Kapolei bats explode in rout of Leilehua in OIA softball

Gray sky above, red-hot bats at the plate.

Third-ranked Kapolei socked five home runs, including two by Puakea Milbourne and two by Moani Ioane, in a five-inning, 18-2 rout of No. 4 Leilehua on a cool, sometimes blustery late afternoon at Kaala Elementary School field.

Kapolei improved to 2-0 in the OIA West (5-2-1 overall). In their league opener last Friday, the ’Canes outscored Mililani, 10-8.

Junior right-hander Jerzie Liana had perhaps her finest performance of the young season on the mound. Liana allowed just two hits, struck out six and walked none for the win.

“My pitches were working. My screw and my curve were working,” Liana said. “Preseason, we had our kinks, but now we’re really working as a team and we’re picking each other up.”

Leilehua’s two runs were unearned during Kapolei’s one sub-par inning, when two infield errors gifted the home team.

“We executed our plan. We hit the ball well. Jerzie pitched a really good game. She was accurate with her pitches and we beat a good team,” Kapolei coach Keoke Behic said. “It makes a big difference when you get ahead of a lot of hitters and that’s what she did.”

Milbourne, who will play at Oregon Tech next season, has four homers in her last two games.

“I just tell myself see ball, hit ball and anything close. If it’s there, hit it,” said Milbourne. “We lift in the weight room at school two times a week during the season and offseason.”

Leilehua dropped to 1-1 (5-3 overall) in its lowest offensive output since an 8-2 loss to Kaiser in preseason.

“We’re focusing on keeping our heads up as a team,” longtime coach Wendell Au said. “Kapolei, it isn’t a secret. They swing the lumber. Jerzie was good.”

Liana set the tone in the top of the first inning, uncorking a leadoff home run to center field off Mules pitcher Xanaiah Toaiva-Talo.

In the top of the second, Chenoa Cainglit led off with an infield single and stole second base. After Maka Flores struck out swinging, Alewa Ena sent a ground ball to shortstop Torie Au, who threw to second base to potentially nab Cainglit. However, second baseman Taimane Panaganoran wasn’t able to hang on to the softball during the tag attempt.

After a sacrifice bunt by Ellie Ishikawa, No. 9 hitter Daelyn Stephens followed with a bloop single in the hole at shortstop, scoring Cainglit for a 2-0 lead.

Liana stepped in and singled to center, bringing Ena home for a three-run cushion.

In Kapolei’s nine-run third inning. Ioane led off with a blast over the center-field fence. Later, Milbourne belted a grand slam to deep center. The ’Canes led 12-0 after three frames.

Kapolei tacked on a three-run homer by Milbourne in the fourth. Ioane followed with a home run to left, opening the lead to 16-0.

The Mules got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth. Au led off with an opposite-field double to left, and with one out Kanani Kekahuna-Fernandez reached on an error by the shortstop Cainglit. Dyna Kanae-Huihui followed with a grounder to short, but Cainglit’s throw to second for the forceout was wide left, allowing Au and Kekahuna-Fernandez to score.