Leilehua softball bashes out 21 runs in state softball quarters

The team at the forefront of the hitting surge in the state tournament is also the one that hasn’t lost at states in two years.

The defending state champion Leilehua Mules extended their winning streak in the tournament to six, and as they had in their previous five wins, scored double figures in runs in a record-setting 21-10 win over MIL champion Lahainaluna on Thursday in the quarterfinals of the Datahouse/HHSAA Softball State Championships at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

Unseeded like they were last year en route to the title, the OIA runner-up Mules (11-6) are averaging 13.5 runs per game at states over the past two years entering tonight’s first semifinal against Punahou.

They tied the 1977 Campbell team for the most runs in a Division I state-tournament game with 21 against the Lunas (12-4) and the 31 combined runs scored blew away the previous high of 25 between Waimea and Roosevelt in 1997.

“We know we’re going to get hit, so we’ve got to hit,” Leilehua coach Wendell Au said. “That’s always been the message I give to the girls. We hit every single day and that’s kind of the name of this game.”

First baseman Alana Jarra-Parker went 3-for-5 with a double, a homer and six RBIs, but got as much joy watching her cousin, Kawena Kahana-Travis, hit her first two homers of the season.

Kahana-Travis, an outfielder, finished 3-for-5 with five RBIs and hit a homer in the fifth inning and another in the sixth inning. The second, a two-run shot, gave Leilehua its third different inning of at least six runs scored.

“It’s a great feeling. Everything is so exciting (in the state tournament),” Kahana-Travis said.

Jarra-Parker said the two point at each other after every home run. Usually Jarra-Parker is doing it while rounding the bases, but this time she got to see a couple from the dugout.

“I was just so happy for (Kahana-Travis),” Jarra-Parker said. “I just feel like we’re on a roll right now and hopefully we can keep it up for two more games.”

Aided by four walks, the Mules put up eight runs before the Lunas took an official at-bat. Jarra-Parker and Kahana-Travis teamed up with two-run singles and Gianna Araki drilled the scoreboard above the right-field fence for a two-run homer and an 8-0 lead.

Jarra-Parker added a two-run double in the fourth inning to push the lead to 14-3, but the Lunas did their best to stay within striking distance.

Six straight Lahainaluna batters reached base in the bottom of the fourth inning, with Ka‘aina Kalanikau’s grand slam cutting the deficit to 14-9.

An inning earlier, Lahainaluna’s Nohili Hong hit a two-run homer to set a state-tournament record with the 17th home run hit.

There were six homers in the game. The tournament has already had 27 home runs leave the park in Manoa, 14 of them on Thursday.

The previous record for home runs in a Division I state tournament was 16 in 2015.

‘Iolani 11, Kealakehe 0

Freshman Allie Capello tossed a one-hitter with nine strikeouts and Aleia Agbayani belted two home runs and drove in four runs to lead the Raiders (17-5) past the Waveriders into the semifinals.

Agbayani is 6-for-7 with a double, a triple, three homers, six runs scored and nine RBIs in her first two tournament games. She joined Cassie Ho as the only Raiders to homer twice in the same game in the state tournament.

Punahou 11, Roosevelt 4

The Buffanblu strung together seven straight two-out hits to score eight runs in the second inning in a win over the Rough Riders (16-2).

D’Asha Saiki went 3-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs and Liana Heshiki doubled, homered and drove in two runs for the Buffanblu (17-3).

Tonight’s semifinal against Leilehua is a rematch of the state final last year won by the Mules.

Jadalee Takara hit a three-run homer for Roosevelt, which lost for only the second time this season.

Baldwin 11, Campbell 2

Saree-Ann Kekahuna set the tone with a two-run homer in the top of the first inning and the Bears (11-6) strung together four straight two-out hits in a four-run fourth inning to help knock off the No. 1 overall seed Sabers (15-1).

LB Kahahawai-Kekona went 4-for-5 with a double and three runs scored to support starter Aliya Harmon, who gave up two runs in seven innings for the second day in a row.

Harmon added a three-run homer in the seventh inning for an 11-2 lead.

Aleisa Ranches hit a solo homer for Campbell, which became the first No. 1 seed to lose in the quarterfinals since Kamehameha in 2014.

Division II

St. Francis 12, Radford 1, 5 inn.

Sierrah Kupihea struck out six in four innings to earn the win and Kailee Mahelona scored three runs to lead the defending D-II state champion Saints (13-4) over the Rams (8-7).

Aulani Garcia, Kylee Bednar and Sherreigh Nakoa-Chun all scored twice for St. Francis and Kaena Keliinoi and Kawena Kalani each had two RBIs.

Kohala 7, Kapaa 6

Mikayla Kekoa struck out 15 in a complete-game victory and was 3-for-3 with two doubles, a homer, three RBIs and four runs scored to lead the Cowboys (13-6) over the Warriors (10-3).

Savannah Simons tripled and scored in the bottom of the seventh for Kapaa to cut the deficit to 7-6. Shanayah Marshall, who singled home Simons, stole second and third but was tagged out at the plate by Kekoa trying to score on a grounder to the pitcher to end the game.

Kohala will play Waialua in today’s first semifinal at 4:30 p.m.

Waialua 12, Honokaa 6

Anela Hernandez and Irmgard Jose-Woods each drove in three runs for the Bulldogs (10-3), who used a 10-run sixth inning to put away the Dragons (12-7).

Maura Muniz allowed six hits in the complete-game win to push Waialua into the semifinals for the first time since 2010.

KS-Hawaii 9, Waimea 2

Brooke Baptiste struck out seven in a complete-game victory and Leiloa Bustamante tripled and drove in three runs to lead the Warriors (19-0) over the Menehunes (8-7).

Dioni Lincoln added two hits and scored twice for KS-Hawaii, which will play St. Francis in tonight’s second semifinal at 7.

Makeyah Wisneski homered for Waimea.