Mililani blanks Castle to win OIA softball title
By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer
KAPOLEI — In what amounted to a seven-inning staredown, the Castle High School softball team blinked first and Mililani was able to deliver the knockout blow to claim its fourth straight O'ahu Interscholastic Association championship.
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The Trojans won 2-0 at Kapolei High School, thanks to two runs in the top of the seventh inning and a two-hitter from junior right-hander Miki Asamura. Castle starter Lia Pedrina had taken a no-hitter into the seventh inning, and Asamura had allowed only one hit through six innings.
Castle's Kalena Souza avoids the tag of Mililani first baseman Adrienne Kasaoka at Kapolei High School.
"That's what we thought it was going to come down to — whoever makes the first error or whoever gets runners on and can put pressure on the defense," Mililani coach Mike Okimoto said. "And like anything else, you need some luck."
The Trojans (13-0) got a little bit of everything in their final at-bat. B.J. Shimamoto got aboard on an error to lead off, and the next batter, Adrienne Kasaoka, also reached on an error. Charity Senas followed with a run-scoring single to center field, and Erika Au got an infield single when Knights second baseman Kalena Souza lost a ball in the sun.
Senas moved to third on the play and came home on Tiffany Anguay-Kalau's single.
"That's what we were worried about," Castle coach Jon Berinobis said. "We tried to keep them off the bases, because Mililani has good team speed. If you look at their linescores this year, they always scored when the other team makes errors. When B.J. got on, we knew we were in trouble."
Okimoto felt the same way.
"It was good to get B.J. on, because she's got speed," Okimoto said. "That's what happened (in a 5-0 semifinal win) against Leilehua. They made a couple errors, we double-steal, and then we get three runs when it should have been only two or one. That's because we push the issue. All we needed was one hit."
For the first six innings, that hit was hard to come by. The Trojans managed only two base runners in that time span — both on errors — and neither advanced to second base. In one stretch, the right-handed Pedrina retired 14 batters in a row.
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"Pedrina was doing excellent," Okimoto said. "That kid is solid. And she's only a sophomore? Jon is set for the next two years."
Mililani pitcher Miki Asamura led the Trojans to their fourth consecutive O'ahu Interscholastic Association title.
Asamura was just as effective. She allowed only four Knights to reach first, and none reached second. The only hits came from Souza leading off the fourth inning and Cheri Defiesta with one out in the seventh. Asamura then got a strikeout and a groundout to end the game.
She finished with nine strikeouts, including six against Nos. 3, 4 and 5 in Castle's lineup, and walked none.
"She hit her spots and kept the middle of our order in check," Berinobis said. "She was very poised on the mound."
Asamura said she had the same strategy against all the batters.
"Keep the ball low and make sure I'm hitting spots," Asamura said. "My risers weren't working too well today, so I threw a lot of screws and a lot of outside pitches."
MILILANI (13-0) 000 000 2—2 3 2
CASTLE (12-1) 000 000 0—0 2 4
WP—Miki Asamura. LP—Lia Pedrina.
Leading Hitters: Mil—Charity Senas 1-3, RBI; Erika Au 1-3; Tiffany Anguay-Kalau 1-3. Cast—Kalena Souza 1-3; Cheri Defiesta 1-3.
• • •
• KAILUA 4, LEILEHUA 3: Sharde Marshall went 2-for-3 with an RBI and Courtney Kessell struck out seven in a complete game effort and the Surfriders defeated the Mules.
Leilehua took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on an RBI single by Heidi Garcia and Erica Ige's walk with the bases loaded.
Kailua got a run back in the bottom of the first on Tashisha Milca's RBI single and grabbed a 3-2 lead in the third after a Leilehua error and an RBI single by Marshall.
The Surfriders went up 4-2 in the fifth on Deja Cavaco's sacrifice fly.
Leilehua closed it to 4-3 on an error in the sixth but Kessell set down the Mules in order in the seventh to seal the win.
LEILEHUA (9-5) 200 001 0—3 7 5
KAILUA (11-3) 102 010 x—4 5 2
WP—Courtney Kessell. LP—Alexis San Nicolas.
Leading Hitters: Lei—Ericka Ige 2-2; Maile Christian 1-3; Jessica Battease 1-3. Kail—Sharde Marshall 2-3, RBI; Tanisha Milca 1-3, RBI; Loke Lastimosa 1-3; Kainoa Hughes 1-3.
ILH
• IOLANI 5, PUNAHOU 0: Ianeta Lei pitched a three-hit shutout with two strikeouts and no walk as the Raiders beat the Buffanbu.
Lei, Stacey Higa, Kelly Asato and Maile Sylva each had two hits, and Blair Agena added a home run for Iolani.
PUNAHOU 000 000 0—0 3 0
IOLANI 320 000 x—5 9 0
WP—Ianeta Lei. LP—Sara Weisskopf.
Leading Hitters: Iol—Stacey Higa 2-3, triple; Kelly Asato 2-3; Lei 2-3, 2 RBIs; Blair Agena home run; Maile Sylva 2-3, double.
