KEALAKEKUA — The game was over quickly in a rematch of the BIIF Division II championship series from a year ago. That series went to three games, but the new and improved Kamehameha softball team looks unstoppable after beating Konawaena 15-0 in four innings on Saturday.
The Warriors (4-0) were led by Dioni Lincoln in the heart of the batting order and Brooke Baptiste inside the circle.
Lincoln added some power early with a 2-run blast to left in the top of the first inning. She finished the day with a 3-for-3 performance at the plate, which included five RBIs.
“Dioni is really coming into her swing and is staying in control,” said Warriors head coach Akea Kiyuna. “She is doing what she has to do to help the team out.”
Only a sophomore, Lincoln has excelled hitting in the No. 3 slot, and she does not let many good pitches pass her by, taking the first pitch she saw in the game against the Wildcats deep.
“I waited for it to come in and then I drove it,” Lincoln said of her home run. “I felt pretty good about my performance. The team played great and we have been working hard in practice.”
While getting 15 runs was nice, one is really all Baptiste needed. Baptiste came just two outs away from throwing back-to-back no-hitters — she had one against Ka’u earlier in the week — but finished with a 1-hitter, while striking out eight and walking two in a complete game performance.
Despite the strong effort, the senior ace was critical about her performance and surprised that she had a no-hitter going late into the game.
“I did not know I had the no-hitter, because I was struggling,” Baptiste said. “I was having trouble finding the strike zone, but was able to find it by the end.”
Kamehameha also had a strong performance at the plate from its leadoff hitter Kaula Martin, who went 4-for-4 with two runs and an RBI.
“She has really stepped in to fill that roll,” Kiyuna said. “She has built up confidence and is doing very well.”
Martin got the offense rolling in the bottom of the first inning with a single into the left-center gap before being forced out at second base. However, Kawehi Ili reached on the fielder’s choice and scored on Lincoln’s 2-run homer. Ili moved around the bases before scoring when Leiloa Bustamante grounded out to the short stop.
Up 3-0, the Warriors added four more runs in the top of the second. Kauahi-Raquel tripled to right to lead off the inning and then scored on a throwing error. Martin doubled to left and scored off a Lincoln grounder up the middle. Ili reached on a walk before Lincoln’s hit and scored on a groundout.
Kamehameha chased Wildcat starting pitcher Erin Kaimuola-Bates out of the game in the top of the third when Kauahi-Raquel had a 2-RBI double to center and scored off a Kealohi Grace single to right.
Kaimuola-Bates allowed 10 runs, eight earned over 2 1/3 innings. She struck out one and walked one.
Andi Uemura entered in relief but quickly ran into trouble when Lincoln singled in a run and Baptiste helped her own cause with a 2-RBI single to right.
The Warriors scored their final two runs in the top of the fourth off a single by Martin and a sacrifice fly by Lincoln.
With one out in the bottom of the fourth inning, Kaimuola-Bates singled to right to help Konawaena escape the no-hit bid by Baptiste.
Kamehameha has now outscored their BIIF opponents 58-3 in four games. No game has gone past the fifth inning.
Next up for the Warriors will be a rematch at Ka’u on Monday at 3 p.m. The Wildcats (3-3) will play at Kohala on Wednesday at 3 p.m. The Cowgirls beat Konawaena 2-1 in February.
