Kealakehe softball coach Loni Mercado likes to talk about changing her players’ mindset, and the way things are going she might have to start talking about it in the past tense.
Kealakehe softball coach Loni Mercado likes to talk about changing her players’ mindset, and the way things are going she might have to start talking about it in the past tense.
She probably couldn’t have drawn up Monday’s 14-0, five-inning TKO win at Hilo better if she tried.
“I’m elated right now,” the second-year coach said. “I’m elated.”
Mercado calls it checks and balances, and she saw it when pitcher Kiara Cantiberos quickly forgot about three of her teammates’ errors in the field, tossing a three-hitter.
“I told them to shake it off,” the senior said. “Come back next inning and we can do it again.”
The right-hander could have been referring to the top of the fifth.
Mercado teaches the Waveriders to play like they are always behind, so she was thrilled when, even with a big lead, they avoided the third out of the fifth as if it was as a disease.
“Don’t ever bother telling me the score,” Mercado said. “We’re always trying to catch up, so you’ve got to get on board.
“A lot of this is just getting the girls to believe.”
Belief, not to mention confidence, was soaring in Kealakehe’s dugout after Jamiana Tan launched a three-run home run to cap it all off.
Brie McLeod, meanwhile, did what standout players like Brie McLeod do, going 4 for 4 with four RBIs as the Waveriders (3-2) had it all rolling against the Vikings (4-3) at Walter Victor complex, putting themselves in the top half of BIIF Division I softball.
Still on the mend from a knee injury that hindered her during the 2016 BIIF championship series loss to Waiakea, Cantiberos struck out three without issuing a walk. She had her knee and her right shoulder wrapped in ice afterward, saying, “I feel a lot better.”
Mercado’s culture change might not be complete, but it got a big boost when the team traveled to Maui for a preseason tournament.
“Honestly, I learned a lot,” Cantiberos said. “They had good teams there and it was a good way to learn. My pitching has been coming along, and I’ve been very consistent.”
Hilo made six errors in back of Zoe Cabarloc, who struck out two and walked only two, allowing four earned runs.
Kealakehe rides a three-game winning streak as it continues one of its biggest weeks of the regular season. The Waveriders face two unbeatens, traveling to Konawaena on Wednesday before hosting Kamehameha on Saturday.
“The girls love these kind of weeks,” Mercado said, “because there is (less) practice. “
When McLeod, a senior shortstop and leadoff hitter, wasn’t ripping hits to center – her two-run double made it 4-0 in the second – she was serving them to right or dropping them in between the pitcher and the shortstop as Kealakehe beat Hilo for the fifth time in six tries the past two seasons. Two of those victories came in 2016 BIIF semifinals as the Waveriders reached state tournament for the first time since 2011.
Depending on your point of view, the top of the fifth was either promising or demoralizing.
Kealakehe was living the good life in scoring all eight runs with two outs. It hit the ball hard and it hit it where the Vikings weren’t, and when that failed the Waveriders relied on Hilo miscues.
The floodgates opened after three Vikings’ throwing errors, the last on a ground ball hit by Kesha Mori (2 for 3, three runs scored). Ui Ngaluafe hit a run-scoring single to left, Kitara Cantiberos (2 for 3, two RBIs) blooped an infield single to bring in a run, and McLeod and Zayanna Sanchez collected run-scoring hits before Tam slammed a three-run home run to left field.
“Jamiana is one of the ones who has been struggling in the mindset category,” Mercado said. “I tell her, ‘There is no pressure, woman.’ I told her it was about patience.
“I think she (worries) that everybody is hitting and she’s not doing so good. I told her don’t focus on what others are doing, focus on what you can do. She can be a hammer.”
Konawaena 6, Kohala 5, 9 innings
Shaylann Grace worked nine innings in Kealakekua, and she and Kaimana Manzano led off the ninth with hits and the Wildcats took advantage of an error to score the winning run to remain unbeaten.
Deysha Yamasaki hit a two-run double in the sixth as Kohala (4-3) scored four runs to tie the game. Keiko Yamura was 3 for 4 with two RBIs and a double, and she was the losing pitcher.
Grace hung tough in the circle despite allowing 15 hits, and she was 3 for 5 with an RBI single in the fourth, according to Konawaena’s statistics. She struck out six.
Andi Uemura was 3 for 4 with a run-scoring double for Konawaena (6-0), Rachel Sato hit a two-run double and Manzano collected two hits.
Cheylin Imai and Setsuko Kimura also has multihit games for Kohala. Mikayla Kekoa started and worked 6 1/3 innings.
Honokaa 16, Ka’u 4
Sarah Sedillo doubled and drove in three runs in Pahala, Xyan Ancheta posted two hits and two RBIs and scored twice and Keesha Matsuoka struck out nine in a five-inning complete for the Dragons (2-6), who ended a two-game losing streak.
Reisha Jara has two hits for the Trojans (2-4), including an RBI double. With Ka’u commiting eight errors, Lei Chun Galban Kin took the loss.
Waiakea 16, Keaau 4
Freshman Johnacy Mackwelung ripped a two-run home run, Shaily Moses hit a three-run double and finished with four RBIs and Jourdan Perreira pitched two scoreless innings along while going 2 for 3 with a double for the visiting Warriors (6-0).
Kristi Hirata brought in two runs with a double as Waiakea scored 12 times. Freshman Kelsie Imai walked eight and struck out five in three hitless innings, surrendering four runs.
Caitlyn Calhoun was the losing pitcher for Keaau (2-4).