Waimea opens with a split

WAIMEA — “Papa, are you going to come and watch me play?” Noel Soma of the Sacred Hearts Academy team asked her grandfather Wayne Soma.

That question changed the traditional trip to O‘ahu for Wayne and Birgit Soma who made the trek out to the Waimea Canyon Park to watch their granddaughter play against Kamehameha Schools, Hawai‘i.

“This is almost like going to Honolulu,” Wayne Soma said as he settled into his senatorial seat outside the leftfield fence.

The teams were part of 11 taking part in the Waimea High School Softball Invitational tournament that opened Thanksgiving Day and will conclude with the tournament championship game Saturday starting at 3 p.m.

Albert Soto and Pat Baniaga, former Waimea High School softball coaches, were on hand as they have been from the onset of the tournament. Soto, who recently suffered a stroke, was not going to miss this tournament as he enjoyed the action from a chair in the shade of the food booth eaves.

“It’s been 21 years since the tournament started,” Soto said. One of the reasons he started the tournament was to give the Kaua‘i softball teams some games against off-island teams, and based on league schedules, the tournament has pulled in some of the top high school teams in the state.

An offshoot of this tournament is another softball tournament that takes place late in summer when teams from around the country converge at the Waimea Canyon Park. This year, Soto was recovering from his stroke and was absent, but the action was relayed to him by Baniaga.

Kapa‘a High School players were enjoying an early victory as they settled in the stands to watch the Sacred Hearts game.

The Kapa‘a Warriors opened on a winning note with a 9-3 win over King Kekaulike in the White Pool while host Waimea suffered an 8-1 loss at the hands of the Mililani Trojans in the Blue Pool.

Soma’s first at-bat was a winner as Noel hit into an RBI single en route to Sacred Hearts taking a 13-0 win over their Big Island opponent.

Senior Angel Mahaulu came in relief of Kam School, Hawai‘i’s starting pitcher who started strong, but with two outs, could not close the door. Seven Sacred Hearts runs crossed the plate with Mahaulu cutting the Big Island Warrior losses.

Kamehameha, Hawai‘i’s day ended in a shutout as they dropped their second contest to Mililani 7-0 in five innings.

For host Waimea, their opening day ended in a split as Shana Tafiti led the Menehune to a 6-3 win over Pac-5.

Tafiti roped a solo homerun to right-centerfield and followed that offensive showing with a spectacular one-handed jump grab of a Pac-5 ball.

Including her homer, Tafiti finished by scoring twice in the win along with Moani Durant. Secondbase MarieBeth Watanabe and courtesy runner Whitney Yadao, running for pitcher Cynthia Koerte, each crossed the plate once in the win.

Pac-5 could not overcome the Menehune defense until the sixth inning when they pushed three runs home. Brittney Hagihara, Anela Palmerton and Stephanie Sueda did the scoring honors.

Koerte celebrated the win for Waimea on the mound with three runs allowed on eight hits. She also struck out one and walked three in the outing.

In the Menehune’s earlier 8-1 loss to Mililani, Kelsie Ignie scored Waimea’s only run.

Following the first day of pool play, Baldwin leads the White Pool, allowing just two runs in their dual victories. The two runs allowed came against Kaua‘i High School in the Bears’ 4-2 win.

Campbell and Mililani are among the leaders in the Blue Pool. Mililani allowed just one run against Waimea in the Trojans’ 8-1 victory.

Pool play in the tournament continues today starting from 9 a.m. at the Waimea Canyon Park. Playoffs start from 10:30 a.m. Saturday.

There is no admission charge to watch the games and there is a food booth available.

Results of yesterday’s games and today’s schedule can be found in the Scoreboard section on page B2.

• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.