St. Francis' Ashley Smith pitched to make contact while on the mound and made solid contact at the plate yesterday in a win over Punahou.

Smith pitched a seven-hitter with zero strikeouts and batted 3 for 4 with three runs scored as St. Francis defeated Punahou, 10-2, in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu season opener for both teams at Kamamalu field.

"She knows she needs to pitch the ball to certain places and make her defense work, and the defense knows they have to back her up," St. Francis coach Mark Glushenko said.

Punahou co-head coaches Mike Okimoto and Bobby Makahilahila are very familiar with the Troubadours, having both served as St. Francis assistants last season.

Their scouting reports didn't do much for the young Buffanblu against St. Francis, the defending ILH Division I champion.

"They just got to get mature," Okimoto said of his team. "Right now, they don't have maturity. A lot of sophomores, a couple juniors, too, just have to step it up. Two seniors, I feel sorry for them because this is their last year."

Smith, a senior, is in her first year of pitching on the St. Francis varsity after having been a catcher since the seventh grade, according to Glushenko.

"Pitching is weird because I was a catcher," Smith said. "Being a pitcher now is pretty hard."

Now catching for the Troubadours is freshman Brianna Tovio-Asato, who went 2 for 4 with three RBIs from the clean-up spot yesterday.

"I wasn't really that good, but I got lucky because some of them (the pitches) were just down the middle or (hit) just over the infield," Tovio-Asato said.

She also was robbed of a hit in the seventh by Punahou left fielder Sara Nishikawa, who made a nice running catch just short of the wall.

"She's definitely going to be a player to watch out for," Glushenko said of Tovio-Asato.

St. Francis scored three in the first, two in the third, four in the fifth and one in the sixth. The Troubadours were 10 for 19 with runners in scoring position with two doubles.

Keala Bertulfo batted 3 for 3 with a double and two runs scored, and Britnee Vierra was 3 for 4 for St. Francis.

"They came out swinging and I'm happy for that," Glushenko said.

Smith walked three and hit a batter. She threw 50 of her 89 pitches for strikes.

"Her biggest thing for this year is confidence," Glushenko said. "She has a lot more confidence this year than she had in the previous three years. Being a senior I guess she had to step up."

St. Francis' defense committed two harmless errors, but was otherwise solid. Tovio-Asato threw out two runners trying to steal second and the Buffanblu had a runner thrown out trying to go from first to third on a single.

"Our defense, especially our infield, they're mostly veterans," Glushenko said. "We have two seniors starting and a junior at shortstop, so they've been in our system for a while and they're pretty much the backbone for our defense and for our pitcher."

Punahou committed four errors.

Okimoto and Makahilahila are the Buffanblu's third head coaches in three years.

"It's kind of rough for them," Okimoto said. "Now we're changing the whole thing around. That's just how it is. They just have to cope with it."

Okimoto, who led Mililani to five O'ahu Interscholastic Association titles and one state crown from 1995 to 2005, said he wants his Buffanblu to get tougher and be more aggressive.

"That's what these kids right now got to do," he said. "A little bit passive, so we have to start toughening them up a little bit."

Reach Kyle Sakamoto at ksakamoto@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8041.

PUNAHOU (0-1) 001 010 0— 2 7 4

ST. FRANCIS (1-0) 302 041 X—10 15 2

Jasmine Ioane and Kira Kubota. Ashley Smith and Brianna Tovio-Asato. W—Smith. L—Ioane.

Leading hitters — Punahou: Kayla Shimoda double. St. Francis: Smith 3-4, double, 3 runs; Tovio-Asato 2-4, 3 RBIs; Keala Bertulfo 3-3, double, 2 runs; Britnee Vierra 3-4; Ululani Reyes 2-4, double.

PAC-FIVE 5, SACRED HEARTS 4

Annie Lariosa stole home on a pickoff attempt at third base in the bottom of the eighth as Pac-Five edged Sacred Hearts in the ILH opener for both.

Lariosa, who pitched a two-hitter, singled and advanced to third on an error.

Chante Tesoro had three hits and four RBIs for Pac-Five, which rallied from a 4-1 deficit.

SACRED HEARTS (0-1) 002 100 10—4 2 3

PAC-FIVE (1-0) 000 001 31—5 9 2

Joslyn Eugenio and Chelsea Kamai. Annie Lariosa and Britney Hagihara, W — Lariosa. L — Eugenio.

Leading hitters — Sacred Hearts: Roecha Kauahikaua 2 runs. Pac-Five: Tatum Tokuda 3-4, 2 runs; Chante Tesoro 3-4, double, 4 RBIs.

Reported by Mark Yoshizu

MIL

MAUI 15, KAMEHAMEHA 10

Victoria-Lynn Pszyk had four hits and four RBIs as the Sabers (1-1) beat the Warriors (1-1) in a Maui Interscholastic League game.

Kai Duarte had three hits for Kamehameha-Maui.

KAMEHAMEHA (1-1) 070 011 1—10 14 1

MAUI (1-1) 112 407 X—15 14 2

Kai Duarte, Kierston Perry (4) and Sarah Ishikawa. Victoria-Lynn Pszyk and Tiana Kauweloa. W — Pszyk. L — Perry.

Leading hitters — Kamehameha: Duarte 3-4; Jandee Ferguson 2-5; Tiana Garcia 2-3; Ishikawa 2-3, double, RBI; Aysia Peters 2-4, RBI; Kayla Kaluau double, RBI. Maui: Ashley Kauweloa 2-4; Pszyk 4-4, double, 4 RBIs; Kerrilyn Valdez 2-3, RBI; Nicole Yaji 2-4; T. Kauweloa double, RBI.

Reported by Rodney Higa

Reach Kyle Sakamoto at ksakamoto@honoluluadvertiser.com.