Four up and four down – the BIIF turns its lonely eyes to Kamehameha.
Historically, the HHSAA softball tournament has been a challenge for Big Island teams, but the BIIF’s struggles have been exacerbated during the first two days of play this year.
Kohala was the first league team to avoid a TKO, getting a strong pitching performance Wednesday from Mikayla Kekoa in a 3-0 loss to Farrington at the Division II tournament in Kahului, Maui.
An adventurous top of the fifth inning for the Cowgirls (13-8) on the basepaths provided a microcosm of how states has gone so far for the league. Kohala got four hits in the inning but couldn’t cash in with a run and left only two runners on base.
Before Kohala took the field, three BIIF teams were outscored 46-3.
Kamehameha-Hawaii, the five-time league champion in D-II, is the last team standing, getting a bye into the quarterfinals, where it will face Aiea, which ripped Konawaena 17-3, on Thursday.
Kekoa, a freshman, struck out five in six innings, allowing only four hits, and all three runs against her were unearned.
Kohala (13-8), the BIIF runner-up, outhit the OIA Governors 8-4 but committed five errors and were hurt by baserunning mistakes.
Kaipo Castillo went the distance for Farrington (9-7) and didn’t walk a batter, surviving unscathed in the fourth despite allowing four hits.
Kiana Alejandro-Cazimero led off with a single but was thrown out at second. Nicole Castillo, Deysha Yamasaki and Kyrah Sol followed with hits as Kohala went station to station, but Castillo was caught stealing.
In the top of the fourth, Setsuko Kimura led off with a single to left but was thrown out trying to get back to first. The snafu proved costly when Antonette Fernandez singled to center with out. Fernandez finished 2 for 3.
Kohala will play again Friday in the consolation round against either Kauai or St. Francis.
Kohala 000 000 0 –0 8 5
Farrington 001 002 x – 3 4 1
Division I
Pearl City pitchers Tyanna Kaaialii (one inning) and Kristin Frost (four innings) were nearly perfect, combining to no-hit Waiakea in a 14-0 victory in the quarterfinals at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium in Honolulu.
Kaaialii struck out the side and Frost fanned seven, and neither issued a walk as they faced only one batter over the minimum. In the bottom of the second, Skylar Thomas reached on an error for the two-time BIIF champion Warriors (15-3).
The OIA Chargers (10-8) scored five runs in the first, Ana Cabato hit as two-run single, and added three in the second against Kristi Hirata, who was charged with 10 hits and 12 runs, 10 earned, and five walks in 3 1/3 innings.
With the BIIF failing to put a team in the semifinals for the eighth consecutive year, Waiakea will play Leilehua on Thursday in consolation play.
The league’s D-I losing streak at states was extended to 23 when Kealakehe lost 5-0 to Kaiser in a consolation game Wednesday night.
Pearl City 531 41 – 14 12 1
Waiakea 000 00 – 0 0 3
