Waiakea softball team tops Waimea
By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer
The good times just keep on rolling for the Waiakea High School softball team, which yesterday defeated fourth-seeded Waimea, 6-2, to advance to tonight's semifinal against No. 1 seed Kailua in the Chevron State Championship tournament.
That semifinal is set for 6 p.m. at the University of Hawai'i's Rainbow Wahine Stadium. It will be preceded at 4 o'clock by the Baldwin-Mililani quarterfinal, which was suspended by rain in the bottom of the first last night. The Baldwin-Mililani winner will play Kamehameha in the other semifinal at 8.
Today's consolation games have been moved to McKinley High field.
Waiakea (11-2), the Big Island Interscholastic Federation runner-up, scored the tournament's biggest first-round upset on Wednesday by stunning Interscholastic League of Honolulu runner-up Punahou, 3-2. That victory was built largely on a defense that had only one error and made several outstanding plays.
Against the Kaua'i Interscholastic Federation champion Menehunes (10-3) yesterday, Waiakea banged out 10 hits, including three by third baseman Paige Kurosawa (3-for-4, double, two RBIs) and two each by sophomore shortstop Nikki Riviera and senior designated hitter Kahinu Sanborn. Senior pinch-hitter Ku'ulei Kahanu had the biggest hit, a three-run home run in the fourth that gave the Warriors a 5-1 lead.
"We practiced hitting, we hit a lot off the pitching machine and our coach talked to us about picking the right pitch," said Kurosawa, who bats second. "Usually it's our lower part of the order that gets a lot of hits; it just so happened I got a lot of hits today."
Warriors coach Charlene Manu said her team was "always due" to score a bunch of runs.
"We have good bats," Manu said, "and they came around when we needed them most."
Waimea took a 1-0 lead in the second inning after a single, sacrifice bunt and error. The Warriors answered in the bottom of the third with Kurosawa's two-run double. After Kahanu's three-run homer in the fourth, the Menehunes came back with Lynette Perreira's RBI single in the fifth to make it 5-2. But Jenna Yanagi's run-scoring single in the bottom of the fifth made it 6-2, and Waiakea starter Elise DuPonte retired Waimea in order in the final two innings to close out the win.
DuPonte finished with a four-hitter, striking out only three but again relying on a defense that committed only one error.
"We have a good catcher (Yanagi) who helps a lot," Kurosawa said. "We have a lot of faith in (DuPonte) and she has a lot of faith in us. She knows we'll pick her up when she needs us."
Menehunes coach Pat Baniaga said the Warriors played well in all facets.
"They definitely hit the ball, and (DuPonte) is not overpowering but she hardly makes mistakes," Baniaga said. "They got timely hits and just outplayed us. They were the better team today."
Baniaga added Waiakea appeared to still be riding the high of Wednesday's big upset, plus being in the underdog role of the BIIF. Waimea was seeded No. 4 over BIIF champion Hilo, the first time that had happened since 1993.
"Beating Punahou was a big win for them emotionally and mentally; that probably lifted them up 200 or 300 percent," Baniaga said. "And the fact that we stole the seed from the Big Island makes it even worse. But it's good for Waiakea, you gotta congratulate them. They played in our preseason tournament, and they've come a long way."
Manu said the Warriors' surprising run has not happened by accident.
"This team has worked hard all season," Manu said. "We don't have the kind of competition (O'ahu has), so we need to work hard for ourselves. It's benefitting them now, it's finally coming into place."
Waimea 010 010 0—2 4 3
Waiakea 002 310 X—6 10 1
Lynette Perreira and Kodi Oyama. Elise DuPonte and Jenna Yanagi. WP—DuPonte. LP—Perreira.
Leading hitters: Waiakea—Nicole Riviera 2-3; Paige Kurosawa 3-4, double, 2 RBIs; Kahinu Sanborn 2-3; Ku'ulei Kahanu homer, 3 RBIs.
• Kailua 12, Lahainaluna 0: Courtney Kessell pitched a five-inning perfect game with nine strikeouts and went 2-for-3 to lead the Surfriders (14-0) past the Lunas (15-5) in a game shortened by the 10-run rule.
Loke Lastimosa went 3-for-3, Tanisha Milca went 2-for-3 with an RBI, and Kamaile Hughes had a sacrifice fly and two-run single.
Kailua scored six runs in the third inning on two hits, three walks, a hit batter and an error. The Surfriders added six more runs on seven hits and a walk in the fourth.
Kailua (14-0) 006 60—12 11 0
Lahainaluna (15-5) 000 00— 0 0 3
Courtney Kessell and Kainoa Hughes. Tiara Kukahiko and Tasha Pagdilao. WP—Kessell. LP—Kukahiko.
Leading hitters: Kailua—Latoya Lastimosa 3-3; Tanisha Milca 2-3; Kamaile Huges 3; Kessell 2-3.
• Kamehameha 9, Kapolei 1: Napua Naumu went 2-of-4 with a double and a triple, and pitcher Brandi Peiler 3-of-4 with a triple and an RBI to lead the Warriors into the semifinals.
Kate Robinson, Brandi Peiler and Noe Esperas teamed on a two-hitter.
Austi Paris had a double and an RBI to lead Kapolei.
Kapolei (12-4) 000 100 0—1 2 8
Kamehameha (16-2) 100 161 x—9 12 0
Tajia Acierto and Jasmin Yoro. Kate Robinson, Brandi Peiler (6), Noe Esperas (7) and Kaulana Gould.
WP—Robinson. LP— Acierto.
Leading hitters: Kapolei— Austi Paris double, 1 RBI. Kamehameha—Napua Naumu 2-4, double, triple; B. Peiler 3-4, triple, 1 RBI; K. Gould 2-3, 2 RBIs.
• Leilehua 3, Punahou 0: Pikake Nutter-Gaudet batted 3-for-3 and Alexis San Nicholas scattered 10 hits to lead the Mules over the Buffanblu.
San Nicholas worked out of bases-loaded trouble in the fifth with two strikeouts.
Lindsay Fujita, Shanna Dacanay and Cristen Aona had two hits apiece for Punahou.
LEILEHUA (10-6) 000 021 0—3 8 2
PUNAHOU (14-5) 000 000 0—0 10 0
Alexis San Nicholas and Pikake Nutter-Gaudet. Sarah Weisskopf and Kaha Weir. WP—San Nicholas. LP—Weisskopf.
Leading hitters: Leilehua— Nutter-Gaudet 3-3, double; Shyann Freitas 2-3; Jessica Battease double. Punahou—Lindsay Fujita 2-4; Shanna Dacanay 2-4; Cristen Aona 2-4.
Chevron State Softball Tournament
At Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium
Wednesday's results
Lahainaluna 4, Leilehua 2.
Kapolei 3, Hilo 0
Waiakea 3, Punahou 2
Mililani 4, Castle 2
Yesterday's results
Leilehua 3, Punahou 0
Waiakea 6, Waimea 2
Kailua 12, Lahainaluna 0
Kamehameha 9, Kapolei 1
Baldwin vs. Mililani, suspended by rain in bottom of first
Today's games
At McKinley High field
Hilo (10-2) vs. Castle (9-4) 11 a.m.
Waimea (10-3) vs. Lahainaluna (15-5), 1 p.m.
At Rainbow Wahine Stadium
Baldwin (14-3) vs. Mililani (13-1), 4 p.m.
Kailua (14-0) vs. Waiakea (11-2), 6 p.m.
Kamehameha (16-2) vs. winner of Baldwin-Mililani, 8 p.m.
Tomorrow's games
At Rainbow Wahine Stadium
Consolation games at noon, 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Third-place game at 6 p.m.
Championship game at 8 p.m.
