Kezia Lucas doubled and scored the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh inning as No. 4-ranked Kamehameha edged No. 3 ‘Iolani 2-1 on Saturday morning at Ala Wai Field 2 to capture the ILH playoff tournament title.
Warriors pitcher Kiani Soller edge ‘Iolani’s Kiara Baba in the pitchers’ duel. Soller allowed an unearned run on six hits with three strikeouts, three walks and one hit batter.
“I feel good. Awesome. Energized,” said Soller, a junior right-hander. “Our defense did really good in backing me up. I trusted them the whole game and I wasn’t worried about getting strikeouts. All I had to do was throw strikes. We just kept our heads high and came out on top.”
Baba allowed just five hits, struck out three and walked one. A win by ‘Iolani would have sealed the tourney title and ILH championship for the Raiders. Instead, they stranded 10 baserunners.
“It was a great game all the way around. Kamehameha’s defense was awesome. Our girls hit the ball hard and Kiara did a great job in the circle,” ‘Iolani coach Chad Cordero asked. “Our energy was great the entire game. Our bats were hot. It was just one of those games where we just happened to hit it right at them.”
Kamehameha (18-5-2) will play regular-season winner ‘Iolani (18-5-1) on Monday for the ILH championship at Ala Wai 2.
It was the first time in 14 games that the Warriors did not score at least nine runs. When the teams played on Thursday, ‘Iolani eked out a wild 12-11 playoff win.
During the regular season, Kamehameha won 12-7 and ‘Iolani won 10-9. On Saturday, defense made a big difference for the Warriors. Right fielder Nikki Chong made a tough catch in right-center despite colliding with center fielder Marley Espiau.
Espiau later made a sensational diving catch in short center in the sixth inning to rob Lehua Acoba of a base hit. Her ribs took the brunt of the impact, landing on the ball, but she remained in the game. She is the daughter of former Hawaii football player Jacob Espiau.
“I should be louder, but my voice is completely gone. I eat that as an outfielder,” Espiau said, referring to the collision. “We’re just here to play, have fun and, ultimately, win.”
A fairly generous and consistent strike zone on the inside part of home plate for right-handed hitters forced both teams to adjust.
Kamehameha got on the scoreboard first with a run in the top of the third inning.
‘Iolani responded with a run in the bottom of the third.
Kennadie Tsue’s chopper was muffed at shortstop. Mia Carbonell’s fly ball to right-center led to the catch by Chong, who collided with Espiau and left the game with a head injury.
“The biggest thing for me when we ran out there to the outfield, the first thing out of Marley’s mouth is, ‘How is Nikki?’ That’s a testament to how much these girls think about each other rather than themselves,” Kamehameha coach Mark Lyman said.
After Hunter Salausa-Galletes singled, Harley Acosta doubled to left, scoring Tsue from third base to tie the game at 1.
After Natalie Ching walked to load the bases with two outs, Soller retired Julia Mizo on a groundout to end the inning.
In the top of the seventh frame, Lucas sent a high drive that caromed off the top of the center-field fence with one out. She advanced to third base on a groundout by Jewels Hanawahine. After Leopoldo drew an intentional walk, Scarborough sent a slow grounder toward the hole on the right side.
The second baseman, Ching, made a diving attempt as the ball nearly touched off the baserunner, Miquela Leopoldo. Ching made contact with the ball, reached back to her right as she laid on the ground and tried to make a throw to first, but Scarborough was safe and Lucas scored from third base.
“It’s just one of those weird things. The ball takes weird bounces and goes weird ways. Some days it works for you. Some days it works against you,” Lyman said. “The spin of the ball, it hits a rock, a cockroach hits it, it doesn’t matter. I’ll take it.”
That gave Kamehameha a 2-1 lead.
“I was just focused on getting to first,” Scarborough said. “Our bats weren’t really on today, but our defense was on it. I’m glad that we stuck together and we had that kakou mentality.”
The Raiders had two outs in the bottom of the seventh when Soller walked Carbonell on four pitches. After Salausa-Galletes (3-for-4) singled, ‘Iolani had runners at the corners. Facing Acosta, Soller got ahead in the count 1-2 before Acosta flied out to right, and the Warriors celebrated.
“Monday, we come out and play the same game we did today, and we’ll be fine,” Cordero said.
The crown could come down to a strange bounce again.
“That’s the hallmark of these two teams. Neither team is ever going to give up,” Lyman said. “It’s just weird that weird hops, weird bounces decide these games. It’s two evenly matched teams, great competitors, great kids, great staffs, and that’s what the game’s about. That’s what the ILH is all about and that’s how we like to play.”
At Ala Wai 2
Kamehameha (18-5-2) 001 000 1 — 2 5 1
‘Iolani (18-5-1) 001 000 0 — 1 6 1
Kiani Soller and Daylee Williams. Kiani Baba and Mia Carbonell. W—Soller. L—Baba.
Leading hitters—IOL: Hunter Salausa-Galletes 3-4; Hunter Acosta 1-4, RBI, double. KS: Mariah Antoque 1-3, RBI; Kezia Lucas 1-3, run, double; Miquela Leopoldo 1-2, run, walk; Mikaela Scarborough 1-3, RBI.
