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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Tuesday, February 1, 2005

Chargers a cut above the rest

From left, Corrie Nishikida, Marina Gusman-Brown and Krystal Plunkett have led Pearl City to an 11-1 record and the OIA West title.

Eugene Tanner • Honolulu Advertiser

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By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer

The Pearl City High School softball team did not need to win yesterday's regular-season finale against Nanakuli to call itself a champion.

Even if the Chargers lost, they would have been declared co-champs with Mililani in the O'ahu Interscholastic Association's Western Division.

But Pearl City won anyway, 11-0, and captured the West title outright with an 11-1 record — a game ahead of perennial powerhouse Mililani (10-2).

The Chargers would have it no other way.

"We don't want to share it," said pitcher/third baseman Corrie Nishikida. "We want to be the champs all by ourselves."

OIA Softball Tournament

Today

First round

(all games at 3:30 p.m.)

Kaimuki (5-7) at Campbell (6-5)

Leilehua (3-8) at Castle (5-7)

Roosevelt (4-7) at Kapolei (8-4)

Nanakuli (2-10) at Kahuku (6-5)

Tomorrow

Quarterfinals

(all games at 3:30 p.m.)

Camp./Kaim. winner at Kailua (12-0)

Castle/Lei. winner at Pearl City (11-1)

Kah./Nana. winner at Mililani (10-2)

Kapo./Roos. winner at Moanalua (7-4)

Thursday

(all games 3:30 p.m. at Central O'ahu Regional Park)

Consolation bracket

Quarterfinal losers

(winner qualifies for state tournament)

Semifinals

Quarterfinal winners

White Conference championship

(at Central O'ahu Regional Park)

Kalaheo (14-1) vs. Waipahu (12-3), with winner advancing to Division II state tournament

Friday

(at Central O'ahu Regional Park)

3:30 p.m. — Fifth place game

6:30 p.m. — Third place game

8 p.m. — Championship game

It's hard to blame them, since Mililani hogged all the West crowns for the previous six seasons, although it did share last year's title with Kapolei.

But Pearl City entered this season with plans to change that, and the Chargers still have higher goals to achieve as the OIA Tournament begins today with four first-round games.

"This team has matured and now they understand what it takes to win," said Keoke Behic, Pearl City's second-year head coach. "They feel like they've paid their dues."

While Mililani, Kailua and Castle have been the OIA's juggernauts in recent years, the Chargers steadily have been building toward an uprising. Under former coach Cheyene Thompson, Pearl City reached the OIA playoffs in 2002 and fell one victory shy of a state tournament berth the following year.

Then last season, the Chargers opened some eyes by taking Kailua ace Courtney Kessell — the 2003 Advertiser State Player of the Year — to 11 innings before their OIA third-place game was declared a 2-2 tie due to a time limit. Pearl City then lost to Punahou, 4-0, in the first round of the state tournament.

"Last year, I think the girls were just happy to tie or even just to play good against those teams," Behic said. "But this year I think we all knew it was ripe for the picking, and when we beat Kapolei and then Mililani just one night later, that really was a morale boost. You could see how much the girls have matured."

After an 8-5 loss to Mililani on Dec. 15, the Chargers rebounded and won six straight games before their Jan. 20 showdown with Kapolei. In that game, Pearl City trailed 2-1 in the bottom of the eighth inning when freshman Lauren Fujisaki's two-run single provided a dramatic victory.

The very next night, before a statewide television audience, junior Marina Gusman-Brown pitched a two-hitter, struck out eight and scored a run to lead the Chargers past their nemesis Trojans, 3-0.

"We lost to them every time before, but this time we had the confidence," Gusman-Brown said. "The Kapolei game was actually more intense, so we were more relaxed for Mililani."

Earlier preparation helped as well. The Trojans had dominated the West in previous seasons behind strong pitching and a speed-oriented offense that dropped bunts and forced opponents to make infield plays.

Behic said he designed several practice drills with Mililani in mind.

"They put so much pressure on you defensively," Behic said. "They'll bunt, slap and steal, and it's hard to simulate those game situations. But we gave our girls a point system in practice, to put some pressure on them and get them comfortable with executing those tough plays, like making throws on the run."

Gusman-Brown said Behic emphasizes a solid defense so much, the players are trained to play multiple positions just in case substitutions are necessary.

Second baseman Kanani Numata is the only starter who has stayed at the same position for every game this season.

"The whole team practices infield (defense), and everybody takes ground balls," said Gusman-Brown, who plays third base when she's not pitching. "We don't have too many players, so everybody has to be ready."

Pearl City does have the luxury of having three strong pitchers, where most teams rely on just one. Nishikida, a junior, used her off-speed repertoire to notch 10 strikeouts against Kapolei.

Gusman-Brown is one of the league's top power pitchers, and senior Krystal Plunkett — who has signed a letter of intent with Hawai'i Pacific University as a utility player — is able to provide control in relief situations.

"We can rotate every other game, so we're always fresh and our arms don't get tired," Nishikida said. "Or, if someone's having a bad day, we can bring someone else in. Plus, the opponents don't know who is pitching and we all have different speeds."

Offensively, the Chargers have threats from 1 through 9 in the order, led by Plunkett (.571 batting average), Nishikida (.564) and Gusman-Brown (.545). Freshman shortstop Sanoe Aina, who played on Waipi'o's Little League World Series team in 2002, is batting .357. She is one of three freshman starters for Pearl City, which has only two seniors.

"We've been building for the past couple of years, but this year it's all about taking it farther," Behic said. "We just have to stick to our plan and keep executing."

Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2456.