‘Iolani rallied with eight runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to seize the lead and held on for another half-inning for a wild but abbreviated 18-17 win by the Raiders on Monday evening.
Allie Capello’s sacrifice fly scored Lexie Tilton for what proved to be the decisive run. After ‘Iolani pitcher Ailana Agbayani retired the Spartans 1-2-3 in the top of the fifth — the only scoreless frame in the slugfest — the home plate umpire called the game due to impending darkness.
Impending in the sense that at 6:32 p.m., ‘Iolani would still have had its turn at bat, and by the time Maryknoll had its turn in the top of the fifth, it may have been past sunset, which was forecast at 6:51 p.m. If Maryknoll rallied, ‘Iolani would still have its turn in the bottom of the fifth, and in the case of darkness, any stoppage would revert the score back to the previous completed inning — an ‘Iolani win.
“It’s a dog fight here in the ILH. You’ve got good players, good teams and you have to battle every inning,” ‘Iolani coach Benny Agbayani said.
That puts the top of the ILH standings in a three-way tie among Kamehameha, ‘Iolani and Maryknoll at 6-2.
“I’m proud of the girls. They did what I told them to do. They went out there and fought to the end,” Agbayani said.
‘Iolani survived a pair of three-run home runs by Maryknoll’s Logan Gaspar.
The bottom of the fourth began with a leadoff walk by Agbayani, who started the game at shortstop. Capello, who socked a three-run homer in the first inning, followed with a double to center. Agbayani held at third base and was rewarded when Harley Acosta singled up the middle, bringing both baserunners home and cutting Maryknoll’s lead to 17-12.
Kaylee Matsuda kept the hit parade going with a single to left and Maya Ichimura advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt. Keely Kai then singled to left, scoring Acosta from third base. Matsuda raced home when the throw home from left field went astray, and the Raiders were within 17-14.
With Kai at third base, Milla Fukuda’s short chopper to first base gave Kai enough time to slide home, and ‘Iolani trailed 17-15.
Kennadie Tsue then laid down a sac bunt, and pitcher Jenna Sniffen’s throw to first sailed by the target for Maryknoll’s second error of the inning. With Fukuda at third and Tsue at second, Tilton grounded to shortstop, but Nellie McEnroe-Marinas’ throw home was too late to nab Fukuda, who slid and scored ‘Iolani’s 16th run.
Batting for the second time in the inning, Agbayani lined a shot into the hole at shortstop, where McEnroe-Marinas nearly made the catch. That scored Tsue to tie the game at 17.
Capello then sent a high pop fly to short center, where second baseman Carys Murakami made the catch and fired to the cutoff, Sniffen, who relayed to catcher Liliana Thomas. Tilton, racing home from third base, slid and was ruled safe on her slide at home plate for the go-ahead run.
In the top of the fifth, Agbayani retired Thomas on a fly ball, struck out Ua Nakoa-Chung and got Gaspar to pop out to first.
AT ALA WAI PARK “2”
Maryknoll (6-2) 732 50 — 17 16 3
‘Iolani (6-2) 541 8x — 18 13 0
Ua Nakoa-Chung, Jenna Sniffen (4) and Liliana Thomas. Carly Izuo, Allie Capello (1), Izuo (2), Kealohi Markham (3), Mia Carbonell (3), Ailana Agbayani (3) and Keely Kai. W—Agbayani. L—Sniffen.
Leading hitters—Maryknoll: Carys Murakami 1-3, 2 runs, 2 walks; Mahalo Akaka 1-1, 2 walks, 2 HBP, run, RBI. Nellie McEnroe-Marinas 1-3, 2 RBI, HBP, walk; Sniffen 1-4, 2 runs, walk; Thomas 3-3, 4 runs, RBI, walk; Nakoa-Chung 2-4, double, 2 runs, RBI; Gaspar 3-4, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 3 runs, HBP, SB; Daylee Williams 2-3, double, 2 RBI, run, HBP; Aloha Akaka 1-2, triple, RBI. ‘Iolani: Lexie Tilton 2-2, 2 RBI, 2 runs, sac; Agbayani 2-2, 3 runs, RBI, 2 doubles, SB; Capello 2-3, HR, double, 4 RBI, 2 runs; Harley Acosta 2-2, 2 RBI, 3 runs, triple, walk; Kaylee Matsuda 3-3, HR, 3 RBI, 3 runs; Kai 1-2, RBI, run, walk; Milla Fukuda 1-2, 2 runs, RBI.
