KEAAU – Waiakea freshmen Halee Sweat and Johnacy Mackwelung didn’t know about recent history and they didn’t care about recent history. It’s no coincidence that, as of Wednesday, the Warriors recent struggles against Kamehameha are history. ADVERTISING KEAAU – Waiakea
KEAAU – Waiakea freshmen Halee Sweat and Johnacy Mackwelung didn’t know about recent history and they didn’t care about recent history. It’s no coincidence that, as of Wednesday, the Warriors recent struggles against Kamehameha are history.
Waiakea could hit long before the arrival of Mackwelung, who adds another potent bat and showed off her power with her second home run of the season. It’s the team’s pitching that has been inconsistent, but Sweat provided a shot in the arm in the circle with a complete game as unbeaten Waiakea broke through for a 14-6 victory that represented Kamehameha’s first BIIF softball loss since 2014.
“Haylee has been our closer and she deserved a start,” Waiakea coach Bo Saiki said. “She mixed her speeds and had them leaning.”
He said it was Waiakea’s first victory against Kamehameha since 2012. It’s also no coincidence that that victory came the season before Mykala Tokunaga arrived at Kamehameha. The five-time defending Division II champion Warriors (3-1) missed their former ace, a four-time league Player of the Year, as Waiakea (7-0) cranked 12 hits and coaxed eight walks against three pitchers.
“I think they put too much pressure on themselves,” Kamehameha coach Akea Kiyuna said. “They were hitting the ball and it was falling into place. That’s how it goes sometimes.”
Waiakea, the two-time defending D-I champion, packaged all of its runs into three innings. It batted around in the fourth and seventh, but its most important at-bat came in the sixth.
Tied 4-4, Waiakea loaded the bases on a walk, a hit batter and a bunt single by Brandee Chinen, who was 3 for 3 with two walks. Cleanup hitter Skylar Thomas provided the go-ahead run with a infield single, Jourdan Perreira brought another run home with a groundout and Mackwelung hit a three-run blast to left off of losing pitcher Jessica Cameros.
The big fly carried about 5 yards farther than Mackwelung’s deep flyout to left had an inning earlier.
“I came back and shook it off and pitch by pitch is how I take it,” she said.
Skylar Thomas hit a two-run double in the seventh as Waiakea tacked on five more runs. The senior shortstop finished 3 for 4 with four RBIs.
Sweat kept Kamehameha off-balance, inducing 11 outs in the air. Freshman Leiloa Bustamante touched her for a solo home run in the seventh, but the right-hander struck out four, walked five and allowed nine hits in victory.
“I know they wanted to rip it, so I just slowed down some of my pitches,” Sweat said. “Honestly, my team and even my bench, they gave me confidence.
“Since my last game against Honokaa (a 13-11 win), I had trouble with my pitching, but I came back because my team was cheering for me.”
While Sweat credited her parents’ club team with helping to hone her skills, Mackwelung takes advantage of a baseball background.
“I played it my whole life, and that kind of slows the ball down for me and I try to take it steady,” she said.
Waiakea took its first lead by scoring four times in the fourth. Shaily Moses got the rally started with a single, and Tierra Teves (2 for 4) hit a two-run double as she, Kristi Hirata, Chinen and Thomas had consecutive hits to chase Kamehameha starter Taylor Sullivan.
Kamehameha briefly tied the game in the fifth on a two-out hit by Kawai Kauahi-Raquel, who finished 3 for 4 with two RBIs and a double.
Sullivan was 2 for 4, including an RBI single in the second that gave Kamehameha a 2-0 lead. At that point, it looked well on its way to extending its BIIF winning streak.
“I think that now they know what it’s like to not always be on top,” Kiyuna said. “It helps us to strengthen the mental part of the game. Now we know what this is going to feel like, and how we can work as a team to pick each other up.”
Hilo 18, Pahoa 0
Chalisse Kela pitched four perfect innings with five strikeouts, and she added a two-run double as the Vikings won on the road.
Moana Pinner hit a three-run home run for Hilo.
Kohala 10, Honokaa 1
Symphony Kauanoe tripled and drove in three runs and Mikayla Kekoa got the victory to lead the Cowgirls to a home win.
