By MATT GERHART
By MATT GERHART
Tribune-Herald sports writer
Waiakea had to wait a little longer than usual to add to its long winning streak.
Skyler Agrigado and Ariana Mareko had the perfect approach at the plate: patience.
Mareko and Agrigado hit back-to back home runs during a seven-run second inning Monday, and Chelsea Camello came back in to secure her own victory as the Warriors held off Pahoa 11-8 in a Big Island Interscholastic Federation softball game at their field.
The five-time defending Division I BIIF champions (5-0) will try to win their 60th straight league game Wednesday at home against Keaau.
No pressure, Agrigado, a senior third baseman, said after finishing 2 for 3 with two RBIs.
“I honestly take (the streak) as motivation,” said the three-year starter, who provided insurance in the sixth with a two-run double. “We’ve been winning so many times in a row, there’s just that motivation to keep winning. If we communicate and stay composed, we should be perfectly fine.”
In a game that was originally postponed by rain Saturday, No. 59 in a row came under intermittent showers and included a bit of a wrinkle. Pahoa starter Randi Lee Berinobis lobbed the ball slow-pitch style, but the Warriors made the adjustment in the second inning, connecting on four of their five extra-base hits to take an 8-0 lead. Agrigado capped the rally with a deep drive that got in between the left and center fielders.
“I learned from my dad that with slow pitching, I just sit back and relax and not explode until the ball is there,” she said. “It’s easier for me because my dad works with me all the time. I was relaxed and had to tell myself to wait.”
After Brandi Maximo singled, Anela Granito-Wallace ripped a two-run triple and scored easily on Mareko’s second home run of the year.
“I prefer fastpitch because I’m used to it,” the junior catcher said. “I had to adjust and keep my head down, then I hit my home run.”
Much like Agrigado’s homer, Mareko’s ball got in the gap in left-center and rolled for awhile.
“It was a lot of work,” said Mareko, who was 2 for 4 with three RBIs. “But it felt good.”
Maximo was 2 for 3 and Camello was 2 for 3 with an RBI double in the second.
Waiakea’s ace right-hander threw three scoreless innings and was set to rest her arm until the Daggers (2-5) rallied gamely for seven runs in the fourth and fifth innings against Granito-Wallace to pull within 8-7.
The Daggers got only one hit in the fourth, Kayla Bernel’s leadoff single, but they took advantage of three errors and two walks to score four times. Granito-Wallace issued three walks and hit a batter as Pahoa tacked on three more runs in the fifth.
Shortstop Vaaigaomata Wilson was 2 for 4 with three RBIs, and Jade Sumoba collected a run-scoring single in the fifth and finished with two RBIs. Erin Martinez and Michelle LaGaurdia brought in runs with bases-loaded walks.
“We had intensity to start off with, but we lost it during the game,” Mareko said.
Camello re-entered the circle in the sixth to help Waiakea get it back, improving to 18-0 during her BIIF career with five strikeouts in five innings. She allowed two hits – including Wilson’s RBI triple in the seventh – and six walks before retiring Samantha Lee McDougal with two runners aboard to end the game.
Pahoa left 13 runners on base, including the bases loaded in the first, fourth and fifth innings.
Berinobis settled in the middle innings and got help from her defense when Ranchell Berinobis made a diving catch on a flyball in foul territory in the fifth. In six innings, Randi Lee Berinobis allowed five earned runs on 12 hits and two walks.
Pahoa 000 430 1 – 8 5 3
Waiakea 170 003 x – 11 12 3
• Keaau 19, Ka’u 3: At Pahala, Rylan Hacoba and Cassidy Gonzalves hits home runs to lead the Cougars.
Kamalani Fujikawa had a triple and an RBI and Tiana Pascubillo an RBI to lead the Trojans.
Pascubillo took the loss.
Keaau 026 011— 19 10 3
Ka’u 000 12 — 3 5 19