By BILL O’REAR
By BILL O’REAR
Hawaii Tribune-Herald sports writer
Ariana Mareko, Skyler Agrigado and Ishael Shaw-DeMello provided the offensive excitement and ace Chelsea Camello turned in a blue-collar effort to lead Waiakea to a 7-2 win over rival Hilo on Thursday afternoon.
The hard-fought Big Island Interscholastic Federation softball game was played at the Warriors’ field.
Mareko, a junior catcher, crushed a two-run triple over the left-fielder’s head in a five-run third inning; Agrigado, a senior third baseman, added two hits, a run batted in and scored twice; and Shaw-DeMello, a senior left fielder, had two hits, including a two-run double in the third, and three RBIs to help fuel the Waiakea offense.
The five-time defending league champion Warriors (4-0) pounded out 12 hits against gutsy Hilo hurler Ashlyn Kaneshiro.
Junior Brandi Maximo led Waiakea with three hits. Agrigado, Shaw-DeMello and sophomore Cheylee Octavio each added two hits in a robust attack.
Camello, a senior righ-thander, didn’t pitch her “A” game, but she knuckled down every time the Vikings (4-1) threatened and scattered seven hits over seven solid innings. She seemed to tire in the late innings, but she showed her mental toughness and improved to 4-0 this season and a perfect 17-0 in her BIIF career.
Kaneshiro, a senior right-hander, pitched well but ran into trouble in the Waiakea third inning when the Warriors broke open a pitchers’ duel. She took the loss while battling the hosts throughout the contest.
The Warriors plated a run in the bottom of the second inning on Shaw-DeMello’s RBI single to right field. But Hilo quickly erased the Waiakea rally with an inning-ending double play.
But in the the third, the hosts broke through with their five-run uprising. The promising Octavio ignited the rally with a single and scooted to second on a single to right by Maximo. Senior Anela Granito-Wallace sacrificed both runners over, before Mareko belted her long two-run triple to left to make it 3-0.
Agrigado walked and Kawehi Granito-Wallace ripped an RBI single to center to extend the lead to 4-0. Then after a groundout, Shaw-DeMello doubled in two runners to make it 6-0.
Hilo scored a run in the fourth inning when sophomore Aliesa Kaneshiro led off with a double. She was replaced at second by pinch runner Starlyne Estrada, who motored home on junior Fantacie Keahilihau-Kuamoo’s double to left field to slice the margin to 6-1.
In the fifth inning, the Vikings struck again with another run. Senior Tracee Fukunaga led off with a single, stole second with her blazing speed and then raced to third on Amber Vaughn’s sacrifice bunt. Shyanne Higa-Gonsalves, one of the quickest players in the league, followed with a hard-hit grounder to short and Fukunaga scored on a throwing error to make it 6-2.
But the determined Camello refocused and got two of the next three batters out to end the threat.
The Warriors added a solo run in the sixth. Maximo tripled and eventually scored on Agrigado’s RBI single to left to make it 7-2.
In the seventh, Camello retired the first two Vikings she faced. Then Ashlyn Kaneshiro singled to right field and sprinted to second on a throwing error. But on the bang-bang play, the umpires ruled the Hilo on-deck batter had been hit by the overthrown ball from right field to first base, thus causing interference and they called Kaneshiro out, ending the game.
The hard-hitting Keahilihau-Kuamoo led Hilo with three hits. She was the only Viking to get at least two hits off Camello.
In earning the win, Camello struck out four and walked two. Kaneshiro struck out four, walked three and beaned a Warrior.
Veteran Waiakea coach Bo Saiki, not one to bust fireworks or do a victory flip after a big win or any win for that matter, said: “We were OK today.”
He said he was more concerned about how his team reacted when Hilo threatened midway through the game.
“I told them, ‘There’s no reason to panic, just take it one out at a time.’”
He also agreed that Camello struggled in the late innings.
“She got a little tired,” Saiki said. “But we ran the girls a lot yesterday (Wednesday) and she said her legs were a little tired. She’ll be fine. We’re working on stamina with the whole team.”
Saiki also liked how the Vikings responded in the meeting of the two previously unbeaten teams.
“Hilo did well,” the Warriors coach said. “They deserve all credit they’re getting. They work really hard and are getting better.”
Vikings coach Leo Sing Chow liked how her squad kept fighting.
“It was a really good game, both teams played well,” she said. “I’m proud of how our girls gave a great effort all game long. We’ve come a long way and we’ll keep working hard to improve.
“Waiakea has a good team — and today, the breaks just didn’t fall our way.”
At Waiakea Field
Hilo 000 110 0 — 2 7 2
Waiakea 015 001 x — 7 12 4
• Keaau 15, Pahoa 4: At Pahoa, Chelsey Pacatang-Hirai hurled a three-hitter and had a three-run homer to lead Keaau to a five-TKO victory.
Pacatang, a crafty southpaw, went the distance, striking out six and picking up the win. Erin Martinez started for the Daggers (2-4) and took the loss, with relief support from Beautiful Wilson.
Cassie Ramos-Sugi led the Cougars (3-2) with three hits while Pacatang-Hirai, Shaniya Kamakea-Wong and Ayanna Silva each added two hits. Martinez was the lonely Dagger with two hits.
Keaau 612 204 — 15 12 1
Pahoa 000 202 — 4 3 5
• Konawaena 6, Kohala 4: Freshman Bethany Batangan picked up the win despite giving up nine hits over seven innings. Batangan struck out four and walked four for the host Wildcats (2-2).
Junior center fielder Kaua Mitchell went 3-for-3 for Konawaena. Junior catcher Saxon Nagata went 2-3 with an RBI.
Senior Chyler Imai took the loss for the Cowgirls (2-2). She gave up four runs on four hits over 5 2/3 innings, striking out four and walking two. Starter Tiana Luga lasted just one-third of an inning.
Freshman Tomiko Coito hit a solo home run for Kohala.
Kohala 100 020 0 — 4 9 4
Konawaena 221 001 X — 6 6 4
• Kealakehe 11, Honokaa 8 (9 inn.): Ashley Isisaki hit a bases-clearing triple in the top of the ninth to give the visiting Waveriders (3-1) the win. Her triple gave her five RBIs in the game and capped a 2-for-4 day at the plate for the junior starting pitcher, who also scored two runs. She also pitched four innings but didn’t figure in the decision.
Freshman Kelina Palmer-Kahananui earned the win, giving up three runs over the last five innings for Kealakehe. She gave up six hits, walked three and struck out one.
Senior Brooke Rivera went 2-for-5 for the Waveriders, who tied it in the seventh to send it to extra innings.
Senior Kawehi Bell-Kaaekuahiwi went 2-for-3 with a double for the Dragons (1-3). Sophomore Allie Shiraki was 2-for-5 with two runs scored for Honokaa. Freshman Kayla Requelman also went 2-for-5 for the Dragons, who extended the game in the bottom of the eighth with a two-run uprising.
Sophomore Hailey Paglinawan took the loss, giving up six runs on two hits over the last five innings. She struck out four and walked six for Honokaa.
Kealakehe 311 000 123 — 11 8 1
Honokaa 000 321 020 — 8 8 4
• Kamehameha 14, Ka’u 1. At Keaau, the Warriors (2-4) overpowered the Trojans (0-4) in a five-inning TKO decision.
No other information was available on the game.