got the win, going six innings, allowing four runs on six hits. She didn’t strike anyone out and walked six, while hitting two batters. For the Buffanblu, it was a decisive victory in more than one way.
“They got over the hump. The program hasn’t beaten Kamehameha in a long time. It’s good to get over the hump,” first-year head coach Boy Eldredge said. “Believing is half the battle.”
Akimseu pitched the seventh for the Buffanblu, permitting one run against the persistent Warriors.
“Our main message is we have to work as one. We show a lot of fight at the end, but we’ve got to come out sharp from the start,” Kamehameha coach James Millwood said. “Punahou hit the ball well. Their No. 9 hitter had four hits.”
That would be Eri Mizuguchi, the left-handed hitting left fielder, who went 4-for-4 with a double, three runs scored, an RBI and a stolen base.
The home team took a 1-0 lead in the first when Maya Matsubara led off with a walk, stole second, moved to third on Ishii’s groundout and scored on Saiki’s sacrifice fly.
Kamehameha took a 2-1 lead in the third when Dallas Millwood blasted a monster two-run homer to left that landed on the driveway 30 feet up the slope beyond the fence.
The Buffanblu broke the game open with seven runs in the bottom of the third. After hitting Ishii with a pitch, Lyman allowed an infield single by Saiki and was replaced by Pascua. Akimseu launched a three-run homer to left for a 4-2 Punahou lead.
Miranda Eddins and Mizuguchi clutched up for RBI singles. After an error by shortstop Kayla Kamoku, the bases were loaded. Ishii singled home Eddins and Saiki walked to bring Mizuguchi home from third, and Punahou had an 8-2 lead.
Kamehameha scored twice in the fifth on an RBI fielder’s choice grounder by Maiah Motta and run-scoring single by Shaylee Alani, but Punahou responded with two runs of its own in the bottom half. Mizuguchi led off with a double and scored on a single by Saiki. Ishii, who walked, later scored on a single by Kawai Mielke.
Punahou added three more runs in the sixth.
