Success for the Waialua High School softball team can be viewed in the number of games the Bulldogs have played this year.

For a program where players and wins have often been few, playing the sport and winning have been big accomplishments. The Bulldogs didn't have enough players to field a team the past two seasons. After years spent at the bottom of the league standings, the Bulldogs are second in the O'ahu Interscholastic Association White Division with a 9-2 record.

"It's really awesome," junior Marissa Keao said. "Waialua hasn't had a lot of girls show up in a long time.

"Waialua, being such a small community, everybody knows each other so we're close. We're all friends on the team."

In three games last week, Keao pitched a one-hitter with seven strikeouts in a win over Nanakuli and a no-hitter with 10 strikeouts in a shutout win over Radford.

She also batted 3 for 3 with an RBI in a loss to OIA White leader Wai'anae. She also homered against Nanakuli.

"She's been real consistent in hitting her spots," her coach and father Jay Keao said. "The big hits that came against her, she knows that's the one she missed and they made good contact. Those pitches, two pitches that kind of cost us (against Wai'anae).

"She's been hitting her spots, target; a lot of everyday practice. We spend an hour pitching."

Earlier this season, Keao threw a no-hitter in a win over McKinley and a one-hit shutout with 13 strikeouts in a win over Radford. There was also a two-hitter with 12 strikeouts and a 4-for-5 batting performance against Kahuku, and a three-hitter against Kaiser where she blasted a three-run homer. But none of this would have happened if the team hadn't stuck together.

Only a few players like Althia Dicion and Alyssiah Hernandez have played softball in outside leagues. The rest of the team has been a mix of multi-sport athletes like Kimberly Meyerowitz, basketball and soccer players and even a football player in Ashley Carillo. There are 14 players on the team, the same number that turned out for the first day of practice.

"We're keeping them positive, keeping them happy and keeping it fun," coach Keao said. "Most of the girls, they're just coming in. At Waialua, it has always been a sport that wasn't good in numbers.

"It's been a blessing this year. We started from first official day of practice with 14 and we're still holding 14 strong. We must be keeping them happy."

Marissa credits the coaching staff for helping the Bulldogs develop and learn. Pitching coach Leroy Maganoy has been helping her develop a curve ball.

"The coaches, they're really patient, so I think they are doing a good job," she said.

Having her father on the team isn't anything new. Since she started playing at age 7, if her father wasn't the coach, "he'd always be there helping."

"I like it," Marissa said of playing for her father. "It makes me have to practice harder because he's my dad. I have to be a leader for the team. He looks up to me, depends on me."

In a season full of accomplishments, the Bulldogs look to add to that list.

"We really want to take it this year, coming from a team that hasn't won a game in so many years to winning so many this year," Marissa Keao said.