With one win, Honokaa didn’t just bolster itself in the postseason race, it also perhaps proved itself as a BIIF softball playoff contender.
With one win, Honokaa didn’t just bolster itself in the postseason race, it also perhaps proved itself as a BIIF softball playoff contender.
Keesha Matsuoka pitched a four-hitter and allowed only one earned run Saturday, Xyan Ancheta homered and the Dragons manufactured their way to a go-ahead rally to surge past Kamehameha 8-5 at Honokaa Park.
None of the Dragons on either this year’s team or last owned a win against the five-time defending Division II champion Warriors (9-4), who have lost twice as many games this year as they did from 2014-16 combined.
But Honokaa showed signs of breakout recently, with one-run losses on the road to Kamehameha and Konawaena.
“They realized they could do it,” Dragons coach Virgil Augustin said. “The bats came around and they played together.”
Matsuoka struck out four and walked five.
“That’s the best I’ve ever her pitch,” Augustin said. “She was hitting her spots.”
On the cusp of locking down the final playoff spot in D-II, Honokaa (6-9) fell behind 4-1 in a error-filled contest. Aulii Meyer and Natasha Molina reached on walk and a single to open the third, and with Ancheta at the plate, both base runners scored on a error before Ancheta tied the game with a blast to center off of Brooke Baptiste. Ancheta was the only player on either team to collect two hits.
Honokaa outhit Kamehameha 5-4 and also committed more errors (6-5).
The Dragons needed only two hits to score four runs in the fifth, a half-inning that started with two errors and was fueled by two walks. Destynee Carvalho bunted for a single and Alexis Martinez’s two-run single made the score 8-4.
Ancheta also had a run-scoring single in the first.
Kamehameha took advantage of three errors to score four runs in the second, and Kiarra Lincoln tripled in the sixth and scored on a sacrifice fly by Jessica Cameros.
In six innings, Baptiste was charged with four earned runs, walking six and striking out three.
Konawaena 12, Hilo 3
Freshman Shaylann Marie Grace enjoyed another big day in East Hawaii, slamming a three-run home run among her four hits and delivering an eight-strikeout complete game as the Wildcats tightened their grip on first place in D-II.
Grace’s homer fueled a seven-run fourth, and she doubled and scored in the fifth, crossing the plate four times in all. Teizha Kaluna (3 for 4, four RBIs) hit a two-run triple and an RBI double and Erin Kaimuloa Bates had two hits and drove in a run.
With a win at home against Pahoa on Wednesday, Konawaena (12-3) can clinch an automatic berth to the HHSAA tournament as the outright regular season champion.
Grace allowed nine hits but she only walked one. Last Saturday, she led Konawaena to a big win at Kamehameha.
Moana Pinner collected two hits and two RBIs for the Vikings (7-5), and Zoe Cabarloc had a triple among her two hits. Chalisse Kela pitched 3 1/3 innings and took the loss for Hilo.
Kealakehe 19, Keaau 2
Britney Keaunui hit a grand slam at the Cougars’ field and Kiara Cantiberos was the winning pitcher for the Waveriders (5-5).
Caitlyn Calhoun was the losing pitcher for the Cougars (4-7).
Friday
Kamehameha 5, Konawaena 0
Jessica Cameros scattered 11 hits in a shutout, walking only one and striking out two, and Kiarra Lincoln doubled with two hits, three runs scored and an RBI for the visiting Warriors.
Shaylann Marie Grace went the distance for the Wildcats.
Kohala 10, Ka’u 5
Setsuko Kimura hit a two-run home run with three hits for the Cowgirls in Kapaau, and Jurnee pitched six inning in victory and also collected three hits.
Analei Emmsley was 3 for 4 with a triple for the Trojans and Chaunalisa Velez hit an RBI triple.