Mililani pitcher Aubree Kim overcame a shaky start to post a couple of striking numbers in the circle in the Trojans’ state tournament opener on Tuesday.
The senior right-hander threw 157 pitches while striking out 16 and Mililani advanced to the quarterfinals of the DataHouse/HHSAA Division I Softball Championships with a 6-3 win over Kaiser at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
Kim gave up six hits, walked five and hit two batters to contribute to her pitch count, but managed to hold off the Cougars and set up a meeting with third-seeded Maui today at 12:15 p.m.
“I thought it was a lot less, like half that number,” Kim said of her strikeout total. “To me it doesn’t really matter. I walk a lot, I guess I have to help myself out.”
After falling short against Kapolei in the OIA championship game, the Trojans turned their focus to preparing for another state tournament run after winning the title two years ago and reaching the title game last year.
“They worked hard, they overcame what happened two weeks ago,” Mililani coach Rose Antonio said.
Kim struggled with her command early in the first-round game and Kaiser took a 3-2 lead after two innings. The Trojans manufactured two runs in the fourth inning to take the lead and added single runs in the next two innings.
Kim needed 58 pitches to get through the first two innings and Kaiser pitcher Seli Aholelei drove in runs her first two plate appearances to give herself a lead.
Kim kept the Cougars off the scoreboard from there and got 11 of her final 12 outs on strikeouts.
“The beginning was really, really rough,” Kim said. “But (pitching coach) Walter (Kaaihili) helped me in the bullpen and I’m glad it came around in the second half of the game.
“I was getting kind of frustrated. … I think I was just trying too hard. I just let my body take control and trust my mechanics.”
Mililani caught the Cougars in the top of the fourth when Keri Togami doubled to center field, advanced on a wild pitch and scored the tying run on another riseball to the backstop.
Maya Yoshiura then drew a walk and went to second when Merilas Rivera was hit by a pitch. Kristen Ishii followed with a single down the right-field line to score Yoshiura with the go-ahead run.
The Trojans took a 5-3 lead in the fifth when catcher Markie Okamoto doubled and courtesy runner Maya Saneishi later scored on a wild pitch. Okamoto added to Mililani’s lead with a two-out RBI single in the sixth.
“I just saw the ball and I just hit it, didn’t think up there,” said Okamoto, who had a long evening behind the plate as Kim’s catcher.
Kaiser put two runners on base in the fifth and sixth innings, but Kim managed to escape and Kaiser finished the game with 11 runners left on base.
“They threw the changeup at the right time and they were throwing a lot outside stuff that our batter just could not pick up,” Kaiser coach Mitch Matsumoto said. “We don’t see that all the time.”
TODAY’S SCHEDULE
Division I Consolation semifinals
At McKinley High field
>> ‘Iolani vs. Lahainaluna, 4 p.m.
>> Kaiser vs. Kealakehe, 6 p.m.
Division I Quarterfinals
At Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium
>> Mililani vs. Maui, 12:15 p.m.
>> Pearl City vs. Waiakea, 2:30 p.m.
>> Leilehua vs. Kapolei, 4:45 p.m.
>> Campbell vs. Kamehameha, 7 p.m.
Division II First round
At Patsy Mink Softball Stadium in Kahului
>> Konawaena vs. Aiea, 12:15 p.m.
>> Kalani vs. Molokai, 2:30 p.m.
>> Farrington vs. Kohala, 4:45 p.m.
>> St. Francis vs. Kauai, 7 p.m.
No. 4 Mililani 6, No. 7 Kaiser 3
At Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium |
Mililani |
100 |
211 |
0 |
— |
6 |
11 |
2 |
Kaiser |
210 |
000 |
x |
— |
3 |
6 |
2 |
Aubree Kim and Markie Okamoto. Seli Aholelei and Tiana Ching-Lake.
W–Kim. L–Aholelei.
Leading hitters–Mil: Keri Togami 3-4, 2 2b; Maya Yoshiura 2-3, 2 runs; Okamoto 3-4, 2b. Kais: Chelsea Soong 2-3; Aholelei 2 RBIs; Kayla Russell 2-4.
No. 2 Campbell 15, Kealakehe 0, 5 inn.
Elisa Favela homered and held the Waveriders to two hits in a complete-game victory and the defending state champion Sabers advanced to face second-seeded Kamehameha, the ILH champion, in today’s 7 p.m. quarterfinal.
“Kamehameha’s going to be tough,” Campbell coach Michael Hermosura said. “They always play us tough and we just have to be well prepared (today). Hopefully we hit the way we hit (on Tuesday).”
Campbell, which placed third in the OIA tournament, took command with a six-run first inning and scored six more in the second. The game was shortened to five innings due to the 10-run rule.
Cydney Curran, who went 3-for-4, and Trinity Favela both drove in three runs for the Sabers.
At Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium |
Kealakehe |
|
000 |
00 |
— |
0 |
2 |
2 |
Campbell |
|
661 |
2x |
— |
15 |
16 |
0 |
Kiara Cantiberos, Kitara Cantiberos (4) and Jamiana Tan. Elisa Favela and Jocelyn Alo, Alecia Kupihea (4).
W–Favela. L–Kir. Cantiberos.
Leading hitters–Camp: Chardonnay Pantastico 2-3, 2b; Cydney Curran 3-4, 2b, 3 RBIs; E. Favela 2-3, HR, 2 RBIs; Caragh Morris 2-3, 2 RBIs; Darien Robinson 3-3; Trinity Favela, 2-3, 3 RBIs.
Leilehua 4, Lahainaluna 0
Mahealani Calizo hit a three-run homer to left field in the top of the third inning and Chasity Stalcup protected the lead to send the Mules into the quarterfinals to face top-seeded Kapolei, the OIA champion, today at 4:45 p.m.
Calizo went 3-for-4 and drove in all four Leilehua runs in the tournament’s opening game. Stalcup held the Lunas to six hits, struck out four and walked none in the shutout. Lahainaluna pitcher Taylor Asio struck out six in a complete-game performance and went 2-for-3 at the plate.
At Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium |
Leilehua |
103 |
000 |
0 |
— |
4 |
6 |
1 |
Lahainaluna |
000 |
000 |
0 |
— |
0 |
6 |
2 |
Chasity Stalcup and Staisa Micky. Taylor Asio and Mele Pasikala.
W–Stalcup. L–Asio.
Leading hitters–Lei: Mahealani Calizo 3-4, HR, 4 RBIs. Lah: Asio 2-3; Elikapeka Garcia 3b; Ryah Kaniho 2b.
No. 6 Pearl City 8, No. 5 ‘Iolani 4
The Chargers pounded out 13 hits and held off the Raiders’ rally to set up a meeting with fourth-seeded Waiakea, the BIIF champion, today at 2:30 p.m.
The Chargers bunched four hits in the top of the first inning and took the lead on Hailey-Alexis Yamaguchi’s two-run single. Kylie Tasaki drove in another run in the fourth inning with her second single of the game. Tyanna Kaaialii led off the fifth with a triple and Pearl City added four singles in a four-run outburst.
‘Iolani catcher Cassie Ho broke up the shutout with the first of her two home runs to spark a three-run rally in the sixth. Pearl City’s Hope Casarez answered with a homer in the top of the seventh and Ho homered again in the bottom of the inning. But Kaaialii retired the next three batters to finish off a complete-game victory.
At Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium |
Pearl City |
200 |
140 |
1 |
— |
8 |
13 |
1 |
‘Iolani |
000 |
003 |
1 |
— |
4 |
6 |
1 |
Tyanna Kaaialii and Hailey-Alexis Yamaguchi. Aleia Agbayani and Cassie Ho. W–Kaaialii. L–Agbayani.
Leading hitters–Pearl City: Kristin Frost, RBI; Darian Obara, 2-4, RBI; Noelle Saunders, 3-4, RBI; Kylie Tasaki, 2-4, RBI; Yamaguchi, 2 RBIs; Kaaialii, 3B; Anasaria Cabato, RBI; Hope Casarez, 2-4, HR.
‘Iolani: Spencer Oda, RBI; Ho, 3-4, 2 HR; Kawai Scanlan, 2B.