‘Iolani figured out the easiest way to avoid losing in the late innings is to erase the late innings altogether.
The Raiders avenged a season-opening loss to St. Francis with a 14-4 win over the Saints on Monday at Kamamalu Park. The game was shortened to six innings due to the mercy rule.
“We hit the ball well today,” ‘Iolani coach Corey Okamura said. “We have been making a few mental errors that have cost us. We lost two games (against Maryknoll and Mid-Pacific) on late-inning home runs.”
No. 8 ‘Iolani (5-4) plays Sacred Hearts on Wednesday at Crane Park with an eye on taking its third straight game for its longest winning streak of the season. The Raiders have scored 30 runs in their last two games.
Kaulawena Reis-Moniz got the offensive explosion started with two outs in the top of the first when she hit a long home run to center field that Rachel Carlos ranged far to catch, only to have it trickle off the top of her glove. By the time Carlos ran down the ball under a thick tree, Reis-Moniz was halfway to third, and the center fielder had no chance to throw her out from under the canopy.
Alexandra Masaquel, Cassie Ho and Alyssa Liilii followed the blast with singles, with Liilii’s poke driving in Masaquel. Taylor Garcia-Perreira then unleashed a long fly to right field and circled the bases for a three-run home run and a 5-0 lead before St. Francis could grab a bat.
The Saints loaded the bases in their half of the first, but Garcia-Perreira forced Shaye Simms to ground to short and leave the bases loaded. She needed only 11 pitches in the inning despite the trouble, mostly because she hit a pair of batters on her first pitch to them and three other Saints put the first pitch they saw into play.
‘Iolani left the bases loaded in the second, but didn’t waste many opportunities in the third. St. Francis let the first two Raiders reach base on errors, and ‘Iolani batted around for six runs and an 11-0 cushion. Ho, who left the bases loaded in the second, had the big blow with a two-run triple.
Simms left the game after three innings because of a sore back, but ‘Iolani added another run off Castro on a sacrifice fly by Karley Devens.
The Raiders could have ended the game after five innings, but St. Francis rallied for three runs in the bottom of the inning on RBI singles by Kaitlin Santos, Kelsie Hee and Simms to chase Garcia-Perreira. Robi Kodama squelched the uprising by forcing the next two Saints to fly out.
“I expected that from them,” Okamura said. “You are not going to keep them down for too long. I was just hoping we could get an out and get out of here.”
Devens hit a two-run home run in the sixth to put the mercy rule back into effect for ‘Iolani, and Kodama gave up a run in the bottom of the sixth but stranded Carlos at third on a fly to center field by Hee to end the game.
St. Francis hardly resembles the team that opened the season with a 9-6 win over ‘Iolani. The Saints, who have been in the state tournament in each of the past two years, have lost three games in a row and have given up 40 runs during the rough stretch. Their next test comes Wednesday against No. 1 Kamehameha.
“We are struggling right now,” St. Francis coach Randy Langsi said. “We just have to rebound and find out how much character and strength this team has. We just have to stay strong.”
At Kamamalu Park
‘Iolani (5-4) 506 102 — 14 14 0
St. Francis (3-6) 000 031 — 4 7 4
Taylor Garcia-Perreira, Robi Kodama (5) and Cassie Ho. Shaye Simms, Rachel Carlos and Kelsie Hee. W—Garcia-Perreira. L—Simms.
Leading hitters—‘Iolani: Kaulawena Reis-Moniz 2-3, HR, RBI; Alexandra Masaquel 3-5, RBI; Cassie Ho 2-3, 3B, 2 RBI; Taylor Garcia-Perreira 1-3, HR, 3 RBI; Jacy Watanabe 2-4, RBI; Karley Devens 2-4, HR, 3 RBI. StF: Danielle Antolin 2-3, 2B; Rachel Carlos 1-2, RBI.
No. 5 Punahou 8,
Pac-Five 3
The Buffanblu scored three runs in the first and second innings and cruised to the win over the Wolfpack.
At Ala Wai Community Park
Punahou (7-2) 330 011 0 — 8 12 0
Pac-Five (1-7) 010 020 0 — 3 5 2
Jaci Young, Nicole Nishizawa (4), Jenna Shinsato (6) and Kylie Popovich, Nishizawa (6). Kaleihiwa Ah New and Kailee Russell.
W—Young. L—Ah New.
Leading hitters—Pun: Thalen Masada 2-2, RBI, 2 runs; Sarah Sumida 2-4, 3b, run, 2 RBIs; Jessica Shimoda 1-2, 3b, run;
Ari Hashimoto 1-2, 2 RBIs. P5: Kailyn Osaki 2-3, run; Noelani Trias 2-3, 2 RBIs.
WestPac vs.
No. 1 Kamehameha, ppd.
The WestPac vs. Warriors game was rained out.
OIA red west
Leilehua 4,
No. 9 Campbell 3
Jazmyn Dangaran singled in the bottom of the fifth inning to bring in Chenoa Au with what proved to be the winning run for the Mules.
At Leilehua
Campbell (4-4) 000 030 0 — 3 8 1
Leilehua (4-5) 000 220 X — 4 5 1
Summer Palipti and Kiana Ulufale. Taezha Cordeiro and Kyla Larson.
W—Cordeiro. L—Palipti.
Leading hitters—Camp: Tiana Rosario 2-3, RBI; Palipti 2-4, 2b, run; Cara Morris 1-4, HR, 2 RBIs; Cydney Curran 2-3. Lei: Cordeiro 3b, RBI.
Saturday
Kapolei 12, Pearl City 1,
5 inn.
The Hurricanes amassed 16 hits en route to blasting the Chargers.
At Central Oahu Regional Park
Pearl City (3-5) 001 00 — 1 2 0
Kapolei (5-4) 165 0X — 12 16 2
Kristin Frost, Cydney Rivera (3) and Naomi Hama. Kacee Navarro and Alecia Kupihea.
W—Navarro. L—Frost.
Leading hitters—PC: Hama 1-2, run. Kapo: Stacia-Al Mahoe 3-4, 2b, run; Rachel McKea 2-3, 2b, 2 runs, RBI; Kana‘iapuni Smith 3-4, 2 RBIs, 3 runs; Navarro 2-2; Amayha Dycus 2-3, 2b, 4 RBIs, run; Makana Myers 2-3, 2 RBIs, run; Kamryn Kanae 1-3, 3 RBIs; Charmayne Yago 1-2, 2 runs; Emilee Guille 2 runs.
OIA red east baseball
No. 6 Castle 3, Kalani 2
Kyler Martin’s pinch-hit walkoff single to right-center drove in Bobby Aiwohi from second base in the bottom of the seventh inning, keeping the Knights unbeaten in league play with a victory over the Falcons.
At Castle
Kalani (1-5) 000 001 1 — 2 5 1
Castle (7-0) 010 001 1 — 3 6 1
Reece Kakugawa, Chase Sumida (7) and Sumida, Royce Yamamoto (7). Matthew Anderson-Lee, Steven Lee (6) and Christian Kapeliela.
W—S. Lee. L—Kakugawa.
Leading hitters—Kaln: Brandon Roberts 1-3, RBI; Kakugawa 1-3, 3b. Cast: Micah Camara 1-2, 2b, run; Alika Sakurai 1-1, RBI; Martin 1-1, RBI.
Also
BIIF
Hawaii Prep 12, Kea‘au 4
