Rylee Gaudia and Colby McClinton swatted home runs and Madison Rabe went the distance as No. 2 Kamehameha overpowered No. 7 Punahou 16-5 in a mercy-rule shortened six innings on Tuesday afternoon.

Kamehameha improved to 4-1 in ILH softball play (9-2 overall), while Punahou dropped to 2-3 (8-5 overall). The Warriors moved into a first-place with ‘Iolani (15-2, 4-1 ILH), which lost to Maryknoll (3-3 ILH) on Tuesday, 7-4.

The visiting Warriors amassed 14 base hits against three Punahou pitchers. They have scored 55 runs in five league games.

“Our motivation is coach Ray (Motta). He passed away during winter season,” said Gaudia, a senior third baseman.

The Warriors wear “Play4Ray” wristbands to honor the former Division II and intermediate coach. He was hired to guide the D-I program after Leo Sing Chow stepped down after the 2021 season.

“He was a good guy. We coached intermediate, going back to when (James) Millwood was the varsity coach,” current varsity coach Mark Lyman said. “Feb. 5, one week before we were going to start, cardiac arrest.”

A portrait of coach Motta is on the dugout fence at every game.

“He had good things to say about everyone,” Gaudia added.

There was a lot of good up and down the Warriors’ lineup. McClinton, a senior shortstop, went 4-for-5 with a homer, a double, three RBIs and four runs scored. Miquela Leopoldo was 3-for-5 with a double, four RBIs and a run. Catcher Nicole Donahue was 3-for-4 with two doubles, two RBIs and two runs scored.

Eight of Kamehameha’s nine starters had at least one RBI or a run scored.

Punahou stayed close, rallying within 10-5 in the bottom of the fifth inning, but the visitors exploded with six runs in the top of the sixth. The Buffanblu played without head coach Dave Eldredge, who is serving a two-game league suspension after an on-field dispute with an umpire last week.

“I think the kids were trying their best for him, but Kamehameha hit every one of our mistakes,” assistant coach Mark Matsubara said. “That’s life in the ILH. There’s not a lot of pitchers who overpower you. If we don’t have location, it’s tough. Our girls don’t give up. Kamehameha kept answering.”

On a cloudy, windy afternoon on the gentle slope of Kapunahou, Kamehameha opened the game with five runs in the top of the first. Facing Punahou starter Paige Brunn, Mariah Antoque walked and McClinton singled. Leopoldo doubled to left, scoring Antoque.

Donahue then doubled to left, plating McClinton and Leopoldo for a 3-0 lead. Kamalani Doctor followed with a single to center, scoring Donahue. Kylee Matsuda’s single off the glove of Punahou shortstop Shonty Passi allowed Doctor to score from second base.

Punahou responded by loading the bases in the bottom of the first, but Rabe induced an infield pop fly by Makanalei Lapera to end the threat.

The Buffanblu got on the scoreboard in the second. Mia Hashimoto socked a two-out single to right and stole second base. Taryn Ho then doubled to left, scoring Hashimoto.

In the top of the third, McClinton doubled to right with one out and came home on a single up the middle by Leopoldo for a 6-1 lead.

Gaudia then began the top of the third with a solo shot over the left-field fence, opening the lead to 7-1.

In the top of the fourth against new pitcher Shayla Yamashita, Donahue doubled with one out and Doctor followed with a single to center, scoring courtesy runner Kainani Jacang for an 8-1 lead.

Punahou scored twice in the bottom of the fourth. Lapera walked and stole second base. After Hashimoto walked with two outs, The base runners advanced on a wild pitch. Ho then belted a hard grounder to third base, where Gaudia stopped the ball with her chest, but Lapera scored and Ho reached base safely.

After Ho stole second base, Aliya Hashimoto hit a hard grounder in the hole at shortstop, which allowed Mia Hashimoto to score from third base. On the same play, Ho was thrown out at third base by the shortstop, McClinton.

In the fifth frame, Antoque doubled to right with one out and McClinton sent a towering shot to left to open the lead to 10-3.

The Buffanblu got their two-run tater in the bottom of the fifth. Megan Yanagi doubled to left with two outs and Lapera smacked a shot over the left-field fence, cutting the margin to five runs.

After Punahou closed to 10-5, Kamehameha then put the game out of reach in the top of the sixth. Pinch hitter Kezia Lucas led off with a double, and after Matsuda and Li‘i Sulusi walked, the bases were loaded. Haley Agena’s single scored Lucas from third base.

Antoque walked, forcing in Matsuda for a 12-5 lead. Justice Tiberi replaced Yamashita and McClinton singled, scoring Sulusi from third.

Leopoldo then singled to center, plating Agena and Antoque, opening the lead to nine runs.

After Tiberi retired the next two batters, pinch hitter Mehana Kapoi singled, scoring McClinton for a 16-5 lead.

Rabe closed it out in the bottom of the seventh, racking up two more strikeouts to finish with five. She allowed six hits and three earned runs while walking four.

“My spins were flat. I could do better, but my defense backed me up and caught everything,” she said. “They backed me up at the plate.”