Mikayla Kekoa started her varsity softball career at Kohala by chasing balls – in the parking lot. The freshman was one of the players designated with retrieving foul balls at Keaau’s Shipman Park.
Mikayla Kekoa started her varsity softball career at Kohala by chasing balls – in the parking lot. The freshman was one of the players designated with retrieving foul balls at Keaau’s Shipman Park.
From the looks of it, the physically imposing Kekoa was in for a long day on the bench.
Looks can be deceiving.
Cowgirls coach Nate Kekoa’s plan all along was to unleash his daughter and her fellow underclassmen come crunch time Saturday, and Mikayla Kekoa hit a grand slam to power Kohala to a 17-6 TKO victory against the Cougars’ in the BIIF opener for both.
“(Most of) my starters were the underclassmen in the dugout at the start,” said Nate Kekoa, a first-year coach. “Because they had the reps during the (junior varsity) season, I said let’s get the upperclassman up to par so we can be strong the remainder of the season.”
Senior Kiana Alejandro-Cazimero started and worked three innings, but Mikayla Kekoa got the win in relief, holding Keaau in check as the Cowboys battled back in a matchup between last season’s Division I and Division II runners-up.
“A lot of three ups and three downs,” Nate Kekoa said. “She’s my No. 1 pitcher.
“Our defense is very strong,” he said, “and we’ve been very consistent with the bats.”
Kekoa is familiar with many of the Cowgirls’ players from working with them as coach on his club team, Blue Crush. He inherits a team that won a game at the HHSAA tournament and returns one all-BIIF first-team selection, junior Jurnee Keawee, and four players who made honorable mention: juniors Setsuko Kimura and Deysha Yamasaki and sophomores Symphony Kauanoe and Antonette Fernandez.
Nate Kekoa, however, isn’t thinking about last season, when the Cowgirls ran into Kamehameha in the BIIF Division II championship series and watched the Warriors win their fourth consecutive crown.
“The thing we have this year that most teams don’t is we have the luxury of mixing it up and feeling confident starting whomever we want,” the coach said. “We’re looking to be the No. 1 team this year.”
Waiakea 15, Honokaa 9: Skylar Thomas and Taylor Ogawa each collected four hits and combined to score seven runs as the Warriors went on the road to win their opener.
Pitcher Alyssa Hara was effective through five innings for Waiakea, which banged out 16 hits. Kristi Hirata doubled and tripled and finished with three RBIs and two runs scored and Jolene Hirata was 2 for 4 with a triple and two runs scored. Ogawa doubled with four runs scored and Thomas had a double with three RBIs.
Trailing 10-2 entering the bottom of the sixth, the Dragons’ offense finally got on track. Tyra Fernandez was 2 for 4 with a triple and two RBIs and Natasha Molina was 2 for 4 with two RBIs. Karly Requelman drove in two runs.
Hara got the victory, allowing six runs, three earned, on nine hits and two walks with two strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings. Ogawa got the final five outs.
Fernandez worked four innings and yielded four runs, two earned, and six hits. She walked three and had a strikeout. Keesha Matsuoka pitched the final three innings.
Waiakea 013 051 5 – 15 16 3
Honokaa 101 004 3 – 9 12 2
Konawaena 16, Ka‘u 1: Konawaena made quick work of Ka’u with a mercy rule 16-1 home victory on Saturday. The Wildcats (2-0) held a 2-0 lead after the first inning and then blew the game open with 10 runs in the bottom of the third. A four run fourth inning ended the game.
“It was hot today but it was a good game,” Konawaena coach Shellie Grace said. “We were shooting for no errors in the game and we were able to accomplish that.”
Teizha Kaluna led the Konawaena offense, going 3-for-3 with two doubles, a triple and four RBIs.
“Her bat has been pretty good in the last two games,” Grace said. “She is also taking charge behind the plate.”
Kaluna, a junior, was calling the pitches for freshman Andi Uemura, and the duo worked well together. Uemura had a no-hitter through three innings before allowing an earned run in the top of the fourth. She allowed only two hits, walked two and struck out seven to pick up the win inside the circle.
“Andi did well, especially for a freshman,” Grace said.
Uemura and Rachel Sato had two hits apiece on offense. Sato had two doubles, while knocking in three runs and scoring three times. She had two stolen bases. Uemura added a double with two runs and two RBIs.
Hilo 16, Hawaii Prep 4: The Vikings won their opener at home, droping Ka Makani to 0-2.