Kamehameha let it be known early Wednesday against Leilehua that the Warriors really want to get back to the state title game.
Mariah Antoque batted 4-for-4 with a homer, two doubles, and four RBIs and scored three runs, leading No. 2 Kamehameha to a 13-3 five-inning victory over Leilehua in the quarterfinals of the DataHouse/HHSAA Division I Softball Championship tournament.
The Warriors scored seven runs in the first inning at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
“We had the girls locked in and they work on their hitting a lot,” Kamehameha coach Mark Lyman said. “We were ready for it. We had a little bit of a delay (from the original start time), so they were chomping at the bit and they were ready to go.”
The Warriors sent 12 batters to the plate and had six hits in the first.
“We’re a very attacking team and I think we portrayed that very well today,” said Kamehameha’s Marley Espiau, who was 2-for-4 with a homer and four RBIs. “We like to go for the first pitch and really put the pressure on the defense. One through nine (in the lineup) did that.”
Antoque scored on a fielding error by the first baseman, Marley Espiau belted a three-run homer, Nikki Chong hit a sacrifice fly, Antoque hit a run-scoring single and Mikaela Scarborough had an RBI single in the inning.
“I honestly just see ball, hit ball,” Espiau said of the home run to center. “I try to keep it very simple. We work on attacking in the cage a lot at practice. That’s what I did. Once I see my pitch, I’m taking it somewhere. Nobody’s going to beat me when I’m in the box.”
Kamehameha, the ILH champion, plays No. 3 Baldwin in today’s semifinals at 4:30 p.m. at RWSS.
“They’re a good team. That have a lot of lefty slappers, they have quickness, they have power,” Lyman said of the Bears.
Kamehameha lost to Campbell in last year’s state title game.
“More than you know,” Antoque said when asked how badly the Warriors want to get back to the final. “We stressed it since the beginning of the season. We have one goal in mind and that’s to be there on Friday and winning that game.”
Kamehameha’s Peahi Grilho-Armitage allowed one hit over four innings.
Shazlynn Ancheta’s single with one out in the fourth was Leilehua’s first hit.
The Warriors (13-5) didn’t really need it, but they also got superb defense in the early innings.
In the second, catcher Kezia Lucas made a diving catch in front of the plate and right fielder Chong came in and made a diving grab.
The Mules (13-5) had runners at the corners and none out in the third, but after a pop out, Breeann Leong hit a fly ball to center fielder Espiau, who fired to Lucas at the plate. Lucas tagged out the runner as she retreated toward third.
“I have 110 percent confidence in my defense,” Espiau said. “I know that I gotta back up my pitchers. It’s my job to back them up and keep the pressure off of them.”
Kamehameha made it 11-0 in the third on Antoque’s two-run double to left-center, and RBI singles by Scarborough and Espiau.
“It’s all a mindset for me,” Antoque said. “I just came in here, needed to settle down because it’s a big environment, big energy.”
Leilehua, the OIA’s third-place team, made it 11-3 in the fifth against reliever Rylie Teramoto on Trinity Cabana-Rodrigues’ fielder’s choice ground out and Ancheta’s two-run single.
“We wanted to get our other pitcher some innings and give her some work,” Lyman said. “That was some good stuff for her to learn and to pitch in these circumstances. It will benefit her a lot.”
The Warriors ended the game in the bottom half on Antoque’s lead-off homer, and the 13th run scored when Scarborough came in on a fielding error.
Campbell 16, No. 4 Kealakehe 1, 5 inn.
Quinn Waiki homered twice and drove in four runs and the Sabers put the game away with an 11-run fourth inning against the Waveriders.
Campbell, the OIA’s fourth-place team, will play the winner of Mililani/Kalani in today’s semifinals at 7 p.m. at RWSS.
Waiki hit a solo homer in the top of the first and a three-run blast in the fourth, when Campbell had nine hits.
The Sabers’ Kaienna Fuentes-Arellano pitched three innings, and Skylynne Gonzalez and Kaira Sakai each worked a perfect inning.
Kealakehe, the BIIF champion, tied it in the third on Rihanna Joaquin’s RBI double.
In the Sabers’ fourth, Waiki’s three-run shot went out to center, Jaeda Abcede hit a two-run double just inside the left-field line, and Kayla Whaley, Breena Malama, Malu Morris and Nanea Pantastico had run-scoring singles. Two other runs came in on errors. The rally put the Sabers ahead 12-1.
Gonzalez hit a grand slam for Campbell in the fifth.
No. 1 Millani vs. Kalani, suspended bottom 1st
The quarterfinal game between the Trojans and Falcons was suspended because of inclement weather at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
Mililani leads 12-0 and is still batting with two outs in the bottom of the first inning.
The Trojans’ Ori Mailo hit a pair of two-run homers, Kamryn Aoki hit a two-run triple, Kolbi Kochi had a two-run single, Taryn Hirano hit an RBI double and Hinano Bautista had a run-scoring single in the first. Aoki scored on a wild pitch and another run scored on an error.
The game was halted at about 8:19 p.m. It was officially suspended at 9:53 p.m.
The contest will be continued at noon today at Campbell High School.
The Mililani/Kalani winner will play Campbell in a semifinal game today at 7 p.m. at RWSS.
DIVISION II
Pac-Five 7, Radford 1
Miya Yoshioka pitched a two-hitter over seven innings and struck out eight and Mauliola Zuttermeister drove in three runs as the second-seeded Wolfpack beat the Rams at McKinley to advance to face Waimea in today’s semifinal.
Waimea 21, Kailua 1, 5 inn.
Kaelyn Banquel drove in five runs, Laulea Durant chipped in three RBIs and Taelor Camelo didn’t allow an earned run while striking out eight as the Menehunes routed the Surfriders at McKinley. Waimea will face Pac-Five at 10:30 a.m. at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
Aiea 21, Molokai 2
Sophia Kaneshiro made the most of her one hit, scoring four times and driving in six and Kiersten Chong went 3-for-4 as Na Alii scored nine in the first inning to dump the Lady Farmers. Aiea will play the winner of the Kapaa-Kohala game. The semifinal matchup is scheduled for 1 p.m. today at RWSS.
———
Star-Advertiser staff
