Ace Aubree Kim went the distance as No. 2 Mililani outlasted Kapolei 11-4 in nine innings on a chilly Friday night at Patsy Mink Central Oahu Regional Park.
Kim struck out 10 and walked two, toiling in a pitchers’ duel that wasn’t resolved until the floodgates opened for the Trojans in the ninth.
The Lady Trojans improved to 4-0 after averting a gritty effort by coach Tony Saffrey’s Hurricanes, who tied the game with clutch solo home runs in the bottom of the seventh and eighth innings.
Kim outlasted Kapolei sophomore Sadie Kapaku-You, who went eight gutsy innings. The Trojans finally broke the game open in the top of the ninth with eight runs off Kapaku-You, Kayla Higa and Makana Meyers.
"How do I feel? The game is finally over," Mililani coach Rose Antonio said, referring to the 3-hour, 14-minute duration. "Everybody on both teams fought hard. We’re a young team with one senior and they’re young, as well."
It was a gritty effort by the ‘Canes, who started two sophomores and five juniors. Kapolei dropped to 1-3.
As usual, this meeting between two powerhouses provided a back-and-forth battle from the start.
Mililani, the visiting team, got on the board in the top of the first inning with consecutive singles by Kristen Ishii, Merilas "Mama" Rivera and Tristan Cozo, with Ishii scoring from second on Cozo’s base hit up the middle.
Kim had the Hurricanes scoreless until the fourth inning. Mililani center fielder Brooke Yasuda gunned down courtesy runner Holiday Ribac, who tried to score from second on Sala Pedebone’s single. Kamrymae Kanae then blasted a triple to deep center, scoring Pedebone to the tie game at 1.
The pitchers’ duel continued and the Lady Trojans regained the lead in the top of the seventh. Maya Yoshiura’s two-out, opposite-field single to right brought home pinch runner Maya Saneishi for a 2-1 lead.
Kapolei was down to its final out, when freshman Lili Kaimi pounded a towering blast over the left-field fence, tying the game at 2 to force extra innings.
Mililani got a bases-loaded walk by Markie Okamoto, bringing Cozo home for a 3-2 lead.
But in the bottom of the eighth, Meyers stroked a line-drive homer over the center-field fence off Kim, tying the game at 3.
Then came the top of the ninth, and Kapaku-You, who had struggled with control in her final few innings, walked a batter and hit another before finally being relieved. The Trojans got run-scoring singles from Shannon Pascua-Stanton and Okamoto, but much of the damage came via four walks, one hit batter, two errors and three wild pitches.
| At CORP |
| Mililani (4-0) |
100 |
000 |
118 |
— |
11 |
12 |
1 |
| Kapolei (1-3) |
000 |
100 |
111 |
— |
4 |
6 |
2 |
Aubree Kim and Markie Okamoto. Sadie Kapaku-You, Kayla Higa (9), Makana Meyers (9) and Alicia Kupihea. W–Kim. L–Kapaku-You.
Leading hitters–Mililani: Keri Togami 3-6, RBI, run; Maya Yoshiura, 2 RBIs, run; Kristen Ishii 2-5, RBI, run, SB; Brooke Yasuda 2-5, run, SB; Shannon Pascua-Stanton, two runs. Kapolei: Meyers HR; Kapaku-You, 2-3; Kamrymae Kanae, 3B, RBI; Lili Kaimi 2-3, HR, 2B, two runs, SB.
OIA RED WEST BASEBALL
Radford 7, Waianae 4
Jacob Gonzalez went 2-for-3 with a triple, two runs scored and two RBIs, and Dominic Albalos went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs as the Rams beat the Seariders.
Waianae’s Austin-Keliinoi Westbrook batted 3-for-3 and scored twice.
| At Radford |
| WAIANAE (0-5) |
000 |
030 |
1 |
— |
4 |
8 |
1 |
| RADFORD (2-4) |
103 |
210 |
X |
— |
7 |
9 |
2 |
Jerzay Ramento, Kaleo Chun (4) and (catcher not reported). Nick Martinez, Landyn Bartness (7) and (catcher not reported). W–Martinez. L–Ramento.
Leading hitters–Waianae: Chun 2B, 2 RBIs; Braiden Ayala 2-3; Austin-Keliinoi Westbrook 3-3, 2 runs. Radford: Dominic Albalos 3-4, 2B, 2 RBIs; Jacob Gonzalez 2-3, 3B, 2 runs, 2 RBIs; Dez Munar 2 runs; Jacob Nishitomi 2B; Jason Profitt 2B.
OIA WHITE BASEBALL
Aiea 6, Kapolei 4
Shannon Fermahin hit a pinch-hit, two-run homer in the top of the seventh inning to lift Na Alii over the Hurricanes.
Fermahin’s one-out blast scored Masaki Nobuhara.
Aiea’s Jarred Uyeda homered and had two RBIs.
Kapolei’s Jordan Macias scored twice.
| At Kapolei |
| AIEA (3-0) |
000 |
202 |
2 |
— |
6 |
6 |
2 |
| KAPOLEI (2-1) |
100 |
012 |
0 |
— |
4 |
4 |
2 |
Jansen Kudaishi, Jaryn Nakamoto (6), Kobe Kato (6) and Makana Ah Yo. Kai-Noah Williams and Mykah Kuratani. W–Kato. L–Williams.
Leading hitters–Aiea: Jarred Uyeda 2-3, HR, 2 RBIs; Shannon Fermahin 2-run HR; Kato 2 runs. Kapolei: Jordan Macias 2 runs; Ronald Young 2B; Noah Lono-Soares 2B.
McKinley at Waialua (PPD.)
The game was postponed and rescheduled for Monday.
MIL
Maui High 11, Kamehameha-Maui 2
Baldwin 14, Lahainaluna 0
BIIF
Waiakea 2, Kamehameha-Hawaii 1
