Bailey Chee smacked a home run and Kasi Cruz went the distance in the pitcher’s circle as No. 3 Maryknoll outslugged No. 2 Kamehameha 10-8 to become the lone unbeaten team in the ILH softball double-elimination tournament.
Maryknoll (11-4) opened tournament play with an 11-inning, 2-1 thriller over Punahou last week, with Sheyzhelle Iokia hitting a game-tying home run in the seventh inning with Maryknoll down to its last strike. This time, the Lady Spartans belted 12 hits to secure their third win on the Warriors’ field in three tries.
“We just love this field. Basically, to score 10 runs, it’s a whole team effort. Kasi pitched a good game. Bailey was dying for a home run,” Spartans coach John Uekawa said. “Kasi is a gamer. The previous game, she started off strong and ended strong. This one, she just hung in there.”
Chee was instrumental with a two-run homer in the first inning and an RBI single in the fifth inning.
“I feel amazing. We’ve been practicing a lot,” the freshman designated hitter said. “My team was ready to go today. It’s R and B, what coach John teaches us. When you’re up to hit your first time. You’re obviously nervous, so you relax and breathe.”
Briana Sarae was also crucial with a pair of run-scoring singles in the fourth and fifth innings. The senior first baseman showed no effects from a collision with Cruz in their previous game that left Sarae with a gash near her right eye and a cracked tooth.
“Our coach says, R and B. Just relaxed in the box just like practice,” Sarae said.
Cruz has been a huge late-season gem. During the regular season, she made just two appearances as a pitcher. A week ago, she went five innings in relief against Kamehameha, allowing just one run on two hits in the ILH tiebreaker game for the regular-season title.
Two days later, Cruz allowed just one run on four hits in the 11-inning marathon battle with Punahou. On Thursday, Kamehameha jumped on Cruz for five runs in the first inning, but she never wavered and went the distance.
“Our whole team brings each other up. Even though we make mistakes, our energy was up. My catcher (Palehua Silva) was talking to me and everyone had my back,” said Cruz, now 3-0 with a 2.33 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 30 innings.
Kamehameha has won both matchups with Maryknoll at the Spartans’ field on Sand Island.
“We always have wonderful games with Maryknoll. It’s two teams that are going to fight hard to the end,” Warriors coach Mark Lyman said. “We hit the ball well, just have to string them together more. We made a bunch of mistakes. We left some runs on the table out there. Small, minor things. Couple of fielding errors we normally don’t make. All of our goals are still intact. It’s just one of those days. We’ll be all right.”
Neither team was especially sharp defensively, committing a combined nine errors. In a two-run margin of defeat, Kamehameha committed two uncharacteristic base-running miscues. In the third inning, Kiani Soller doubled with one out and Lexi Ahlo-Garcia followed with a sacrifice bunt. Cruz fumbled the ball and committed a throwing error to first base. Soller gambled and ran home, where Silva fielded the throw from second baseman Reyni Hiraoka. Silva tagged Soller out.
Nikki Chong followed with a double to left, scoring Ahlo-Garcia to cut Maryknoll’s lead to 7-6.
The Lady Spartans tacked on a run in the top of the fourth when Iokia doubled and scored on a single by Sarae.
In the bottom of the fourth, Williams drew one of her four intentional walks with one out. With Kezia Lucas at the plate, Williams was ruled out for leaving first base early. Lucas then bombed her second home run of the game, pulling the Warriors within 8-7.
Maryknoll added two runs in the top of the fifth against Soller, who replaced starter Peahi Grilho-Armitage. Jenna Sniffen was issued one of her five walks, and with two outs, Cruz singled to right. Chee then delivered an opposite-field single to left, scoring Sniffen.
After Iokia singled to load the bases, Sarae came through again with an opposite-field single to left, plating Cruz for a 10-7 lead.
In the bottom of the sixth, Marley Espiau doubled with one out and after Williams walked — the Kamehameha slugger was intentionally walked four times — Espiau advanced to third base on a wild pitch. Lucas sent a ground ball to the shortstop, Iokia, who muffed the ball. Espiau scored to bring the Warriors within 10-8.
Cruz retired Bobbi Cambra and Mikaela Scarborough to end the inning.
In the bottom of the seventh, Ahlo-Garcia singled with one out, but Cruz got Chong to ground into a game-ending 5-4-3 double play.
The Spartans get a well-deserved break from practice on Friday. ILH regular-season winner Kamehameha heads back to the grind.
“We’ve got to work hard. Nobody’s going to give us anything,” Lyman said. “We punch them in the face. They punch us in the face. It’s going to be a fight. This is how you get ready for states.”
Conditions were sunny and windy at Kamehameha’s field. In the top of the first inning, Hiraoka scored on a bases-loaded double-play grounder by Cruz. Chee then homered to center with Sniffen on base, giving Maryknoll a 3-0 lead, aided by two Warriors errors.
Kamehameha roared back with five runs in the bottom of the first, helped by two Spartans errors. Williams stole second base and Mariah Antoque scored from third when Iokia committed an error at shortstop.
Lucas then powered an opposite-field, two-run homer to right.
Scarborough was at third base when Soller struck out swinging, but reached base on a passed ball, allowing Scarborough to score.
Maryknoll scored twice in the top of the second frame to tie the game. Ciana Kamisato reached base on a throwing error by the shortstop, Williams. Hiraoka and Sniffen walked to load the bases. With two outs, Silva’s fielder’s choice grounder brought Kamisato home. Cruz then sent a ground ball to second base that was mishandled by Antoque, allowing Hiraoka to tie the game at 5.
The visitors scored twice in the top of the third to regain the lead. Sarae reached base on a fielding error by Kamehameha’s third baseman, Ahlo-Garcia. Dylan Neves reached base on a sacrifice bunt attempt that left the catcher, Lucas, on the ground after fielding the ball and tripping over her third baseman, Ahlo-Garcia. Hiraoka walked to load the bases, and with Sniffen at the plate, Kamehameha opted to walk the Maryknoll slugger, forcing Sarae home from third base.
Silva then singled to center, scoring Neves for a 7-5 Maryknoll lead.
At Kamehameha
Maryknoll (11-4) 322 120 0 — 10 12 5
Kamehameha (11-4) 301 101 0 — 8 12 4
Kasi Cruz and Palehua Silva. Peahi Grilho-Armitage, Kiani Soller (5) and Kezia Lucas. W—Cruz. L—Grilho-Armitage.
Leading hitters—MS: Jenna Sniffen 0-0, 5 walks, 2 runs; Bailey Chee 2-4, HR, 3 RBIs, run; Sheyzhelle Iokia 3-5, double, run; Briana Sarae 2-4, 2 RBIs, run. KS: Mua Williams 0-0, 4 walks, run; Lucas 2-4, 2 HRs, 3 RBIs, 2 runs; Bobbi Camara 2-4, double; Lexi Ahlo-Garcia 2-3, RBI, run, sacrifice; Nikki Chong2-4, double, RBI.
