Six outs away from having its state title dreams extinguished, Kapolei used the long ball and the short game to rally past Pearl City and advanced to the title game of the DataHouse/HHSAA Division I Softball Championship with a 6-5 win in eight innings on Thursday.
Trailing 5-1 going into the sixth inning of the semifinal, the top-seeded Hurricanes got back into the game with two home runs in the sixth and tied it with three consecutive bunts in the seventh, with Makana Meyers’ squeezing in a run to send the game into extra innings.
Kapolei pitcher Sadie Kapaku-You doubled to lead off the bottom of the eighth and scored the winning run when Dallas Pollard-Brownell’s grounder snuck past Pearl City pitcher Tyanna Kaaialii to send the Hurricanes to a title-game matchup with defending state champion Campbell.
The final is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
“I hope they have enough in the tank,” Kapolei coach Tony Saffery said after the late-inning comeback. “I’m expecting (today’s game) to be a barnburner too.”
Kapaku-You weathered a rough start to retire the last 10 batters she faced and picked up a complete-game victory when she crossed the plate with the winning run.
“We all tried to stay really positive and stayed up and backed up one another,” Kapaku-You said.
Kaaialii mixed speeds to keep Kapolei off balance early on and drove in Pearl City’s first three runs before the Hurricanes rallied.
“We had the right plan, we hit the ball pretty good and (Kapolei’s) big players came up clutch for them,” Pearl City coach Chad Obara said. “(Kaaialii) did a good job. They did a good job adjusting to her, that’s how the game goes. She kept us in the game the entire night.”
Kaaialii held Kapolei to one hit until Meyers doubled to lead off the bottom of the sixth. Ciena Kauhi’s fly to center then carried over the fence to cut the deficit to 5-3. One out later, Laugatausala Pedebone, who homered twice against Leilehua on Wednesday, went deep again to left field to bring the Hurricanes to within a run.
After Kapaku-You retired Pearl City in order in the top of the seventh, Holiday Ribac was hit by a pitch to start the bottom of the inning. Raina Mckean’s bunt was mishandled to put two runners on and Shaycelynn Hoohuli sacrificed the runners into scoring position.
Meyers then dropped another bunt to squeeze in Ribac and send the game into extra innings.
After Kapaku-You doubled to lead off the eighth, Pedebone was intentionally walked and they advanced on a bunt. Pollard-Brownell then hit a grounder that got past Kaaialii to end the game.
“I knew I didn’t have to do anything big because there was only one out. I just had to get on somehow,” Pollard-Brownell said. “I saw it get past her and I was so happy.”
DIVISION I SEMIFINALS
No. 1 Kapolei 6, No. 6 Pearl City 5, 8 inn.
At Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium
| Pearl City |
020 |
120 |
00 |
– |
5 |
7 |
1 |
| Kapolei |
000 |
103 |
11 |
– |
6 |
6 |
1 |
PB Kaaialii and Hailey Yamaguchi. Sadie Kapaku-You and Prestyne Kaimi.
W-Kapaku-You. L-Kaaialii.
Leading Hitters-PC: Yamaguchi 3-4, 2 runs, RBI; Hope Casarez 2-4, run. Kapo: Kapaku-You 2-4, 2 runs, RBI, 2b, HR; Ciena Kauhi 1-3, run, 2 RBI, HR; Laugatausala Pedebone 1-2, run, RBI, HR.
No. 2 Campbell 5, No. 4 Mililani 2
At Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium
| Mililani |
000 |
110 |
0 |
– |
2 |
5 |
1 |
| Campbell |
100 |
022 |
x |
– |
5 |
5 |
0 |
Aubree Kim and Markie Okamoto. Danielle Cervantes and Jocelyn Alo.
W-Cervantes. L-Kim.
Leading Hitters-Mil: Keri Togami 2-3, RBI; Kristen Ishii 2-3, run, RBI, HR. Camp: Cydney Curran 1-3, run, 2 RBI, HR; Elisa Favela 2-4, run, 3 RBI, HR.
DIVISION I FIFTH-PLACE SEMIFINALS
At McKinley High Field
Leilehua 14, Waiakea 1, 5 inn.
No. 3 Kamehameha 16, Maui 0, 5 inn.
Division I Consolation Championship
At Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium
No. 5 ‘Iolani 8, No. 10 Kaiser 0
DIVISION II QUARTERFINALS
Pac-Five 13, Kalani 0, 5 inn.
The Wolfpack scored two or more runs in each of the first four innings, breezing to an easy victory over the Falcons.
Shazzar Nakoa-Chung led the way offensively for Pac-Five, going 2-for-2 with two runs scored and three RBIs.
On the mound, Pac-Five pitcher Megan Yoshioka gave up just two hits over five innings, striking out six to earn the win.
At Patsy Mink Softball Stadium
| Kalani |
000 |
00 |
– |
0 |
2 |
3 |
| Pac-Five |
234 |
4x |
– |
13 |
10 |
1 |
Cherise Horita, Toni-Lynn Ibara (4) and Kylie Pagud. Megan Yoshioka and Shazzar Nakoa-Chung
W-Yoshioka. L-Horita
Leading Hitters-Kaln: Shandi Matsumoto 2-2. P5: Kalyn Kershner 2-3, 2 runs, RBI, SB; Nakoa-Chung 2-2, 2 runs, 3 RBI, 2b; Kiara Peterson 2-3, 2 runs, 2b; Alisha Candelario 2-3, run, RBI, 2b.
No. 9 Nanakuli 12, Farrington 2, 6 inn.
The Golden Hawks got off to a fast start, grabbing an early 6-2 lead to take down the Governors in six innings.
Nanakuli pitcher Autum McCoy allowed just two runs on two hits to earn the victory, and helped her own cause with a solo home run. She finished with two runs scored and an RBI.
McCoy also got a lot of help. Kaila Burnett scored three runs, while Keani Sonognini-Keopuhiwa finished with two runs scored and two RBIs.
At Patsy Mink Softball Stadium
| Farrington |
110 |
000 |
– |
2 |
2 |
3 |
| Nanakuli |
330 |
411 |
– |
12 |
8 |
5 |
Kaipo Castillo, Krislon Philpot-Rosa (5) and Kaycie Okada. Autum McCoy and Kaila Burnett.
W-McCoy. L-Castillo
Leading Hitters-Farr: Okada 1-3, run; Brittaney Savusa 1-3, run. Nan: Burnett 1-2, 3 runs, 3b; Keani Sonognini-Keopuhiwa 1-2, 2 runs, 2 RBI; Daria Kawaauhau 2-5, run, 2 RBI; McCoy 1-2, 2 runs, RBI, HR.
St. Francis 11, Lanai 0, 5 inn.
The Saints scored a combined 10 runs in the second and third innings to take a commanding lead and earn a mercy-rule victory over the Pine Lasses.
Korrie Matsumura was 2-for-3 with three RBIs, and Kaena Keliinoi was 2-for-2 with two runs scored and an RBI to guide St. Francis offensively.
At Patsy Mink Softball Stadium
| St. Francis |
055 |
100 |
– |
11 |
8 |
2 |
| Lanai |
000 |
00x |
– |
0 |
2 |
1 |
Shaye Simms, Sierrah Kupihea (4) and Taiana Creekmur, Kamaile Perreira (3). Kayci Kaopuiki-Galiza, Claire Vila (3) and Jordan Sanchez.
W-Simms. L-Kaopuiki-Galiza.
Leading Hitters-StF: Korrie Matsumura 2-3, 3 RBI; Kaena Keliinoi 2-2, 2 runs, RBI, 2b. Lan: Vila 2-2.
Kamehameha-Hawaii 13, Aiea 0, 5 inn.
After a scoreless first inning, the Warriors exploded for 12 runs over the next two innings for a mercy rule victory over Na Alii.
Warriors pitcher Mykala Tokunaga tossed a shutout over five innings, allowing just two hits while striking out seven.
Jessica Cameros was 2-for-4 with two runs and three RBIs, while collecting a double and a triple to lead Kamehameha-Hawaii.
At Patsy Mink Softball Stadium
| Aiea |
000 |
00 |
– |
0 |
2 |
3 |
| KSH |
065 |
2x |
– |
13 |
12 |
0 |
Pomaikaikekioka Tuli, Mikelle Gonazalez (3) and Testimoni Tavale. Mykala Tokunaga and Kekailani Wong Yuen.
W-Tokunaga. L-Tuli.
Leading Hitters-Aiea: Tuli 1-2; Gonzalez 1-2. KSH: Jessica Cameros 2-4, 2 runs, 3 RBI, 2b, 3b; Wong Yuen 3-3, run, RBI, 2 SB; Taylor Sullivan 3-3, 3 runs, RBI, 2 2b.
Division II Consolation Semifinals
At Patsy Mink Softball Stadium
Molokai 11, Konawaena 1, 5 inn.
