By Michael Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
As a standout pitcher for Roosevelt High two years ago, Kristen Fujii treated home runs like poison, bottling up opposing hitters under the airtight seal of a 0.94 earned-run average.
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| Kristen Fujii, though just 5-foot-5, is effective because of her athleticism and concentration, HPU coach Howard Okita says. |
These days, it’s Fujii who is proving deadly to pitchers as a born-again slugger for undefeated Hawai‘i Pacific.
Fujii, a 5-foot-5 sophomore, batted 5-for-11 with a double, three runs scored and four RBIs this past weekend as the Lady Sea Warriors extended their best-ever start to 10-0 with doubleheader sweeps over Chaminade and Montana State-Billings. Fujii’s efforts earned her Pacific West Conference Softball Player of the Week honors.
About the only thing Fujii didn’t contribute over the weekend was a home run, something she’s already accomplished eight times in her nascent college career. Barely into her second season, Fujii is just two homers shy of the school career record set by Karen Masuda in 1988.
"She’s deceptive because of her size," said HPU head coach Howard Okita. "She isn’t very big, but she has the best wrists. That makes up the difference when she hits. She’s also very athletic and as far as the mental aspect, she’s always concentrating."
Fujii led Roosevelt to three consecutive state tournaments from 1997-99 and was named OIA East Softball Player of the Year as a senior. Still, she had little hope of unseating seniors Jennifer Woodard and Susie Schoales for a spot in the pitching rotation as a freshman.
Well aware of her offensive capabilities, Okita played Fujii in the outfield and at designated hitter last year. She responded by hitting .267 with six homers and 22 RBIs.
This season, Fujii is seeing time at left field and first base, and while her defense still needs to catch up with her offense, Okita says she’s already become an above-average fielder.
"She comes from good coaching," Okita said. "She already had the discipline when she came here and she has good skills. I wish I had more like her."
Fujii isn’t satisfied.
"I’ve been working hard trying to make the adjustment, and it’s been OK," she said. "I still haven’t been able to get a good jump on the ball, but I’m working at it."
Along with Holly Garcia, last year’s PacWest Freshman of the Year, and freshman pitcher Jessica Parra, Fujii has helped establish the Lady Sea Warriors as a favorite to defend their Pacific Division title.
"We’re sill a young team but I think we’re well rounded," Fujii said. "We’re still trying to find our rhythm, but we get along great on and off the field and I think that helps."
HPU visits Brigham Young-Hawai‘i tomorrow for a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m. The Lady Sea Warriors then play host to Hawai‘i-Hilo on Saturday and Elizabethtown College on Sunday. Both doubleheaders start at noon.
BASKETBALL
 Sideline contributor: Keith Cole scored two points in Chaminade’s season-ending win over Hawai‘i-Hilo on Saturday, but his biggest contribution of the night never made it to the stat sheet.
With just more than a minute to play in the first half, UH-Hilo’s Kyle Bartholomew was fouled by Albert Powell. He missed the front end of a one-and-one but teammate BJ Rogers rebounded the ball and scored a putback, capping an 8-2 Vulcan run that cut Chaminade’s lead to three points.
After a basket by Chaminade’s Igor Beljanski, the referees conferred briefly before determining that the Silverswords had been in the penalty for team fouls when Bartholomew took the line, and that he should have been awarded a two-shot opportunity instead of a one-and-one. With both benches in confusion, the officials put Bartholomew back on the line to take another free throw. From his spot on the bench, Cole reminded coach Aaron Griess that the Vulcans had already scored on Rogers’ putback.
Griess argued to the officials that they couldn’t count Rogers’ basket and give Bartholomew another free throw. After another brief discussion, the referees elected to let the score stand and gave possession to Chaminade. Jaborri Thomas then drilled a 3- pointer to extend the Silverswords’ lead back to eight. Chaminade went on to win the game, 97-90.
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