Tribune-Herald
Tribune-Herald
The Keaau softball team is right where it wants to be heading to its most important week of the regular season: first place.
Lohi Kamakea-Wong tossed a three-hitter with nine strikeouts Saturday and Rylan Hakoba and Shaniya Kamakea-Wong keyed the Cougars at the plate in a 4-1 victory against Kealakehe.
With the home victory, Keaau (5-1 Big Island Interscholastic Federation, 8-3 overall) has won five of its past six games and shares first place in Division I with Hilo and Waiakea, its next two opponents on the schedule.
The Cougars visit the Vikings on Wednesday and the Warriors on Friday.
“We have to hit the road, but we’ll be ready,” Keaau coach William Wong said. “We just have to stay together.”
Hacoba was 3 for 4, and the sophomore and Shaniya Kamakea-Wong both connected for two-run singles as Keaau rallied to score four times in the fourth inning.
Lohi Kamakea-Wong walked one and only allowed hits to losing pitcher Lina Palmer-Kahananui, Leisha Nakagawa and Nani Anakalea-Haleamau, who scored her team’s only run in the sixth inning.
The Waveriders (3-4, 5-6) lost for the third time in as many games against fellow Division I teams.
Palmer-Kahananui pitched a complete game, walking two and striking out three.
Kealakehe 000 001 0 — 1
Keaau 000 400 x —4
• Waiakea 14, Konawaena 4: Seniors Alexis Anzai, Brandi Maximo and Ariana Mareko all hit home runs as the host Warriors won their fourth straight game.
Anzai picked up the win by going the distance in a game that ended after the top of the fifth because of the BIIF’s mercy rule, striking out four, walking three and yielding four hits. At the plate, Anzai was 2 for 3 and started off the power show for Waiakea (5-1 Division I, 8-3) with a two-run home run in the second inning.
Maximo went 3 for 4, including a three-run home run in the third inning, and Mareko followed with a solo shot.
Taylor Nishimura enjoyed a perfect day at the plate, going 4 for 4 as the Warriors compiled 15 hits, and Cheylee Octavio was 2 for 4.
Pualani Ubando launched a two-run home run for the Wildcats (2-4 Division II, 4-6), who have lost four in a row, and Bethany Batangan was 2 for 3.
Shyla Victor went all four innings for Konawaena, striking out a batter with no walks.
Konawaena 200 20 —4 4 0
Waiakea 024 26 —14 15 1
Kamehameha 8, Hawaii Prep 7: Mykala Tokunaga scampered home on a passed ball with two outs in the sixth inning to score the go-ahead run as the Warriors rallied from a three-run deficit to remain unbeaten in league play.
Tokunaga also pitched four solid innings in relief of Samantha Simmons, allowing just one run on two hits while striking out eight for the Warriors (6-0 Division II, 10-1 overall).
Offensively, Kekai Wong Yuen went 2 for 4 with an RBI, and Namele Naipo-Arsiga was 3 for 5.
HPA’s Kawena Lim-Samura went the distance in the circle, allowing eight runs on nine hits, striking out six and walking seven.
Alexa Meyer, who finished 2 for 4, and Carina Verhulsdonk collected two RBIs apiece for Ka Makani (1-6 Division II, 1-10).
Kamehameha 102 401 0 — 8 9 2
HPA 303 100 0 — 7 6 0
Honokaa 12, Ka’u 6: Chasity Nickel went 3 for 3 with three RBIs and two runs scored, and relief pitcher Precious Palea-Enos allowed just one run over four innings to get the victory at Honokaa Parks as the Dragons won their sixth straight game.
After Ka’u (0-6 Division II, 0-11 overall) took a 3-0 lead in the first inning, Honokaa (5-2 Disivion II, 9-2) went ahead to stay with five runs in the bottom of the second. Nickel highlighted the inning with an RBI triple, and she also had a run-scoring double in the Dragons’ two-run third.
Kayla Requelman also drove in three runs, while Palea-Enos (two RBIs) and Allie Shiraki (triple, RBI) both went 2-for-4.
In the circle, Palea-Enos gave up two hits, striking out two and walking none. She relieved Kaitlin Agustin, who gave up five runs — none earned — on one hit. Agustin struck out three and walked three.
The Trojans’ Shaylin Navarro went the distance, allowing 12 runs on 11 hits and three walks. At the plate, Navarro went 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
Ka’u 302 000 1 — 6 3 8
Honokaa 052 500 x — 12 11 7
Kohala 24, Pahoa 0: Senior Tiani Luga pitched a two-hitter in the circle and went 3 for 4 with three RBIs at the plate at Kamehameha Park for the Cowgirls.
Luga struck out one and walked one in a game that ended after four and a half innings because of the league’s mercy rule.
Kyrah Sol, who was 3 for 3, also drove in three runs, while Denae Rivera went 2 for 3 with a triple, a double and an RBI. Sheana Cazimero also had two hits and an RBI, and Ryah Manning added a solo homer for Kohala (2-5 Division II, 4-7 overall).
The Daggers’ Mackenzie Singleton, who pitched the first 2 1/3 innings and the fourth inning, took the loss. She gave up nine hits and six walks while hitting two batters.
Kayla Silva and Christine Diza each had a single for Pahoa (1-5, 2-9).
Pahoa 000 00 — 0 2 1
Kohala 64(14) 00 — 24 14 4
SOFTBALL
Standings
Division I
BIIF Overall
Hilo 5-1 9-2
Waiakea 5-1 8-3
Keaau 5-1 8-3
Kealakehe 3-4 5-6
Division II
Kamehameha 6-0 10-1
Honokaa 5-2 9-2
Konawaena 2-4 4-6
Kohala 2-5 4-7
Pahoa 1-5 2-9
Hawaii Prep 1-6 1-10
Ka’u 0-6 0-11
Saturday’s results
Kamehameha 8, HPA 7
Keaau 4, Kealakehe 1
Kohala 24, Pahoa 0
Waiakea 14, Konawaena 4
Honokaa 12, Ka’u 6
Wednesday’s games
Hilo at Ka’u, 3 p.m.
Kamehameha at Pahoa, 3 p.m.
Keaau at Waiakea, 3 p.m.
Hawaii Prep at Kealakehe, 3 p.m.
Konawaena at Honokaa, 3 p.m.