Kate Iida drove in four runs, including a walk-off two-run single in the bottom of the seventh inning, as Pac-Five rallied for a wild 12-11 win over Nanakuli in the semifinal round of the DataHouse/HHSAA Softball Division II State Championships on Thursday.
Iida, a freshman first baseman, went 3-for-4. The Wolfpack led 9-3 before Nanakuli rallied for an 11-9 lead going into the bottom of the seventh.
“I was really, really nervous. Coach (Blake Lau) just said, ‘Take one pitch. Just advance the runners.’ I was just trying to score one, at least,” Iida said. “I didn’t know I brought in that much RBIs.”
Pac-Five (14-6 overall) will play Waimea for the title today at 4:30 p.m., at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. OIA champion Nanakuli (16-5) will play KS-Hawaii today at 3 p.m., at McKinley in the third-place game.
The Wolfpack ousted defending state champion Kapaa 10-9 in the quarterfinals.
Nanakuli was generous on Thursday, issuing nine walks and hitting five batters.
Nanakuli got a two-run homer from Jhan’z Kaawa-Kawai for a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
ILH champion Pac-Five scored six times in the bottom of the fifth to break a 3-all tie. Kaiya Tom homered to start the inning, and a string of walks and a hit batter led to a two-run single by Iida.
Trailing 9-3 in the top of the sixth, the Golden Hawks got a three-run homer from Nadine Schmidt.
Nanakuli scored five runs in the top of the seventh to take the lead. Jenna Ku belted a two-run triple and Tili Keohuhu brought in the tying run with a double to right. Daniellea Samson-Wright followed with a bloop single to center, scoring two more runs for an 11-9 Nanakuli lead.
In the bottom of the seventh, Tom walked, Elyse Yoshioka was hit by pitch and Milan Ah Yat was walked intentionally to load the bases. Chloe Horikawa was hit by a pitch, forcing Tom home.
Iida then socked a 1-2 pitch to left-center, plating Yoshioka and Ah Yat for the win. There were a few seconds of uncertainty before the Wolfpack began to celebrate as Iida rounded first base.
Pac-Five won D-II state titles in 2006, ’08, ’10, ’11 and ’16.
“Coach told us we got here by ourselves and we did this,” Iida said. “He’s really proud of us. I’m proud of all my teammates. We just have to keep working hard because we’ve come so far.”
Waimea 12, KS-Hawaii 5
Taelor Camelo went the distance, allowing two earned runs on seven hits as the Menehunes (16-5-1 overall) advanced to the Division II state final.
Top-seeded Waimea will play Pac-Five for the title.
Wind with occasional gusts 25-30 mph was a factor Thursday afternoon, particularly on a towering pop fly by Sianni Sakai with two outs in the top of the second inning. Kamehameha-Hawaii pitcher Emily Hora had a bead on the ball, but a sudden gust sent the ball and other assorted items in the facility swirling, and she was unable to corral the ball. Waimea scored on the play, and added another run on a single by Nakeisha Olivas for a 4-1 lead.
After KS-Hawaii rallied to tie it at 5 in the third frame, both pitchers settled in through the middle innings, but Waimea manufactured some offense in the top of the sixth.
Sakai bunted and was safe at first on a throwing error by KS-Hawaii catcher Kaohi Christensen. Olivas followed with a push bunt past the circle, and as Sakai raced to an open third base, KS-Hawaii second baseman Rebekah Sipinga’s errant throw sailed to the fence, and Sakai scored for a 6-5 Waimea lead.
With Olivas at third base, Torres laid down a bunt. Hora scooped it and dove toward Olivas racing home. The tag was late and Olivas’ run opened the lead to 7-5.
With one out, Kayla Prigge launched a two-run homer to center, and Waimea led 9-5.
The Menehunes added three insurance runs in the top of the seventh with the help of two KS-Hawaii errors.
Waimea won the state championship in 1990, and the D-II state title in 2012.
