Kapolei captures OIA softball title

By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer

Kapolei's Tajia Acierto pitched a four-hitter to earn a 3-1 victory over Mililani in the O'ahu Interscholastic Association tournament championship game. Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

The Hurricanes, in just their fourth year as a school and third as a varsity program, got a four-hitter from starting pitcher Tajia Acierto, and overcame a 1-0 deficit by scoring two runs in the fourth inning and one in the fifth.

Kapolei has won league titles in bowling and air riflery, but yesterday's victory was achieved in front of about 300 enthusiastic fans and a live statewide TV audience.

"Coaches from the other sports canceled practice today so their teams could come and support us," said Hurricanes third baseman Austi Paris, who went 3 for 3 with a double. "Everybody at school was excited ... it felt so good to win."

To do it, Kapolei had to knock off an OIA powerhouse for the second time in three days. In Wednesday's semifinals, the Hurricanes stunned defending OIA and state champion Kailua, 4-0. Yesterday, they defeated a Trojans program that was appearing in its sixth straight league title game.

"Not at all did I think we would be in this position two years ago," Kapolei coach Tony Saffrey said. "It's very humbling."

The Hurricanes fell behind 1-0, after Melissa Lehano led off the Mililani second with a double, advanced to third on Samantha Bolosan's sacrifice, and scored on Casey Sugihara's single.

Kapolei answered in the fourth by getting a pair of hits and scoring on a two-base throwing error with two outs. The Hurricanes added a run in the fifth after Jasmin Sanchez led off with a single, advanced to second on Acierto's sacrifice, and scored on Anita Manuma's single to right field.

In the meantime, Acierto stymied the Trojans by allowing only two runners into scoring position after the second inning. Kimberly Goo got a one-out double in the fifth, but Acierto retired the next two batters on a flyout and groundout.

Mililani's No. 3 hitter, Charity Senas, reached on an error to lead off the sixth and advanced to second on Stacey Sakata's sacrifice. But Acierto got a line-out double play to end the inning.

"Tajia did a great job again," Saffrey said, noting that Acierto pitched a one-hit shutout against Roosevelt and a two-hitter vs. Kailua. "Mililani is scary, because even their big batters can drop bunts, so you don't know what to expect."

Acierto did it all with only two strikeouts, against one walk.

"She's 'sneaky fast,' " Trojans coach Mike Okimoto said of Acierto. "It doesn't seem like she's throwing that fast, but all of a sudden her ball is right on your hands."

That sort of describes Kapolei's ascent to the OIA summit. The Hurricanes went 4-6 in their debut season in 2002, then made the playoffs last year and finished fifth in the state tournament.

"That first year (2002), at first I was scared and just wanted to go JV," said Paris, a junior. "I used to watch the OIA varsity teams in the championship on TV and I thought, 'They're so good.' But it was a good experience for us and helped us get better. Last year we made states, and we said this year our goal was to go higher than that. Everybody worked so hard."

KAPOLEI (12-1) 000 210 0 — 3 8 2
MILILANI (11-2) 010 000 0 — 1 4 1

Tajia Acierto and Jasmin Yoro; Dana Lee and Stacey Sakata. W — Acierto. L — Lee.

Leading hitters: Kapolei — Austi Paris 3-3, double; Anita Manuma 2-4, RBI. Mililani — Casey Sugihara 1-3, RBI; Melissa Lehano 1-3, double; Kimberly Goo 1-3, double.

KAILUA 2, PEARL CITY 2 (11-inning tie): Kailua scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to send the OIA third-place game into extra innings, where it was declared a tie after the 11th because of time constraints.

Both teams have qualified for the state tournament, but a new Hawai'i High School Athletic Association guideline sends the OIA's third- and fourth-place teams into opposite brackets. OIA softball coordinator Elden Esmerelda said he plans to discuss the situation with league executive secretary Dwight Toyama today.

"We'll try to find an equitable solution," Esmerelda said.

In the bottom of the seventh inning yesterday, leadoff batter Keala Iaea was walked. Rusty-Ann Borges then reached on an error and Kalina Kama singled to score Iaea. Borges then scored on a sacrifice fly by Ashley Hopfe.

Pearl City had scored single runs in the second and third innings.

Kailua's Courtney Kessell struck out 12.

Pearl City (9-3-1) 011 000 000 000—2 3 4
Kailua (11-1-1) 000 000 200 000—2 5 3

Krystal Plunkett, Marina Guzman (7) and Noelle Hirahara. Courtney Kessell and Erin Guerrero.

Leading hitters: Pearl City—Marissa Kobayashi 2-5.

Castle 3, Leilehua 1: Lia Pedrina pitched a three-hitter with six strikeouts to help the Knights capture fifth place in the OIA tournament.

Leilehua (9-4) 000 001 0—1 3 3
Castle (11-2) 100 200 X—3 7 4

Alexis San-Nicolas and Pikake Nutter-Gaudet. Lia Pedrina and Tiani Mattos. W—Pedrina. L—San-Nicolas.

Leading hitters: Castle—Mattos 2-4; Pedrina triple.