Down six runs against Waianae, No. 7 Leilehua could have pushed the panic button.
Instead, the defending state champions went into power mode, getting three home runs from catcher Gianna Araki for a 12-8 comeback win over Waianae on Friday night at Tiger Softball Stadium. The Mules rallied from the early 6-0 deficit, capping it with a five-run sixth inning to break a 7-all tie.
The semifinal win lifted the Lady Mules into the championship game of the Oahu Interscholastic Association playoffs. Leilehua (9-5) will meet Campbell in the title matchup at 7 p.m. today at McKinley. It was a three-hour game that included a combined nine errors.
“This is the point in the year when the game is bigger, you make a mistake, and you have to move on for your team,” Mules coach Wendell Au said.
Araki was unstoppable despite tweaking her left knee while behind the plate in the fifth inning.
“I feel good. Last year we lost in the (OIA) semifinals against Roosevelt,” Araki recalled.
The last time the teams met, Waianae had a 1-0 lead entering the fourth inning. This time, it was 6-0 going into the bottom of the third frame as the Mules had already committed three errors and couldn’t get any momentum against Waianae’s freshman ace, Mya Keliiwaiwai‘ole.
“We were maybe a little stressed, but we knew there was lots of game left,” Araki said.
In addition to Araki, who drove in five runs, Leilehua got a lift from relief pitcher Kylee Ancheta-Maeda. The junior missed the first half of the season after suffering a concussion while batting against Punahou in preseason. Ancheta-Maeda returned and had one appearance, four innings against Pearl City. She was largely a mystery to the rest of the league, but she was more than ready under the spotlight.
“I’m always ready to catch my teammates’ backs,” said Ancheta-Maeda, who pitched 4 1/3 innings, allowing one earned run on three hits.
She struck out three and walked four in relief of starter Alyssa Abe.
Waianae (9-6) had already qualified for the state tournament by upsetting the first-place team from the East, Roosevelt, on Thursday. The Seariders jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Abe walked two batters before Paiaala Wilcox-Molina singled, scoring Lei Kapihe and Alohilani Napalapalai.
Waianae extended the lead to 3-0 with a solo home run by Journey Rodrigues to lead off the top of the second inning. The Seariders also stranded two runners shortly after, and they left 11 runners on base for the game.
Waianae brought three runs home in the top of the third, taking advantage of three walks issued by Abe. Kailah Gates-Coyaso’s single scored Daelyn Stephens, and two more runs scored on an error by shortstop Jocelyn Kepa‘a.
Then came the rally. Mikayla Pinera led off the bottom of the third with a walk, and Araki belted her first homer, a shot to center. Kiana Domingo and Alana Jarra-Parker walked, and with two outs, Torie Au singled to center. Domingo scored on the hit, and Jarra-Parker came home on an error by center fielder Daelyn Stephens. That cut the lead to 6-4.
Waianae got a run in the top of the fourth on a walk by Xailey Kamealoha and an error at first base on a dropped throw.
In the fourth, Kawena Kahana-Travis led off with a single, and with one out, Araki walloped a towering homer to left bring Leilehua within 7-6.
The Mules tied the game at 7 in the fifth against Napalapalai, who moved from third base to the mound. Au singled with one out and came home on a two-out fielding error in right field by Shaylin Lopes.
Araki led off with a homer to center, her third of the game, for an 8-7 lead. After Kayla Hale singled, Jarra-Parker doubled, scoring Hale. An errant throw by second baseman Aloha Carlos on a ground ball by Alyssa Asuncion put runners at the corners.
With two outs, Kepa‘a’s pop fly to short right was dropped by Carlos, and Jarra-Parker and Asuncion scored for an 11-7 lead. Kepa‘a then scored on an infield single by Kahana-Travis.
Waianae eked out a run in the top of the seventh when Tyra Lynn Pai doubled, pinch hitter Vena Palenapa singled and Napalapalai flied out to right, scoring Pai from third.
