Ranchell Berinobis and Erleen Oguma endured their fair share of losses during their playing careers at Pahoa.
Ranchell Berinobis and Erleen Oguma endured their fair share of losses during their playing careers at Pahoa.
In their first game with Keaau, they made all the difference in helping the Cougars get off to a winning start to the BIIF season. Berinobis went 3 for 5 with four RBIs, and Oguma collected two hits and drove in three runs as Keaau held off Kohala 13-12 on Friday in Kapaau.
“I think they really wanted to do well playing for their new school,” Keaau coach Peter Ngirngotel said. “Plus, it’s their senior year.”
Each of the first-time Cougars tripled in back of a longtime Cougar. Lohi Kamakea-Wong started her fourth season as Keaau’s ace with a complete game, though she had to battle until the final out and was hurt by numerous Keaau fielding errors.
Taking over a program that went to the HHSAA Division II tournament last season, first-year Cowboys coach Joby Amaral enjoyed his team’s effort.
“It was a heart-breaker. But we’re young and just looking for unity within the game,” he said. “We want them to play through the whole game.”
Kohala did, and it almost came away with a victory.
Tomiko Coito hit a two-run home run in the sixth to get Kohala within 13-12 after Keaau went ahead with a five-run rally in the top of the sixth. The Cowgirls put two runners on base in the seventh before Kamakea-Wong got the final out on a grounder to first base.
“I just told her to relax,” Ngirngotel said. “She’s been through it before.”
The senior walked two and struck out two.
Kohala freshman Antoinette Fernandez also went the distance in the circle. She walked two and struck out two and was hurt by six hit batters and four Kohala errors.
A handful off Cowgirls had big days at the plate, led by Setsuko Kimura, who posted a double and a triple among her three hits and had three RBIs. Ashlyn Van Zandt and Tiana Alejandro had two hits apiece.
Berinobis and Oguma each transferred from Pahoa because of the threat of the June 27 lava flow.
Keaau 205 105 0 –13 10 7
Kohala 150 402 0 –12 11 4
Kamehameha 20, Honokaa 0: Mykala Tokunaga allowed only one hit and struck out six as the host Warriors opened their Division II title defense with a three-inning TKO on Saturday
Kekai Wong Yuen collected two of the Warriors’ six hits.
Kayla Requelman took the loss for Honokaa.