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The sky could not stop Leilehua this time.
Mother Nature cooperated and conditions were ripe for a rout on Monday. Stellar pitching, clean fielding and patient hitting carried No. 2 Leilehua to a 12-0 mercy-rule-shortened rout of host Pearl City in an OIA West softball game made up from recent rain.
Senior right-hander Kaena Nistal fired a no-hitter in five innings, walking three and striking out two. Freshman shortstop Jacelyn “Lovey” Kepa‘a walloped the Chargers from the eighth spot in the order, knocking in five runs, including a three-run blast in the third. And the Mules (8-3) did not commit an error despite being tested at several positions.
The Mules, in rebounding from their disappointing 6-5 loss to top-ranked rival Campbell a week ago, play another make-up game today at Mililani (5-5). They can secure a top-two West seed and a playoff bye with another win.
Mules coach Wendell Au is treating it like a prelude to next week’s OIA playoffs. Nistal, by breezing through her outing, helped keep the Mules’ other two primary arms fresh.
“Awesome,” Au said. “What a luxury to have.”
Nistal settled in after walking the first two batters she faced. A 5-3 double-play helped her get out of the first, and only two Chargers reached base from there — Taylor Au on a walk in the second and Maiyah Faleafine-Lesu on a hit-by-pitch in the fifth.
“It’s just like any other game, because I know my defense is going to back me up,” Nistal said. “It was just my defense talking to me.”
She got the scoring started herself before throwing an official pitch, knocking a two-RBI single through the left field gap in the Mules’ four-run first inning.
Chad Obara, coach of the ninth-ranked Chargers (6-5), marveled at her.
“That’s the best game I’ve ever seen Kaena throw, and I’ve seen her throw a lot,” Obara said. “By far her best performance I’ve seen, club and (high school). She was spot-on today. She was tough. We didn’t have an answer for her. The changeup was the difference. Never-ever have I seen her spot that changeup that well.”
Pearl City’s freshman pitching tandem of Jo-Zayah Iriarte and Faleafine-Lesu struggled in contrast. Iriarte gave way to her teammate after just two batters, then reappeared in the fourth inning. Senior Alexas Presto-Ahsing provided emergency relief.
Leilehua led 7-0 going into the fourth, thanks to Kepa‘a’s two-run single in the first and three-run homer in the third, in what Au assessed as “by far” her best performance of the season.
The Mules loaded it up to begin a five-run knockout inning. Runs came in via wild pitch and hit-by-pitch, and Brandi Leong put it into mercy territory by blooping a single that wound up clearing the bases with the help of an error.
SOFTBALL
ILH
Maryknoll 5, Pac-Five 4
W—Aloha Akaka. L—Kalyn Kershner.
Leading hitters—Mary: Lexi Carlos 2-2,
2b; Kahilu McNicoll 3-3; Kiana Arcayena
HR. P5: Mikayla Chun HR, 3 RBIs.
Note: Kahilu McNicoll singled in Aloha
Akaka with the winning run in the seventh inning.
‘Iolani 7, Kamehameha 6
W—Marley Dyer. L—Reese Mokuau.
Leading hitters—Iol: Anna Arita 2-4; Kai
Barrett 2-4, 2b, HR; Taylor Kai 2-3, 2b, 2
RBIs; Marley Dyer 2b. KS: Tausani Tavale
3-4, 2 runs; Gabby Tyrell 2 runs; Isha
Knight 2b, 2 RBIs; Shaylee Alani 2b.
Note: ‘Iolani scored four runs in the seventh
inning, including Riley Wada’s sacrifice fly
that scored Anna Arita with the winning run.
OIA
Western Division
Leilehua 12, Pearl City 0, 5 inn.
W—Kaena Nistal. L—Jo-Zayah Iriarte.
Leading hitters—Lei: Brandi Leong 2-3, 2
RBIs; Gwen Maeha 2 runs; Nistal 2 RBIs;
Kamryn Kamakaiwi 2 runs; Lovey Kepa’a
2-3, HR, 5 RBIs.
Division II
Kaimuki 3, Aiea 2
W—Dacy Amond. L—Kehau Arke.
Leading hitters—Kaim: Sonia Palik 2-3.
Aiea: M. Gonzales 2-4; Arke 2-4.
Waialua 7, McKinley 6
W—Honey Jose-Woods. L—M. Cristobal.
Leading hitters—Wail: Andrea Dicion 2-3,
2b, HR, 4 RBIs; Trinity Ozoa 2b; Zoey Lawrence
3 runs. McK: Mahina Ansary 2-2, 2b,
2 RBIs; K-sina Arechy 2-4, 2 RBIs; Dorine
Karwon 2b, 2 runs; Sinaia Kuka 2 runs.
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