The ILH softball standings are looking a little thick in the middle.

Sarah Onishi drove in three runs and Mid-Pacific beat Punahou 6-2 at Punahou on Monday.

Punahou won last year’s state championship and Mid-Pacific won the two before that, but this year they are no better than fourth and fifth in the league standings. Kamehameha (6-1), and Maryknoll (6-1) share the top spot with ‘Iolani (4-2) in third.

Punahou (4-3) is fourth, but the Owls (3-3) are hot on the champs’ heels.

The Owls jumped on the Buffanblu from the outset, plating two runs on a double from Onishi before the Buffanblu could even grab their bats. But Punahou’s bats were pretty much useless against Mid-Pacific ace Kaili Ann Akimseu anyway. The junior limited the Buffanblu to two runs on five hits.

"It’s probably one of the better games she has had all season," Mid-Pacific coach Alan Inaba said. "She worked hard knowing that she would be our ace this year."

The Owls staked Akimseu to an early lead, and grew it with three more runs in the third inning. Punahou pitcher Nicole Nishizawa got the first two batters in the frame, but walked Nicole Lopez and allowed Lindsey Matoi to loft a fly ball to right field, where the Buffanblu botched it to make the score 3-0. Onishi then dumped a single into right field and Akimseu did the same to center field to up the lead to an insurmountable 5-0.

The Buffanblu finally reached Akimseu for two runs with a walk and three singles in the fourth, but the junior stranded runners on first and second with a sharp ground ball to short.

"I was getting a bit nervous." Akimseu said. "But I knew if I continued to pitch the way that I had been pitching, with my team around me I knew that I would be able to get the outs that I needed."

Punahou put a runner in scoring position in the fifth and sixth innings, but

Akimseu struck out Heaven Wong and Jessica Shimoda to end each threat. Lopez added a solo home run for Mid-Pacific in the fifth, and the Buffanblu went quietly in the bottom of the seventh.

"She spotted really well," Punahou coach Bobby Makahilahila said of Akimseu. "She came inside and we had a hard time adjusting to her inside pitches, and we have to get better. (The umpire) was giving her the inside part of the plate and we just didn’t adjust and that’s what happened."

Mid-Pacific plays ‘Iolani on Wednesday, and the struggling Buffanblu play Pac-Five the same day.

at Punahou

Leading hitters—Mid-Pacific: Sarah Onishi 2-4, 2B, sB, R, 3 RBI. Pun: Kristen Wong 2-3, R.

OIA RED WEST SOFTBALL

KAPOLEI 10, WAIPAHU 0, 5 INN.

Five players had two hits apiece and Hurricanes had 13 hits in all to rout the Marauders in five innings.

At Waipahu

W—Laugatausala. L—Viliamu.

Leading hitters—Kapo: Stacia-Al Mahoe 2-3, RBI, 2 runs; Shaycelynn Ho’ohuli 3b, RBI, 2 runs; Kamrynmae Kanae 2-3, 2b, 2 RBIs, run; Courtney Belfor, 2b, RBI; Makana Meyers 2-3, 2b, 2 RBIs; Mizpah Leau 2-3; Amayha Dycus 2-3, 2b. Waip: none.

OIA EAST BASEBALL

MOANALUA 9, CASTLE 3

Kenji Yamaguchi drove in four runs to lead Na Menehune past the Knights.

At Castle

At Central Oahu Regional Park

W—Moniz. L—Castaneda.

Leading hitters—StF: Sean Fernandez 3-4, 2b, 2 RBIs, run; Royce Torres 3-3, 2b, RBI, run; Maika Teal 2-3, 2b, 3 RBIs, run. DMS: unavailable.

Also
BIIF
Honokaa 2, Kea’au 1

MIL
Kamehameha-Maui 8, King Kekaulike 2
Baldwin 1, Lahainaluna 0