In the final elimination game of ILH softball, Maryknoll erased any doubts that the league’s two best teams will play on.
The Spartans scored 10 runs in the second inning and Shearyna Labasan allowed only two hits in five innings as Maryknoll thumped Mid-Pacific 13-1 to earn the ILH’s second berth into the state tournament.
"It was do or die," Maryknoll coach John Uekawa said. "We really felt we shouldn’t have been in this situation, being tied with Kamehameha for the ILH championship and then losing 2-0, we felt we were the best team of the four in the tournament."
The Spartans take second place in the ILH, behind league champion Kamehameha. The Warriors and Spartans split their series this year 1-1 with one tie, with Kamehameha beating Maryknoll 2-0 in the league title game.
The second-place game was not nearly as close.
Maryknoll, which has outscored Mid-Pacific 36-4 in three games this year, moves on to its second straight state tournament while Mid-Pacific’s season is over. The ILH got three teams into the tournament last year; this time it gets two.
The Spartans jumped on the Owls from the outset, getting a 1-2-3 inning from Labasan and then scoring twice on throwing errors by Mid-Pacific catcher Jenna Kumabe. Labasan got the Owls in order again in the second and then grabbed the bats and exploded for 10 runs in their half.
"The way Labasan was throwing, they only needed one run," Mid-Pacific coach Alan Inaba said. "She’s tough, and she proved it today. Nobody expected us to be here. We just got shut down by a good pitcher and a good team."
The Owls finished the regular season 6-8 and lost four in a row before the tournament.
Kamalei Labasan got things started in the second inning with a walk, Kasey Magdadaro followed with a single and Shayna Ige reached when the Owls tried to get the lead runner on a sacrifice attempt but failed. That loaded the bases for Shearyna Labasan, who drove in a run with a single and started the merry-go-round.
By the time Kaili-Ann Akimseu forced Nohea Hee to fly out to left and the ride stopped, Maryknoll had put 12 runners on base and scored 10 runs to make it 12-0.
The Spartans had 10 hits in the game, all of them singles, and benefited from four errors by the Owls. Shearyna Labasan didn’t allow her first baserunner until the third and her first hit until the fourth, a double by Akimseu that drove in Lia Nakamoto. Shearyna Labasan shook off that hiccup to strike out the Owls in order in the top of the fifth to end the game.
"I felt like everything was working today, it just felt like a good day," Shearyna Labasan said. "We just had to come in here with confidence and needed to believe in ourselves, so we worked really hard at practice and came out here focused and ready to play."
Hee, Kamalei Labasan and Magdadaro all had two hits for the Spartans and Bree Soma drove in two runs.
The state tournament begins May 12 at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
| At Sand Island Park |
| MPI (7-9) |
000 |
10 |
— |
1 |
2 |
4 |
| MS (14-2-1) |
2(10)1 |
0x |
— |
13 |
10 |
1 |
Kaili-Ann Akimseu and Jenna Kumabe. Shearyna Labasan and Nohea Hee. W–Labasan. L–Akimseu.
Leading hitters–MPI: None. Maryknoll: Nohea Hee 2-4, 2 RBIs; Kamalei Labasan 2-2, 2 Rs, 2 RBI; Kasey Magdadaro 2-2, 2 Rs.
OIA WHITE
Waialua 16, Kalani 1, 5 inn.
Christel Agtina homered, doubled twice and drove in five runs, while teammate Andrea Dicion homered and drove in four to help the Bulldogs maul the Falcons.
| KALANI (4-8) |
100 |
00 |
— |
1 |
5 |
0 |
| WAIALUA (5-6) |
345 |
4x |
— |
16 |
13 |
1 |
Toni-Lynn Ibara and Jalen Nishihara. Danielle Maxwell and Laola Pang.
W–Maxwell. L–Ibara.
Leading hitters–Kalani: Ibara 2-2. Waialua: Andrea Dicion 2-4, HR, 2b, 4 RBIs; Alaina Bayudan 3-4, 2b, 2 RBIs; Christel Agtina 3-3, HR, two 2bs, 5 RBIs; Selena Victoria 2-4, 2b, 4 runs; Pang 2-2, 2b, RBI, 3 runs.
Aiea 13, Farrington 6
Na Alii took advantage of eight Governors errors and Kayla Higuchi, Kailie Alama and Rayna Higuchi collected two hits apiece to pace Aiea at the plate.
| FARRINGTON (7-5) |
000 |
022 |
2 |
— |
6 |
7 |
8 |
| AIEA (9-2) |
410 |
116 |
x |
— |
13 |
7 |
1 |
Kaipo Castillo and Kayce Okada. Poamai Tuli, Vesi Liilii (6) and Kailie Alama.
W–Tuli. L–Castillo.
Leading hitters–Farrington: Kelia Miller 2-4, Journey Williams 2b. Aiea: Kayla Higuchi 2-4; Alama 2-4; Rayna Higuchi 2b.
Also
Kahuku 1, Anuenue 0 (forfeit)
