Kailua, Mililani will play for OIA championship
By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer
The high school softball game almost everyone wanted to see this season will happen at about 2:30 p.m. today at Kailua High School.
Four-time defending O'ahu Interscholastic Association champion Mililani (12-0) will play 2002 state runner-up Kailua (12-0) for the OIA title at the Surfriders' plush campus field.
The highly anticipated showdown will match Mililani senior ace Miki Asamura against Kailua's sophomore sensation Courtney Kessell, who pitched a five-hitter with 13 strikeouts yesterday in a 2-0 semifinal victory over Leilehua (8-5).
The Kailua-Leilehua semifinal was supposed to be played Thursday, but got rained out. Kessell used the free time to go to Mililani to watch Asamura pitch a four-hit shutout against Castle in a 2-0 win.
"That got me excited, because I really want to play Mililani," Kessell said after yesterday's game. "We were so pumped up to play (on Thursday), and then they told us it was rained out. We just had to pump ourselves back up today."
The Surfriders needed nothing less than a full effort against the Mules, who finished sixth in the OIA Western Division but entered the game as the league's hottest team. After barely qualifying for the 12-team tournament with a 6-4 record, Leilehua walloped 2002 state tournament qualifier Kaimuki, 14-3, in the first round by banging out 19 hits.
The Mules then edged West runner-up Wai'anae, 2-1, in Wednesday's quarterfinals. Leilehua made a similar run in last year's postseason, advancing to the OIA and state semifinals.
The Mules return several key members from that team, including pitcher Alexis San Nicolas, catcher Pikake Nutter-Gaudet and shortstop Shannon Guerrero, but they also have five freshmen in the starting lineup.
"In all of our losses, we made at least six errors," Leilehua coach MaryAnn Christian said. "Against Kapolei, we made 13 errors. Most of it was mental, just basic plays. But that's why our pitcher still has a good ERA — it's all been unearned runs."
Kailua earned both of its runs yesterday.
After Kessell led off the bottom of the third with a walk, courtesy runner Rusty-Ann Borges advanced to second on Danielle Young's sacrifice bunt and to third on Loke Lastimosa's single. Borges then slid home on a fielder's choice when San Nicolas fielded Tanisha Milca's grounder and threw to first after checking Borges.
"She might have been able to get (Borges), but that's a decision she's gotta make right away," Surfriders coach Bernard Victor said.
Kailua scored in similar fashion in the fifth.
Kessell led off with a single, Borges advanced on another single by Lastimosa and scored on Kamaile Hughes' single.
San Nicolas allowed only five hits and struck out four.
"I thought she did a good job," Victor said. "She moved the ball pretty good, and she had us leaning all over the place."
Kessell, as usual, kept batters guessing with her location. She had no walks and one hit batter.
"We kept (throwing) inside, because they were pulling a lot," Victor said. "Once they had two foul balls, then we'd go outside."
LEILEHUA 000 000 0—0 5 1
KAILUA 001 010 X—2 5 0
Alexis San Nicolas and Pikake Nutter-Gaudet. Courtney Kessell and Kainoa Hughes. W—Kessell. L—San Nicolas.
Leading hitters: Leilehua—Jamie Kim 2-3. Kailua—Loke Lastimosa 2-3.
Fifth place
Kapolei 9, Pearl City 8: The Hurricanes scored one run in the bottom of the 10th inning, earning a berth in the state tournament.
This is the first time Kapolei has qualified for a state tournament in a team sport.
PEARL CITY 340 001 000 0—8 12 1
KAPOLEI 013 301 000 1—9 16 5
Krystal Plunkett, Corrie Nishikida (4) and Stacy Sakata. Tajia Aceirto and Jasmin Yoro. WP—Aceirto. LP—Nishikida.
Leading hitters: Pearl City—Kelly Nishikida 2-6; Celine Akana 3-5, 4 RBIs; Marina Gushman-Brown 3-5, double. Kapolei—Chaz Ebaloaroza 2-5; Malamaisaua Manuma 3-6; Valana Manuma 3-5; Austi Paris 2-5, 3 RBIs; Jasmin Sanchez 2-5; Renee Malachi 2-5; Aceirto double; Yoro double.
