Reyni Hiraoka’s infield single brought Sheyzhelle Iokia home from third base as No. 3 Maryknoll rallied for a 2-1 win over No. 5 Punahou in 11 innings in the opening round of the ILH softball double-elimination tournament at Sand Island Recreation Area.
The bases were loaded with one out when Punahou third baseman Li‘i Brown reached out and knocked down Hiraoka’s line drive. Shortstop Taryn Ho scrambled after the ball and threw home in an attempt to force out Iokia, but the throw pulled catcher Lexi Hinahara off home plate. Iokia’s slide knocked the ball out of Hinahara’s mitt, ending the playoff battle.
Junior Kasi Cruz went the distance for Maryknoll, allowing one unearned run on four hits. The outfielder-pitcher struck out eight and walked four.
“My screwball was working,” said Cruz, who had never pitched longer than six innings this season.
In club softball, she had never gone further than “eight or nine innings.”
“I was getting tired in the last two innings. My coaches said, “Are you all right?’ I kept saying I’m all right,” she said.
It was a heartbreaker for Punahou and ace Paige Brunn, who struck out three and walked one. The right-hander was one strike away from a no-hitter in the bottom of the seventh when Iokia, a freshman, launched a full-count solo home run to left, tying the game at 1.
“I was just thinking left center, just get on base,” Iokia said. “I found my pitch and it went. The (pitch) was inside high.”
It was her fourth home run of the ILH season. Maryknoll had lost to Kamehameha just two days earlier in a tiebreaker game for first place and an automatic state-tournament berth. Punahou had beaten Maryknoll in two of three regular-season games.
“They’re no longer freshmen,” Maryknoll coach John Uekawa said of Iokia and the other ninth graders on the team. “They’ve played a season and they’re sophomores at this point. They have faith. They just have to have faith. Punahou played a heck of a game.”
Punahou coach Dave Eldredge tipped his cap to the Lady Spartans.
“Paige threw an unbelievable game. One pitch changes everything. Hat’s off to Maryknoll for stepping up,” he said. “We’ve got a tough road ahead of us, but we know what we need to do and we’ll get another opportunity to play these guys and Kamehameha.”
Punahou took the lead in the top of the fifth inning. Sydney Capello led off with a single to left, then stole second base. The catcher’s throw was off target and bounced into center field, allowing Capello to advance to third. Kealoha Cox then doubled to left, scoring Capello for a 1-0 Punahou lead.
With Brunn in no-hitter mode, Punahou appeared to have the win locked up until the bottom of the seventh inning. Iokia launched a solo home run over the left field fence to end the no-hit bid and tie the game at 1.
Briana Sarae followed with a single to left, but Brunn retired Dylan Neves on an infield pop fly to end the seventh.
After Cruz retired Punahou 1-2-3 in the top of the eighth, Ciana Kamisato led off the bottom of the eighth with a bunt. Brunn fielded the bunt, but the second baseman was late covering first and the throw from Brunn bounced off target, allowing Kamisato to reach second base.
New pitcher Tasi Taufahema took the pitcher’s circle. She retired Hiraoka on a pop fly on her bunt attempt, then intentionally walked Jenna Sniffen. Palehua Silva and Cruz grounded into forceouts to end the threat.
Kamisato led off the bottom of the 10th inning with a single to center and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Hiraoka. After Sniffen was walked intentionally, Silva singled to load the bases.
Cruz grounded into a 5-2 fielder’s choice for the second out. Pinch hitter Marley Spencer’s hard grounder up the middle was speared by Ho, who scooped the ball to second baseman Kahiau Aina for the forceout, ending the inning.
Making just her fourth pitching appearance of the season, Cruz walked Cox to lead off the top of the 11th inning. After getting the next two batters out, she walked Ho, then got Brown on a grounder to third to end the inning.
It was another stellar performance by Cruz, who went the distance and allowed one unearned run on four hits. The junior struck out five and walked just two. This comes off her five-inning relief performance against Kamehameha on Thursday, when she allowed just one run on two hits.
Sarae, a first baseman, came up with a defensive gem in the top of the seventh inning. With Punahou’s Shayla Yamashita at first base, Capello’s sacrifice bunt floated between home plate and the pitcher’s circle. Sarae made a superb diving catch, but her face collided with the mask of Cruz. Getting up to one knee, Sarae made the throw to first to double up Yamashita, then left the game with a bloody gash on her temple, along with a cracked tooth.
Tasi Taufahema walked Iokia on four pitches to begin the bottom of the 11th. She then walked Sarae on five pitches. Neves then laid down a bunt single up the third-base line to load the sacks. After Ciana Kamisato grounded into a 5-2 forceout, Hiraoka delivered the big blow.
At Sand Island
Punahou (8-5) 000 010 000 00 — 1 4 1
Maryknoll (10-3) 000 000 100 01 — 2 5 2
Paige Brunn, Tasi Taufahema (8) and Lexi Hirahara.
Kasi Cruz and Palehua Silva. W—Cruz. L—Taufahema.
Leading hitters: Pun: Sydney Capello 1-4, run, SB; Kealoha Cox 1-3, RBI, double, walk. MS: Sheyzhelle Iokia 1-3, HR, RBI, run, 2 walks.
Kamehameha 12, ’Iolani 2, 5 inn.
At Kamehameha
W—Peahi Grilho.
Leading hitters—KS: Mariah Antoque 3-3, HR, 3 runs, 2 RBIs; Kanoena Garcia 2 run; Mua Williams 2-3, HR, 2 runs, 3 RBIs; Kezia Lucas 2-2, HR, 3 RBIs; Bobbi Cambra 2 runs; Kiani Soller 2-2, 3 RBIs; Nikki Chong 2b. Iol: Hunter Salausa-Galletes HR.
