Although the scoreboard provided a shining reminder of the feat Shearyna Labasan was approaching, Maryknoll’s ace kept her eyes on the top line when she looked out to right field.
"Only for the outs and balls and strikes," Labasan said. "I just tried to keep the batters off balance and keep doing my job."
Only after the last of her 13 strikeouts did Labasan let herself think about the zero under the hit column in Maryknoll’s 6-0 win over Pearl City in the Division I first round of the DataHouse/HHSAA State Softball Championships on Wednesday at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
Labasan’s no-hitter highlighted Maryknoll’s first state tournament appearance since 2008 and the Spartans advanced to face second-seeded Mililani in a quarterfinal game scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday.
"We’ve been going through the cycle and I’ve been saying the best time to peak is in the state (tournament)," Maryknoll coach John Uekawa said.
Labasan and Pearl City’s Kristin Frost both took no-hitters into the fifth inning before the Spartans broke away with a six-run outburst in the bottom of the inning, three coming in on Bree Soma’s bases-clearing triple down the left-field line.
Labasan struck out 10 of the first 14 batters she faced and allowed three walks. Her only shaky moment came in the top of the fifth, when she issued back-to-back walks with one out. A grounder to third base started an inning-ending double play and Labasan retired the Chargers in order in the sixth and struck out the side in the seventh.
"I was really in a rhythm and tried to stay in that rhythm and keep it going and keep holding them down and my offense backed me up a lot," Labasan said.
Labasan had proven capable of dominant performances while earning first-team All-State honors last year as a utility player and Uekawa said an adjustment to her velocity enhanced the deception in her pitches.
"We changed her speed, in fact we slowed her down … to get more movement," Uekawa said.
Maryknoll played its way into the state tournament as the third seed from the ILH a year after losing a playoff to eventual state champion Punahou for a spot in the bracket. The Spartans entered the tournament with a roster that has one senior, two juniors, six sophomores and four freshmen.
"I think now we’re a little more acclimated and comfortable," Uekawa said.
"We were up against a wall. We had to beat Sacred Hearts and ‘Iolani to get in there and I think that put them over the hump. They know how good they are now."
Soma, one of the sophomores, highlighted the lone scoring inning of the game with her triple. Freshman Jerae Keli’ikoa led off the bottom of the fifth by lining a single to center for the game’s first hit. The Spartans scratched out three runs and loaded the bases before Soma’s fly ball to left landed just inside the foul line and rolled to the fence.
"Depending on the situation, I just go with where the ball is pitched," Soma said. "She had an outside spin, so I was trying to work with that. I just wanted to get it on the line or something in the gap."
At Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium |
Pearl City (7-10) |
000 |
000 |
0 |
— |
0 |
0 |
2 |
Maryknoll (14-4) |
000 |
060 |
X |
— |
6 |
4 |
0 |
Kristin Frost and Ana Cabato. Shearyna Labasan and Kasey Magdadaro.
W–Labasan. L–Frost.
Leading hitters–Mryk: Bree Soma 3b, 3 RBIs.
Mid-Pacific 7, Moanalua 1
Sarah Onishi hit home runs in her first two plate appearances to power the Owls to a 3 p.m. quarterfinal matchup on Wednesday with third-seeded Baldwin.
MPI junior Kaili-Ann Akimseu allowed a run in the top of the first, but got out of a bases-loaded jam. Onishi tied the game with her first home run to left field with one out in the bottom of the second.
Onishi struck again with a three-run shot in the third inning to cap MPI’s five-run rally. Moanalua kept her in the ballpark when she came up in the fifth, but Onishi still drove in her fifth run of the game with a single to center.
"It was funny because our coach gave us a sheet to fill out and one of the questions was, ‘What are your biggest accomplishments?’ and I didn’t really have any," Onishi said. "But now I can put one on."
At Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium |
Moanalua (12-4) |
100 |
000 |
0 |
— |
1 |
5 |
2 |
Mid-Pacific (13-4) |
015 |
010 |
x |
— |
7 |
7 |
0 |
Kaili Akimseu and Taylor Oda. Leisha Yamauchi, Cyanne Fernandez (3) and Chrissi Omalza. Kaili-Ann Akimseu.
W–Akimseu. L–Yamauchi.
Moan: Makamae Kaleikini, 2B; Taylor Takushi, 2B; Fernandez, RBI. MPI: Jenna Kumabe, 3-4; Sarah Onishi, 3-3, 2 HR, 5 RBIs.
Leilehua 2, Waianae 1
Taezha Ann Cordero earned the win as the Mules pulled off a first-round upset of the Seariders. Leilehua entered the postseason as the OIA’s sixth seed, while Waianae earned the league’s No. 2 spot.
Leilehua’s Chenoa Au recorded two stolen bases and a pair of hits in the win.
At Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium |
Leilehua (9-9) |
020 |
000 |
0 |
— |
2 |
7 |
1 |
Waianae (11-5) |
001 |
000 |
0 |
— |
1 |
6 |
0 |
Taezha Ann Cordero and Celina Lopes. Cranci Kamaka and Mahina Chong, Breani Wagner (3).
W–Cordero. L–Kamaka.
Leading hitters–Lei: Chenoa Au 2-4; Mahea Calizo 2-3, RBI; Shanaye Mattson 2b, RBI, run. Wain: Lauren Tauanuu HR.
Campbell 5, Lahainaluna 4
Elisa Favela recorded nine strikeouts and allowed just two hits to lift the Sabers over the Lunas.
Lithe Pokipala-Waiohu hit a grand slam in the top of the sixth inning, but the rally came too late for the Lunas.
At Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium |
Lahaina (9-6) |
000 |
004 |
0 |
— |
4 |
2 |
3 |
Campbell (13-4) |
320 |
000 |
X |
— |
5 |
7 |
2 |
Ryah Kaniho, Giovanna Johnson (2) and Mele Pasikala. Elisa Favela and Kiana Ulufale.
W–Favela. L–Johnson.
Leading hitters–Lah: Lithe Pokipala-Waiohu HR, 4 RBIs, run. Camp: Caragh Morris 2-4, RBI, run.
HHSAA Division II
St. Francis 16, Kapaa 3
The Saints racked up 12 hits to defeat the Warriors. Korrie Matsumura finished with four hits and a double to lead St. Francis.
At CORP |
St. Francis |
320 |
301 |
7 |
— |
16 |
12 |
4 |
Kapaa |
000 |
030 |
0 |
— |
3 |
5 |
2 |
Shaye Simms, Rasela Vili (7) and Taiana Creekmur. Kalia Kaui and Aliyah Cummings.
W–Simms. L–Kaui.
Leading hitters–StF: Danielle Antolin 2-4, 2b, 3 runs; Simms 2-4, 2 RBIs; Korrie Matsumura 4-5, 2b, 5 RBIs, run; Jessica Hudson 2-5, 2b, RBI, run; Vili 2b, RBI. Kapaa: Analeigha Carvalho Toloai 2-4.
Konawaena 6, Waialua 2
Bethany Batangan went 3-for-3 to lift the Wildcats over the Bulldogs.
At CORP |
Waialua (12-5) |
002 |
000 |
0 |
— |
2 |
7 |
1 |
Kona (9-5-1) |
002 |
031 |
X |
— |
6 |
5 |
1 |
Shawn Kauwalu and Jeania Deuz. Shyla Victor, Teizha Kaluna (7) and Syleesia Jose.
W–Victor. L–Kauwalu.
Leading hitters–Wail: Selena Victoria 2-4; Kauwalu 2-3, 2 RBIs. Kona: Bethany Batangan 3-3, RBI, 2 runs.
McKinley 12, Kohala 1, 5 inn.
The Tigers scored nine runs in the first inning to beat the Cowgirls. McKinley’s Jillian Cristobal pitched the win.
At CORP |
McKinley (8-9) |
930 |
00 |
— |
12 |
4 |
2 |
Kohala (5-9) |
001 |
00 |
— |
1 |
2 |
1 |
Jillian Cristobal and Rachel Amor. Kiana Alejandro, Tomiko Coito (1) and Tomiko Coito, Kyrah-Lee Sol (1).
W–Cristobal. L–Alejandro.
Leading hitters–McK: Tiare Sugui 2b, 3 RBIs.
Aiea 16, Lanai 2, 5 inn.
Na Alii outhit the Pine Lasses 14-3 in a five-inning rout. Chantelle Shimabukuro led Aiea’s offense with two doubles off three hits.
At CORP |
Aiea (14-2) |
902 |
05 |
— |
16 |
14 |
2 |
Lanai (7-6) |
101 |
00 |
— |
2 |
3 |
5 |
Raisa Strom-Okimoto, Kayla Higuchi (5) and Kallie Alama. Claire Vila and Jordan Sanches.
W–Strom-Okimoto. L–Vila.
Leading hitters–Aiea: Strom-Okimoto 3-4, 2b, 3 runs; Chantelle Shimabukuro 3-4, two 2bs, 3 runs, 2 RBIs; Kayla Higuchi 3-4, two 2bs, RBI; Alama 3-4, 2 runs, 2b, RBI; Kyle Johnson 2-4, 2b, 2 runs, 2 RBIs. Lanai: Vila 3b, RBI.