Naomi Stremick socked a two-run single during a seven-run seventh-inning rally and pitched the final 22⁄3 innings as No. 8 Kalani escaped with a 10-6 win over Moanalua on Friday.
The regular-season-closing win sealed a first-round bye in the upcoming OIA Division I softball playoffs for the Lady Falcons (10-2).
“We prepared for this the whole time. I knew there was going to be pressure from the beginning. I knew going to come (to pitch),” said Stremick, who started in center field, then permitted just one run on two hits to collect the win.
The Lady Falcons came into the week one game ahead of Moanalua and Kaiser, but lost to Kaiser 8-4 on Thursday to create a logjam with one regular-season game remaining.
“We had a little taste of defeat yesterday in the Kaiser game. We lost, but I think it prepared us well for this game. We know how to fight and get back,” Stremick said. “We’ve done it before. Luckily, it went our way. I’m really proud of my team for handling that way and never giving up.”
Six of the seven runs during the seventh-inning rally came with two outs.
“I’m confident that we’re best with two outs. It shows the strength and the will of the team,” Falcons coach Iris Stremick said. “They keep pushing forward and are determined to get the win for each other.”
Kaiser’s game at Castle was rained out, leaving the fate of second place in the East up in the air. If Kaiser loses and ties with Moanalua, one of the tiebreakers may come down to Kaiser’s 1-1 record against Kalani. Moanalua lost both matchups with Kalani.
Moanalua (9-3) was within one out of sealing one of the top two spots in the OIA East. Kalani trailed 5-3 entering the top of the seventh inning. Ashlyn Sera lined a shot down the left-field line, the ball accelerated down the slope into the corner for an inside-the-park home run. That brought the Falcons within one run.
“We knew that once the ball gets past the infield, it’s just going to keep going,” she said, referring to the 320-foot distance from home plate to the corner.
Kayla Mashino, who switched from second base to the pitcher’s circle in the seventh frame, then retired Leona Stremick and Jayslin Simpliciano. From there, the next seven Falcons reached base.
Haley Ching walked on four pitches, Raine Chinen reached on an infield single and Rylie Kodama walked to load the bases.
Mashino then walked Kylie Tanimura on five pitches, forcing Ching in to tie the game at 5.
With the outfield playing deep, Naomi Stremick then blooped an opposite-field single to left, scoring Chinen and Kodama for a 7-5 Kalani lead. Layna Faria followed with a single to left, scoring Tanimura from third base.
Sera, who led the inning off with a homer, then sent a base hit to left to score Stremick, and when outfielder Ava Atagi slipped, Faria raced home with Kalani’s 10th run of the game.
Starting pitcher Eva Kameoka returned to the circle and struck out Leona Stremick to end the inning.
Moanalua began the bottom of the seventh inning with a single by Malia Taga. With one out, Atagi tripled to right, scoring Taga. However, Naomi Stremick bore down and struck out Ramzy Bumagat, then got Kiana Pasion to fly out, ending the battle.
“I feel great. I think I had anxiety for the whole week,” coach Stremick said.
The Lady Falcons are largely low key, a mature group despite having just four seniors.
“Today, I didn’t know what we were going to face, but they came out. Yesterday was yesterday. They moved forward and were ready to compete,” coach Stremick said. “It was everybody on the team. I love the fact that it’s led by the girls themselves. They meet together. They encourage each other and motivate each other. It’s been great to see that development. They’re growing to be wonderful young ladies pulling for each other.”
Mashino’s craftiness and speed on the basepaths was a factor early on. The leadoff hitter walked and stole second base in the bottom of the first inning. When Hunter Jackson sent a routine ground ball to second base, Mashino advanced to second, and when Faria, the first baseman, threw the ball to third base, Mashino raced home.
Kalani tied the game with a run in the top of the second frame. Ching led off with a walk and stole second base. With two outs, Tanimura’s fly ball to center field was muffed by right fielder Taryn Kimura, allowing courtesy runner Kira Matsumoto to score.
Kalani regained the lead in the third with a clinic in fundamentals. Sera led off with a walk, stole second base, and Leona Stremick slapped a two-strike pitch to the right side. Her groundout advanced Sera to third base. Simpliciano cashed in with a single to right, scoring Sera for a 2-1 Falcons lead.
In the bottom of the third, the home team plated three runs to seize the lead. With the bases loaded, Taga drew a walk, forcing Mashino in to tie the game. Meghan Castro then sent a ground ball to second, where Simpliciano hesitated before throwing to second base, where baserunner Taga beat the throw. Jackson and Tome scored on the play to give Moanalua a 4-2 lead.
The damage could’ve been worse for the Falcons if not for their right fielder, Tanimura. She made the first of two diving catches on a line drive by Atagi, and Kalani starting pitcher Kadie Carpio retired Bumagat on a ground ball to end the inning.
Ching ripped a two-out, solo home run into the left-center gap in the top of the fifth, cutting the lead to 4-3.
Moanalua got what appeared to be a vital insurance run in the bottom of the sixth. Kimura was on third base with one out when Tome’s sacrifice fly to right brought Kimura home for a 5-3 lead.
The heartbreaking loss didn’t diffuse the postgame senior-night festivities for Moanalua. It certainly hurt to lose in front of one of their biggest home crowds of the season, but the playoffs are around the corner and the OIA title is up for grabs.
“Honestly, I think if we were just communicating a little more, we could’ve had it. It was just one inning,” said Mashino, a senior. “It’s a good group of girls. We all work hard. Every day we come to practice and work hard. We have this 24-hour turnaround rule, where (assistant) coach Max (Look) says we have to flush what happened. The next day, we bounce back and work extra hard.”
At Moanalua
Kalani (10-2) 011 010 7 — 10 8 2
Moanalua (9-3) 103 001 1 — 6 5 1
Kadie Carpio, Naomi Stremick (6) and Haley Ching, Shya Morinaga (5). Eva Kameoka, Kayla Mashino (7) and Emily Tome. W—Stremick. L–Mashino.
Leading hitters—Kal: N. Stremick 2-3, double, 2 RBIs, run, 2 walks; Ashley Sera 2-3, HR, double, 3 RBIs, 2 runs, SB, walk; Ching 1-2, HR, RBI, 2 runs, 2 walks, SB. Moa: Malia Taba 2-3, RBI, run.
ILH
Pac-Five 5, Sacred Hearts 3
Friday
At Sand Island
W—Miya Yoshioka.
Leading Hitters—P5: Dahlia Gangano 2-2, 3 runs, 2 RBI; Kylie Oshita 2 runs; Mauliola Zuttermeister 4-5, run, 5 RBI; Kaimana Siu 2-4, RBI; Naomi Emi Yamane 2-4, run. SHA: M. Cudiamat 2-3, 2 runs.
