Senior Jerzie Liana hammered a three-run homer and went the distance in the circle as the Waianae Seariders beat the Baldwin Bears 15-2 to advance to the state semifinals for the first time in the program’s history, according to Waianae athletic director Kekoa Kaluhiokalani.
Unseeded Waianae (16-3-1) will play Kamehamehatoday at 7 p.m. MIL champion Baldwin (13-4) will play the Mililanitoday at 2 p.m., at McKinley.
“I’m excited just being here, playing here my senior year,” said Liana, who allowed just three hits, struck out six and walked three. “I was just throwing my pitches, trying to get as much strikes as possible.”
Braiesey Rosa and Kehau Tambaoan-Kaeo also homered for the Seariders, who had not won an opening-round state-tournament game before blanking Leilehua on Tuesday.
The homer by Tambaoan-Kaeo, a sophomore shortstop, was especially electrifying for the Waianae dugout.
“Because in the beginning of the season she had nice hits, but got robbed a couple times,” said Rosa, a catcher who has signed with Oregon.
Waianae had not played in the state tourney since 2019, when Rosa was a freshman. The Seariders lost to ‘Iolani in the opening round, 11-10.
“I only remember that it was a back-and-forth game. Everybody was hitting. Both teams were good, but someone had to win,” Rosa recalled.
Waianae and Baldwin met in the 2012 state tourney, a 13-7 win by the Seariders in the opening round.
The Seariders got busy in the top of the first inning. Liana led off with a single and Teizsha Kaopuiki reached base on a fielder’s choice. Baldwin third baseman Kekia Kaaa-Saltiban fielded Kaopuiki’s grounder and threw to second base for a potential forceout, but second baseman Briana Maio-Silva stepped off the bag before catching the throw, and both runners were safe.
After Moani Ioane walked to load the bases, Jerrell Ori Mailo walked on four pitches to force in Liana for a 1-0 Waianae lead. Baldwin pitcher Lauren Otsubo avoided further damage when Tambaoan-Kaeo lined into a 6-5 double play.
In the second inning, Charlee-Rose Stevens tripled, Camryn Hensley walked and Liana followed with a towering blast over the left-field fence for a 4-0 Seariders lead.
In the third, Rosa’s line drive was muffed by Kaaa-Saltiban. Mailo doubled to left-center, scoring Rosa. Tamabaoan-Kaeo hit a rocket over the left-field fence for a two-run homer, opening Waianae’s lead to 7-0.
Lennel Olaivar-Sugse replaced Otsubo in the circle for the Bears.
Rosa ripped a solo shot to center in the fourth to stretch the Seariders’ lead to 8-0.
Mailo and Tambaoan-Kaeo singled, advanced on a groundout by Chancie-Lynn Kelley, and scored on a throwing error by Maio-Silva on a ground ball by Stevens.
Waianae entered the state tournament ranked No. 2 in the Star-Advertiser Softball Top 10. Baldwin is No. 7. The Seariders last played at states in 2019, losing to ‘Iolani 11-10 in the opening round.
‘Iolani 16, Waiakea 3, 5 inn.
Starting pitcher Molly Dyer pitched three no-hit, scoreless innings as ‘Iolani advanced to the semifinal round. The unseeded Raiders (20-6-1) will play the Campbell today at 4:30 p.m.
BIIF champion Waiakea will play the Kapoleiat noon today at McKinley.
The Raiders broke the game open in the top of the third inning with six runs on just one hit, sending 12 batters to the plate.
For the game, Waiakea generously gave ‘Iolani 13 bases on balls, along with three wild pitches and one hit batter. Five runs were forced in on bases-loaded walks, while pinch hitter Lehua Acoba drilled a two-run double in the fourth, when the Raiders sent 12 runners to the plate and scored seven runs. That inning ended when coach Chad Cordero instructed his baserunner at third, Natalie Ching, to intentionally leave early to record the final out.
