By BILL O’REAR
By BILL O’REAR
Tribune-Herald sports editor
Kayla Requelman provided pop with her potent bat and Precious Palea-Enos weathered a storm on the mound as Honokaa held off Waiakea 13-12 in eight innings on Saturday afternoon.
The high-scoring Big Island Interscholastic Federation softball game was played at the Warriors field.
Requelman, a hard-hitting sophomore catcher, had a three-run homer, a two-run triple and a run-scoring single plus six RBIs to lead the Dragons’ 12-hit attack. She had three straight hits before flying out to deep center field with two runners aboard in the fifth inning.
“She almost had the cycle,” Honokaa coach Wesley Fujimoto said. “She just needed a double. But she’s a good hitter, that’s why we have her batting in the three spot. Sometimes she tries too hard. We just want her to make contact.”
She did it against Waiakea starter Alexis Anzai in her first three at bats, helping stake the Division II Dragons to an 11-3 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth inning. Honokaa (4-2 overall, 1-2 D-II) scored three runs in the first — on Requelman’s three-run homer with rally starters Allie Shiraki and Kayla Kalauli aboard — plated two in the second on Requelman’s two-run triple and then added six in the fourth.
But the Division I Warriors (4-3 overall, 2-1 D-I) fought back to score three runs in the bottom of the fourth. They combined two hits, two walks, a wild pitch, some aggressive base running and two Dragon errors to pull to within 11-6.
Kaitlin Agustin started on the mound for Honokaa and went 1 2/3 innings. But when she struggled in the second inning against the dangerous Waiakea hitters, Fujimoto gave Palea-Enos the softball and asked her to try and contain the hosts.
Palea-Enos, a gutsy right-hander, gave up the three runs in the frustrating fourth inning. But she settled down and got out of the jam, then blanked Waiakea in the fifth inning.
Anzai, a big-hearted right-hander, also had some tough moments. But she hung in and shut out Honokaa in the fifth and sixth innings.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Warriors rallied again. Jayla Costa reached on and error and Cheylee Octavio walked. Lefty Taylor Nishimura then ripped a three-run homer to right field to slice the Dragons’ cushion to 11-9. Brandi Maximo followed with a triple to left field but she was stranded at third base when Palea-Enos got a pop-up to shortstop and a fly out to center to end the inning.
In the seventh, Honokaa struck back for a run. Shereena Bird doubled and motored to third base on Shayla Ignacio’s bunt single. Shiraki then loaded the bases with a bunt single. Kalauli followed with an RBI single to left to make it 12-9.
But in the bottom of the inning, coach Bo Saiki’s Warriors rallied again. Elizabeth Sakamoto singled and sprinted to second base on Kyleigh Kahala-Giron’s bunt single. Octavio then drilled a two-run double as Waiakea closed to within 12-11. Nishimura was beaned, putting the speedster on first base while Octavio looked on from second.
That brought the clutch-hitting Maximo to the plate and the talented Warriors shortstop lined an RBI single to center field to tie the score at 12-12. The hosts attempted a squeeze play with Ariana Mareko at bat. But Nishimura was caught sliding into home plate to end the inning.
In the top of the eighth, the Dragons started what proved to be the winning rally. Both Augustin and Zarina Hasegawa walked, and moved up a base on a wild Anzai pitch. Jasmine Castro popped up to Mareko, the Waiakea catcher, and Saiki — Bo knows softball — replaced Anzai with the hard-throwing Maximo.
Palea-Enos answered with an RBI single to lift the Dragons on top 13-12 before Maximo and her teammates got out of the inning.
In the bottom of the eighth, Palea-Enos got a pop-up and grounder for two quick outs. However, pinch-hitter Chelsey Ah Sui drew a walk and stole second base with Anzai at bat. Anzai walked and on the following play Requelman threw out Ah Sui trying to steal third.
“It was a good game,” Fujimoto said. “Our girls never gave up. They kept battling. It’s a big win for us because we’re trying to make the playoffs and only have two more games left (against East Division teams) — Pahoa on Wednesday and Keaau on Friday .”
Palea-Enos pitched 6 1/3 innings to earn the win. She allowed 10 hits while striking out two and walking five.
“I just tried to throw strikes,” Palea-Enos said. “In the eighth inning, I got too excited. I just needed to hit my spots and have confidence in our defense. This win feels really good.”
Anzai went 7 1/3 innings and took the loss while battling the whole way to give her team a chance to win. She allowed 11 hits and 12 runs to go along with two strikeouts and two walks.
The hustling Kalauli (2 RBIs) and steady Shiraki each joined Requelman with productive 3 for 5 afternoons. Bird had two hits, including a double and a triple.
Nishimura (4 RBIs), Octavio (3 RBIs) and Maximo (double, triple, 1 RBI) each had two hits for Waiakea.
Honokaa 320 600 11 — 13 12 2
Waiakea 030 303 30 — 12 11 1
• Pahoa 17, Hawaii Prep 7: At Pahoa, Mackenzie Singleton pitched five steady innings and Kayla Silva hit a bases-clearing triple as the host Daggers bolstered their postseason hopes
Singleton went the distance in the mercy-rule victory, allowing seven hits and only two walks with two strikeouts for Pahoa (1-3, 2-6).
Silva ripped two triples, the second of which came with the bases loaded and fueled Pahoa’s 10-run fourth inning. Christine Diza and Ranchell Berinobis also finished with two hits each.
Kawena Lim-Samura struck out seven but took the loss for the Ka Makani (0-3, 0-7), allowing seven hits and nine walks in four innings of work.
Alexa Meyer came through with two hits for HPA.
Hawaii Prep 322 00 — 7 7 3
Pahoa 011 (10)5—17 7 1
• Konawaena 17, Ka’u 2: At Pahala, Bethany Batangan had three hits and drove in four runs to lead the Wildcats (4-2, 2-1 D-II) to a five-inning TKO victory.
Syleesia Jose went 3 for 4 with two RBIs while Wildcat teammates Shyla Victor (2 hits, 2 RBIs) and Kaua Mitchell (1 hit, 4 RBIs) also contributed to the visitors’ 15-hit attack.
Shylee Tamura led the Trojans (0-7, 0-3 D-II) with two of their four hits.
Batangan also picked up the win for the Wildcats.
Ka’u 001 10 — 2
Kona 082 52 — 17
• Kamehameha 17, Kohala 13: At Kapaau, with the score tied at 10 in the top of the sixth, Mykala Tokunaga clubbed a two-out three-run homer to highlight a four-run inning as the Warriors outlasted the Cowboys.
Tokunaga, a freshman who went 2-for-5 at the plate, also earned the win in the circle for Kamehameha (3-0 BIIF, 6-1 overall). Pitching five innings in relief of Samantha Simmons, she allowed 15 runs on 11 hits, striking out six and walking one.
Alyssa McGuire also drove in three runs, going 3-for-5. Makena Wagner, who had two RBIs, and Janelle Cameros both went 2-for-3.
Tiani Luga took the loss for Kohala (1-2, 2-4). In six innings, she gave up 14 runs on 12 hits, striking out one and walking 10.
Ryan Manning led the Cowgirls at the plate, going 4-for-4 with a double and four RBIs. Luga (4-for-5) and Jessica Tenorio (2-for-2) had two RBIs apiece.
Kamehameha 115 214 3 — 17 15 3
Kohala 440 202 1 — 13 17 7