Oahu Interscholastic Association West softball just got a bit tighter at the top.
Mililani rode the five-hit, complete-game pitching of Misha Carreira in a convincing 7-1 win over visiting Kapolei on Thursday. Now, the fifth-ranked Trojans (3-1) are in a second-place tie with the Campbell Sabers, whom they play Saturday. Both teams are looking up in the standings at first-place Pearl City (4-0), and Leilehua (3-2) is not far behind.
Carreira struck out four with no walks. Opposing right-hander Sadie Kapaku-You, a first-team All-State selection a year ago, struggled with what she called “a tight strike zone.”
“It was a good win for us,” Mililani coach Rose Antonio said. “Misha hit her spots and mixed it up real well.”
The Hurricanes (1-4) struck first, when Kiley Ozaki ripped a first-inning, two-out Carreira pitch and sent it over the fence in left-center. Despite putting runners on second and third in the second and loading the bases in the third, Kapolei did not score again.
Both of those rallies were snuffed out by an alert Trojans defense.
In the second, the Hurricanes’ Dallas Pollard-Brownell tagged up and tried to score from third on Tatum Guzman’s flyout to right, but was cut down at the plate by Mililani’s Cherise Mori. The next batter — Chanelle McKinney — hit a blazing liner off of Carreira’s arm and chest, but she recovered and threw to first for the third out.
In the third, Trojans third baseman Merilas Rivera ended the bases-full threat by fielding Guzman’s grounder, stepping on third and completing the double play with a throw to first.
“The home run was good, but there were some situations with runners on early where we probably could have made different decisions and some situations where the plays weren’t executed that put us in a place they were able to get us out of the inning without scoring,” Kapolei coach Stacie Mahoe said.
In the bottom of the third, Kapaku-You walked the first two batters (and three of the first four) and the Trojans took a 4-1 lead on Maya Yoshiura’s two-run double to center, Shannon Pascua-Stanton’s sacrifice fly, and Mori’s RBI single.
Carreira retired nine of the last 10 batters she faced to keep the Hurricanes from rallying back.
In the fifth, Yoshiura led off with a double to right and came home on Rivera’s single. Mililani then boosted its lead to 6-1 on two Kapolei errors.
Elizabeth Winchester’s RBI double in the sixth accounted for the Trojans’ final run.
“Coming into this game, we knew from prior experience that Sadie was going to pitch outside and that if the ball was there, we were just going to put the barrel of the bat on it,” said Yoshiura, a senior who will play for Cal State Stanislaus in college.
Yoshiura, coach Antonio and the rest of the Trojans are preparing for Campbell, the two-time defending state champion that lost 2-1 to Pearl City on Tuesday.
“Campbell is always a tough opponent,” Yoshiura said. “They’re well coached and have a great pitcher (Dani Cervantes). We’re up for the challenge.”
Added Antonio: “They (the Sabers) have an All-State pitcher and catcher (Jocelyn Alo) and some other good, athletic players. It’s going to be tough. Pearl City has everyone returning this year, too.”
Click here to see more photos.
PREP SCOREBOARD
OIA WEST SOFTBALL
No. 5 Mililani 7, Kapolei 1
At Mililani
>> Kapolei (1-4) 100 000 0 — 1 5 3
>> Mililani (3-1) 004 021 x — 7 6 2
Sadie Kapaku-You, Tatum Guzman (6) and Lili Kaimi. Misha Carreira and Markie Okamoto. W—Carreira. L—Kapaku-You.
Leading hitters—Kap: Kiley Ozaki HR; Dallas Pollard-Brownell 2-3; Elora Tonaki 2b. Mil: Elizabeth Winchester 2b; Maya Yoshiura 2 2bs, 2 runs, 2 RBIs.
OIA EAST SOFTBALL
Roosevelt 14, Farrington 3, 5 inn.
At Farrington
>> Roosevelt (3-2) 206 51 — 14 11 0
>> Farrington (1-5) 003 00 — 3 5 8
Mari Foster and Hayley Uetake. Krislon Philpot-Rosa and Kaycie Okada. W—Foster. L—Philpot-Rosa.
Leading hitters—Roos: Maya Nakamura 2-2, 3b, HR, 2 runs, 5 RBIs; Kylie Kawamura 2 runs; Danika Stewert 2-3, 2 runs; Mika Emoto 2 RBIs; Foster 2b; Megan Taguchi 2 runs; Palena Gomes 2 runs; Hoku Ching 3-4, 2 runs. Farr: Kylie Carganilla 2-3, 2 RBIs.
OIA DIVISION II SOFTBALL
Aiea 15, Waialua 1, 5 inn.
At Aiea
>> Waialua (1-3) 0 0 0 01 — 1 1 3
>> Aiea (4-0) 1(10)3 10 — 15 9 1
Honey Jose-Woods and Lea’a Puleiala. Poamai Tuli, Chantelle Shimabuku (4) and Tessie Tavale, Mikelle Gonzales. W—Tuli. L—Jose-Woods.
Leading hitters—Wail: Cherysh Wong 3b. Aiea: Trinity Atuatasi 2-3, HR, 3 RBIs; Jaenah Padasdao 2-3, 2b, 3 RBIs; Gonzales 2b; Tiamay Ueoka 2-3, 3 RBIs; Tilena Lautalo 2b.
ILH JV SOFTBALL
>> ‘Iolani 8, Kamehameha 7
NON-LEAGUE SOFTBALL
At Horizon Park, Ariz.
>> Punahou 6, Ironwood Ridge (Tucson, Ariz.) 5
>> Chandler (Ariz.) 7, Punahou 3
ILH BASEBALL
No. 2 Kamehameha 4, Mid-Pacific 2
At Mid-Pacific
>> KS (7-1) 000 200 2 — 4 5 0
>> Mid-Pacific (2-6) 200 000 0 — 2 4 1
Hunter Breault and Logan Salcedo. Shane Adams, Shion Matsushita (4) and Kyle Layugan. W—Breault. L—Matsushita.
Leading hitters—KS: Jesse Awa 2b. MPI: Zachary Gushiken 2-3; Layugan 2b, 2 RBIs.
No. 4 Saint Louis 8, ‘Iolani 3
At Goeas Field
>> ‘Iolani (2-6) 100 000 2 — 3 4 2
>> Saint Louis (6-2) 031 031 x — 8 13 2
Jordan Iwasaki, Aaron Wehrman (5) and Blake Hiraki. Dylan Lum, Kekahi Haina (7), Richie Vidal (7) and Kai Alquiza. W—Lum. L—Iwasaki.
Leading hitters—Iol: Shaydon Kubo HR. StL: Aaron Renaud 2-4, 2b, HR, 2 runs, 2 RBIs; Alquiza 3-3, 2 RBIs; Charlie Lopez 2-4; Matt Wong 2-4, 2 runs; Keith Torres 2-4.
No. 6 Punahou 6, Maryknoll 0
At Ala Wai Field
>> Punahou (6-2) 000 020 4 — 6 7 0
>> Maryknoll (1-7) 000 000 0 — 0 5 1
Kyle Uemura, Andrew Matsueda (7) and Manny Nakamoto. Drayden Yamaguchi, Noah Kinder (5), Matthew Dunaway (7) and NA. W—Uemura. L—Yamaguchi.
Leading hitters—Pun: Matsueda 2-3, 2b; Nakamoto 3-3, 2b, 2 RBIs; Cole Cabrera 2 RBIs. Mryk: Dunaway 2b.
MIL BASEBALL
>> Baldwin 11, Kamehameha-Maui 0, 6 inn.
>> King Kekaulike 15, Lahainaluna 0, 3 inn.
