If a BIIF team is ever going to make a deep run at the HHSAA Division II softball tournament, it’s more than likely going to have to go through the OIA. Specifically, Nanakuli. BIIF champion Kamehameha, which entered undefeated, was
If a BIIF team is ever going to make a deep run at the HHSAA Division II softball tournament, it’s more than likely going to have to go through the OIA. Specifically, Nanakuli. BIIF champion Kamehameha, which entered undefeated, was the latest to fall short.
The Warriors accomplished one goal Thursday when they took the field at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium in Honolulu, but the two-time defending champion Golden Hawks powered back to the final with an 11-2 victory.
Nanakuli (14-1), the OIA runner-up, improved to 4-0 against the BIIF the past three years at states. Playing in their fourth consecutive final, the Hawks will take on OIA champ Aiea on Friday. Meanwhile, the BIIF has never advanced a team to the championship game in 12 D-II tournaments. The Warriors will play Waimea at 1 p.m. Friday in the third-place game.
Shellie Grace, coach of Konawaena, said one obstacle teams face at states is they see more “junk” from opposing pitchers than they’re used to on the Big Island.
“But with Nanakuli, they can really hit,” Grace said.
The Hawks, who beat the Wildcats on Tuesday, showed their chops again in the semifinal with 16 hits against three-time BIIF Player of the Year Mykala Tokunaga. The Warriors made an uncharacteristic four errors, which led to five unearned runs.
Freshman Taylor Sullivan hit a two-run home in the fourth to draw the Warriors within 3-2, but Nanakuli pulled away in the fifth, taking advantage of a one-out error to score six runs – four of which were unearned.
Autum McCoy pitched a complete game and scattered seven hits with a strikeout. The sophomore touched Tokunaga for a solo home run in the seventh.
Tokunaga, a junior, also went the distance. She struck out four and walked five. Sophomore Kaila Burness was her toughest out, going 4 for 5 with four RBIs.
The teams could meet in the semifinals next season.
While Nanakuli started just one senior Thursday, the Warriors started two – Jaysha Alonzo-Estrada and Samantha Simmons, their Nos. 8 and 9 hitters.
Sullivan also doubled, and sophomore Kiarra Lincoln had a double and single. Makena Wagner led off the fourth with a double and scored when Sullivan’s blast to left caromed off the foul pole.
Nanakuli 100 261 1 – 11 16 2
Ka-Hawaii 000 200 0 – 2 7 4
Konawaena 10, Waialua 3: Precious Transfiguracion drove in three runs, and the Wildcats made the most of their three hits and played crisply in back of pitcher Shyla Victor as they advanced to the seventh-place game at McKinley High.
Konawaena (7-8) committed eight errors Tuesday, but it fared much better against the Bulldogs (7-9), of the OIA, in a game that ended after five innings because of time constraints. Next up is Molokai at 11 a.m. Friday at McKinley.
“I don’t think it was nerves (Tuesday),” coach Grace said. “We just told the girls to go out and have fun.”
Transfiguracion obliged, keying a seven-run rally in the third inning with a single that plated two.
“She didn’t get as much playing time as we wanted earlier in the season, but she’s improved a lot recently,” Grace said of the sophomore.
Waialua’s two pitchers combined to walk eight batters.
Bethany Batangan led off the third with a walk, and in her second at-bat in the inning she drove in a run with a single. Teizha Kaluna had a hit, drew three walks and scored three runs.
Victor went the distance. She walked three and struck out two, allowing Christel Agtina’s solo home run.
Konawaena 027 10 – 10 3 2
Waialua 110 01 – 3 6 4
St. Francis 11, Kohala 1: Jessica Hudson cranked a three-run triple as the Saints scored eight times in the first in a time-shortened consolation game at McKinley High.
Ashlyn Van Zandt drove in a run with two hits in her final game for the BIIF runner-up Cowgirls (9-8). Van Zandt also pitched 3 1/3 innings of relief after freshman Symphony Kauanoe couldn’t get out of the first inning.
Rasela Vili hit a solo home run for ILH runner-up St. Francis (8-11).
St. Francis 821 0 – 11 13 2
Kohala 100 0 – 1 4 1
Division I
Kapolei 13, Waiakea 2: Sala Pedebone smacked a three-run home run and drove in five at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium, and the junior struck out six in a five-inning TKO to end the Warriors’ season in the consolation semifinal.
It’s the sixth consecutive year the BIIF champion has gone two and out at states.
Taylor Ogawa pitched three-plus innings in defeat, yielding 10 runs – including a second grand slam allowed by Waiakea (11-5) in as many days – on six hits and five walks.
One day after the Hurricanes (10-9) saw a five-run lead evaporate against top-seeded Mililani, the OIA’s No. 5 team forged ahead again by scoring seven times in the third inning. The big blow came on Prestyne Kaimi-Montira’s grand slam.
Jasmine Castro hit an RBI double for the Warriors and Shantell Leopoldino drove in a run with a hit.
Kapolei 017 32 – 13 9 0
Waiakea 011 00 – 2 5 4
