KAPAA — Kapaa High School leftfielder Shanayah Marshall conked a two-RBI single in the fifth inning to end a 16-6 contest over Waimea High School on Tuesday night at the Kapaa High School softball facility ringed with spectators.
The victory, its fourth consecutive, gives Kapaa the Kauai Interscholastic Federation title with a 10-3 record, and will send the Warriors on to the DataHouse Hawaii High School Athletic Association–Division II state championships that will contest May 8-11 on Oahu.
Waimea, relegated to second place with the loss, has an opportunity to participate in the DII championships if it got by Lanai High School of the Maui Interscholastic League on Wednesday evening in a tourney play-in game in Waimea.
The Menehune capitalized on Kapaa starting pitcher Taelyn Dakamas early by pushing four runs across on three hits in the first inning, its third and fourth runs scoring on a Kapaa error — one of two errors in the inning — in the outfield off Leiko Yamauchi’s bat.
Kapaa answered in the bottom of the first by jumping on Waimea hurler Cheyla Goias-Soares for six runs on six hits with the go-ahead run coming off a single by Tiani Kaui and a wild pitch scoring Shailee Telles-Kelekoma, who got first on a walk — the second of two issued by Goias-Soares in the inning.
Waimea answered the 11-4 deficit in the third frame when Makeyah Wisneski, walking first, and Maegan Soares, getting first on a Kapaa error, scored on another Warrior error generated by Yamauchi’s bat with just one out for an 11-6 scoreline.
Kapaa pushed the button on the game in the fifth with five runs coming on no hits.
With no outs, Marshall got first on a Waimea error followed by Kendra Kupihea walking first. Another Menehune miscue put Tiani Kaui on first to load the bases. Kayla Kawamura stepped on the plate during a slash attempt, and Sabrina Telles-Kelekoma walked to drive Marshall home.
Shailee Telles-Kelekoma’s sacrifice fly to center pushed two more runners across the plate before Marshall’s RBI single ended the contest on the 10-run ruling as daylight was fading.
Kapaa picked up its victory on eight hits, led by T. Takasaki getting a double and two singles with two RBIs. Marshall finished with two singles and the game-winning RBI. Kupihea, Tiani Kaui and Shaylin Rivera each singled.
Waimea finished with four hits, all in the first two innings, led by Starlynn Ripley getting a single with an RBI in the first inning. Goias-Soares, Soares and Abreu each singled.
The Menehune capitalized on Kapaa errors for scoring as Yamauchi’s bat was credited with four runs crossing with Kieren Henderson generating a Kapaa miscue for a run.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
