Kapolei surprises Kailua in OIA, 4-0
By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer
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Sophomore right-hander Tajia Acierto pitched a two-hitter and Amanda Shigetani drove in two runs for the Hurricanes, who will face the winner of today's game between Mililani and Pearl City for the championship at 3:30 p.m. tomorrow at Mililani.
Kailua, the defending state champion, fell to 11-1 and will play the Mililani-Pearl City loser for third place at 1 p.m. at Mililani.
It will be the first title game for Kapolei, which is in its third year as a varsity program.
Kailua has won 10 of the 27 Hawai'i state championships, more than any other school.
"We toppled a giant today," Hurricanes coach Tony Saffrey said. "That's the way I look at it. I have a lot of respect for (Surfriders coach) Bernard Victor and that program, and I tell you, they're not done yet. We may see them again (in next week's state tournament)."
Yesterday, however, it was Kapolei (11-1) that looked like the dominant team as Acierto allowed only one Kailua runner into scoring position and the Hurricanes tagged reigning Advertiser State Player of the Year Courtney Kessell for eight hits.
| • | OIA PLAYOFFS
Today's games, 3:30 p.m. Pearl City at Mililani (semifinals) Kahuku at Castle (consolation bracket) Tomorrow's games Third place (at Mililani) Kailua vs. Mililani/Pearl City loser, 1 p.m. Fifth place (at site of higher seed) Leilehua vs. Castle/Kahuku winner, 3:30 p.m. Championship (at Mililani) Kapolei vs. Pearl City/Mililani winner, 3:30 p.m. |
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Kapolei's Austi Paris led off the fourth inning with a double and came home on an error after getting caught in a rundown between third and home on Valana Manuma's single. Manuma then scored on Shigetani's single.
In the sixth, Acierto again led off with a double and scored on Jasmin Yoro's single. Manuma then scored again on Shigetani's sacrifice fly.
"Courtney started out OK, but then she kinda lost it," Victor said. "Her rise wasn't rising. But you can't take away from how (the Hurricanes) played. They hit well and pitched well and played good defense."
Kapolei's only loss was a 1-0 heartbreaker to Mililani on Dec. 27, when the Trojans scored in the bottom of the sixth inning.
"I think the biggest change since the beginning of the season is that back then we were thinking too much at the plate," Saffrey said. "It was a 'paralysis by analysis' kind of thing. But there's a difference between being anxious and being ready. Today they just relaxed and swung the bat."
Acierto, who went 1 for 3, said the Hurricanes' approach against Kessell was simple.
"If you see a good ball, hit it," she said.
Kessell, who still struck out eight and walked only one, previously had allowed only one earned run all season — against Leilehua on Tuesday.
But the Surfriders' offense has struggled in the past couple weeks, eking out 1-0 victories over Roosevelt and Moanalua in the regular season and getting only three hits in the 3-1 win over Leilehua.
"I told the girls that we cannot just rely on Courtney (to pitch shutouts)," Victor said. "We gotta hit if we want to win. We got outplayed (on Tuesday) but we managed to win. But I told them we cannot keep on chasing, because one day, we're not gonna make it."
KAPOLEI (11-1) 000 202 0—4 8 1
KAILUA (11-1) 000 000 0—0 2 1
Tajia Acierto and Jasmin Yoro. Courtney Kessell and Erin Guerrero. W — Acierto. L — Kessell.
Leading hitters: Kapolei — Austi Paris 2-3, 2 doubles, 2 runs; Valana Manuma 2-3, 2 runs; Amanda Shigetani 1-2, 2 RBIs; Yoro 1-3, RBI.
PEARL CITY 13, CASTLE 7: Krystal Plunkett crushed a pair of solo home runs and the Chargers pounded out 15 other hits in a quarterfinal rout of the Knights.
The game was a makeup of a rainout at Castle on Tuesday; yesterday's game was played at Pearl City, although the Knights were the designated home team because of their higher seeding.
Castle took a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning, but Pearl City answered with two runs in the fourth and four in the fifth to go up, 6-4. The Knights got three runs back in the bottom of the fifth to make it 7-6, but the Chargers scored five runs in the sixth and two in the seventh.
Pearl City (9-2) 000 245 2—13 17 3
Castle (9-2) 004 030 0— 7 6 6
Corrie Nishikida, Krystal Plunkett (6) and Plunkett, Noelle Hirahara (6). Lia Pedrina and Tiani Mattos. W — Nishikida. L — Pedrina.
Leading hitters: Pearl City — Nishikida 2-5, 2 runs; Plunkett 2-5, 2 home runs, 2 RBIs, 2 runs; Marina Guzman 2-5, 3 runs; Kanani Numata 3-5, 3 runs, RBI; Shanna Vierra 3-5, 2 runs, HR, RBI; Hirahara 3-4, RBI. Castle—Mattos 3-4, 2 runs; Pedrina 1-3, double, 2 runs; Cheynah Farley 1-3, double.
Reported by Keoki Behic
LEILEHUA 3, ROOSEVELT 0: Alexis San Nicolas pitched a one-hitter and Pikake Nutter-Gaudet blasted a solo home run in the fourth inning as the visiting Mules blanked the Rough Riders in a consolation bracket game.
San Nicolas allowed a hit to the first batter in the bottom of the first inning, then went on to strike out six and walk three.
Leilehua (9-3) 100 200 0—3 4 1
Roosevelt (8-4) 000 000 0—0 1 1
Alexis San Nicolas and Pikake Nutter-Gaudet. Genoa Aiko and Chevelle Kauahipaula. W — San Nicolas. L — Aiko.
Leading hitter: Leilehua— Nutter-Gaudet 2-3, triple, homer, 2 RBIs.
Reported by Jamie Mukai
ILH
UNIVERSITY 5, HBA/ST.A/ST.F 1: Ku'ulei Padeken's triple in the first inning was the key as it scored two of four University High runs during the frame as the Junior Rainbows captured the ILH's small-schools championship and lone Division II state tournament berth.
Jessica Ghazali pitched a three-hitter for University, which trailed 1-0 heading into the bottom of the first.
HbA/St.A/St.f (7-8) 100 000 0—1 3 1
University high (8-7) 401 000 X—5 8 1
Carolyn Fisher and Tiffany Farias, Jamie Fernandez (4). Jessica Ghazali and Iwalani Yamaguchi. W — Ghazali. L — Fisher.
Leading hitters: University—Yamaguchi 2-4; Kuulei Padeken triple, 2 RBIs; Richie-Ann Titcomb double.
Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2456.
