By MATT GERHART
By MATT GERHART
Tribune-Herald sports writer
With her right shoulder heavily wrapped in ice Tuesday at Walter Victor Complex, Hilo shortstop Fantacie Keahilihau-Kuamoo looked like she was wearing football shoulder pads.
Fittingly, she sees her role as being the quarterback on the field for the Vikings’ softball team.
“My job is to play my game at short, pick up everyone else and keep the team together,” the junior said.
Her bats been making plenty of noise as well.
Keahilihau-Kuamoo continued her hitting surge with a two-run triple, and Shyanne Higa-Gonsalves ripped a two-run double to back Ashlyn Kaneshiro in the circle as Hilo beat Pahoa 9-2 in a Big Island Interscholastic Federation game.
Battling cleanup this season for the Vikings (4-0), Keahilihau-Kuamoo is 9 for 14 with two home runs, three triples and 10 RBIs.
“It’s all about focusing and keeping a mindset. It’s just staying relaxed, thinking base hit and driving through the ball,” Keahilihau-Kuamoo said. “I’m improving every day, but I know there’s always room for improvement.”
Vikings coach Leo Sing Chow, a former standout on the University of Hawaii at Hilo softball team, says Keahilihau-Kuamoo is finally starting to come into her own and has the skills to play at the next level.
“She has the potential to go places,” Sing Chow said. “The biggest thing is she has to push herself to get there. What we try to tell her is what you put in is what you get out. The harder she pushes the better she gets. Like anybody, sometimes they don’t push as hard as they should, and that shows effects, and then she pushes harder and gets more out of it.”
Higa-Gonsalves was 3 for 4 and doubled twice, including a two-bagger that plated two runs in the fifth against relief pitcher Vaaigaomata Wilson, and Caitlyn Price was 2 for 4 with a double. With two on and two out in the fourth, Keahilihau-Kuamoo tripled against losing pitcher Erin Martinez.
Hilo took advantage of six Daggers errors.
However, Sing Chow warned that the effort wouldn’t cut it Thursday against five-time defending Division I BIIF champion Waiakea (4-0).
“They didn’t come to the field with the right mentality,” Sing Chow said. “We want them to come with a better mentality Thursday. I believe our girls will come ready to play.”
Martinez and Wilson both doubled in the top of the first inning to give Pahoa (2-3) a 1-0 lead.
Higa-Gonsalves led off the bottom of the first with a double as Hilo responded with three runs.
“She’s a little firecracker,” Sing Chow said of Higa-Gonsalves, a sophomore.
Martinez, who was coming off a 13-strikeout performance against Ka‘u, hurt herself in the inning, uncorking three wild pitches, while yielding a walk and hitting a batter.
Aliesa Kaneshiro added an RBI single and Price capped the rally with a run-scoring hit.
“Erin’s been on and off for us this season,” Daggers coach Frank Degele said.
Ashlyn Kaneshiro went five innings and pitched to contact to pick up the win, allowing two runs on six hits with two walks.
Kaneshiro and reliever Wendilyn Simmons were backed by a defense that committed only one error.
“Ashlyn’s been good at pushing through it when things get tough,” Sing Chow said. “You can see that she trusts her defense.”
Pahoa’s Jade Sumoba walked to lead off the third and scored on Wilson’s groundout.
In the top of the fifth, the Daggers loaded the bases on three consecutive singles with one out. Facing the heart of the order, Kaneshiro fanned Wilson for her lone strikeout then got Randi Lee Berinobis to groundout to end the threat.
“The problem was our power hitters couldn’t get big hits,” Degele said.
Simmons retired all six batters she faced, striking out two.
In four inning, Martinez allowed six runs, seven hits and four walks with three strikeouts.
Wilson allowed three runs – none earned – and two hits over two innings.
Keahilihau-Kuamoo, meanwhile, showed that in addition to hitting, fielding and throwing, she can also run.
She led off the fourth with single, stole a base, then scored all the way from second on a groundout.
Afterward, Keahilihau-Kuamoo said she iced down her shoulder because she was tweaking her throwing motion at shortstop.
“We played as a team today, all executed and did our job,” Keahilihau-Kuamoo said. “That’s how we want to do it when we play against Waiakea.”
Pahoa 101 000 0 – 2 6 6
Hilo 301 221 x – 9 9 1
• Kohala 14, Honokaa 2: Tiani Luga got the Cowgirls going early at Kamehameha Park in Kapaau.
Luga hit a three-run home run in the first inning to spark an eight-run outburst, and Kohala (2-1) rolled to a victory. The game ended in the fifth inning because of the league’s 10-run mercy rule. Jovi Antonio added two hits and one RBI.
Senior Chyler Imai earned the win. She allowed two rusn on three hits, struck out five and walked three.
For Honokaa, Kawehi Bell-Kaaekuahiwi suffered the loss. She gave up one hit and five walks in less than an inning. Hailey Paglinawan came on in relief and finished the game. She gave up nine walks and five hits and struck out four.
Honokaa 100 01 — 2 3 2
Kohala 860 0x — 14 6 1
• Konawaena 10, Hawaii Prep 7: The Wildcats (1-2) earned their first win of the season, topping Ka Makani in Waimea.
Jashea Leleiwi went 2-for-5, and Kaua Mitchell had three RBIs for Konawaena
Alexis Fujikawa had four strikeouts and three walks while earning the win. She also had an RBI at the plate. Bethany Batangan came on in the relief in the sixth.
For HPA (2-2), Leahi Lindsey went 2-for-4
Konawaena 000 241 3 — 10 7 3
Hawaii Prep 000 003 4 — 7 5 12
Editor’s note: West Hawaii Today contributed the game capsules for this story.