WAILUA — The Kauai Senior Softball League found sunshine and dry fields for the opening of the season’s second half of play. For the first time in weeks, all six scheduled games went off without a hitch.
Kawaihau hosted a triple-header at the Wailua Houselots Garden Park, and the Hillsiders welcomed three games at the Peter Rayno Stadium for Softball.
Alan Horikawa’s Rookies made the long trip to Wailua to meet up with Ernie Koerte’s Kawaihau squad for the first contest. The Rookies continued their power hitting attack and unleashed the weapons in rolling to a 16-4 score.
Ohana and the Islanders engaged in a slugfest in the mid morning matchup. Joe Bertucci’s Islanders were able to field a complete team this week and stormed the plate with 10 runs. But Ohana, under the direction of Frank Bukoski, kept pace and out hit and out-scored the Islanders in pulling off a tough 15-10 victory.
Dwight Fujii’s Aloha Kia Lihue A’s kept their scoring machine running at top-speed with another crushing win. The A’s knocked Kuku’s Aces out with an 18-1 rout in a shortened game.
In the first game at the Peter Rayno Park in Hanamaulu, Rayno’s Hillsiders got tangled up with Pat Baniaga’s Barteks in a wild encounter. The Hillsiders came to play and scored early with five in the first inning keeping the sluggers from Hanapepe at bay. Baniaga’s bangers were too much to keep under wraps as they overwhelmed the home team 15-9 in a thrilling game.
The Keonimana Gents throttled West Kauai in the middle game of three. Sia Salausa’s Gents were unstoppable at the plate and were near perfect in the field. Keonimana took West Kauai apart ending the game early with a mercy rule 15-2 triumph.
The day wrapped up with Norman Holt’s East Kauai Legends up against Gary Yate’s Ohana Motors Rebels. The Rebels jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the second inning and rolled to a 20-8 conquest.
There is more senior softball this Saturday at the Bryan J. Baptiste Sports Complex and again at the Peter Rayno Stadium. The Keonimana Gents will play host for the games and open up with Barry Toy’s Kruzers. The East Kauai Legends will be paired with Barteks in the second game, and the Kapaa day will end with Kawaihau taking on West Kauai.
In Hanamaulu, the Islanders invite the Rebels over for the early morning battle. On tap for game two will be Kuku’s Aces and Ohana. The final game will feature two top teams as the Aloha Kia Lihue A’s match up with the Rookies. The games begin at 9 a.m., 10:15 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
