LIHU‘E — Umpire coordinator Gordon Bonilla fidgeted in Las Vegas as Kaua‘i High School and Waimea High School met on Saturday at Isenberg Park before stands filled with family, friends, and even grandparents who took advantage of sunny skies to
LIHU‘E — Umpire coordinator Gordon Bonilla fidgeted in Las Vegas as Kaua‘i High School and Waimea High School met on Saturday at Isenberg Park before stands filled with family, friends, and even grandparents who took advantage of sunny skies to watch the Waimea Menehune make their bid for the KIF championship.
What was at stake for Bonilla was whether or not the earlier rained-out game between these KIF leaders would be played or not, and from Las Vegas, a connection was made on whether a game would be played Monday, or no.
Bonilla can enjoy the rest of his trip because the Waimea Menehune held Kaua‘i to just five runs between two games en route to claiming the 2004 KIF crown in girls softball by sweeping the Red Raiders.
Nue Wong asserted herself early in game one with a bases-clearing, in-the-park homer to lead Waimea in their 5-run opening frame.
The Menehune had clearly brought their lumber, and made use of it, hitting starting Raider pitcher Sherri Gebauer for 10 hits in their 8-3 first-game win.
Menehune catcher Kodi Oyama added a pair of RBI in her 2-for-4 showing with pitcher Lynette Perreira and centerfielder Alexis Nawai each notching RBI in the win.
But, Kaua‘i would not roll over so easily as A.J. Silva finished the day 2-for-2 with a run scored as the Raiders battled back only to come up short, ironically, Silva being caught in a rundown between first and second to end the first outing.
Anna Quibilan, the only senior on the Red Raider team, topped the hits with a triple and run scored. Ashley Nonaka drove in one run in the loss.
Waimea exploded for four runs in the fifth inning enroute to their 5-2 second game win, clinching the KIF title.
Kanoe Carveiro doubled down the leftfield line to open the fireworks. Melissa Moreno walked off a tiring Gebauer, and a sacrifice bunt was thrown wide of third, loading the bags in the fifth.
Ashley Mier hit into a fielder’s choice grounder that forced Carveiro out at the plate, but Oyama and Daeleen Perreira both singled to drive in runs, and a walk of Lynette Perreira scored Mier and retired Gebauer, who was replaced by Quibilan.
Nawai popped to short, and a miscue of a Wong grounder brought Oyama home for the 5-1 lead that was answered in the bottom of the frame when Randi Oketani, courtesy running for Gebauer, scored off a Brackenridge RBI single.
The win gives the Menehune an undefeated season heading into the HHSAA state championships.
Saturday’s boxscores will be found in Tuesday’s edition of TGI Sports by the Numbers (page B2).
Sports Editor Dennis Fujimoto may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or mailto:dfujimoto@pulitzer.net.
(KIF scorekeeper Manny Henriques contributed to this report).
