LIHU‘E — When the bats came alive, the Lady Menehune appeared poised to complete a comeback similar to the boys baseball team that walked away with their own Division II title Saturday. This time, the Waimea rally fell just short
LIHU‘E — When the bats came alive, the Lady Menehune appeared poised to complete a comeback similar to the boys baseball team that walked away with their own Division II title Saturday.
This time, the Waimea rally fell just short of that goal as Pac-Five claimed its third D-II championship in five years with a 5-4 win, Friday night at the University of Hawai‘i Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
Trailing by a run in the bottom of the seventh with runners on second and third and two outs, Davelynn Tafiti’s line drive to left field had just enough carry on it for Pac-Five’s Kylee Yamamoto to make the catch and secure the state title.
Unable to produce any offense through the first five full innings, Waimea, the No. 2 seed in the Datahouse/HHSAA State Softball Championships, started cutting into a 5-0 deficit in the bottom of the sixth.
Krysta Kali led off the inning getting aboard via a hit-by-pitch. Taylor Ephan, the very next batter, was also hit to put two on with no outs. After a pop out, Tafiti came through with a double down the left-field line that scored Kali. Ephan then scored the second Waimea run on a wild pitch, before pitcher Sheridan Mahelona re-grouped to get out of the inning.
Waimea held Pac-Five scoreless in the top of the seventh, needing three runs in the bottom half to extend the action.
It looked unlikely as the first two batters could not reach base, leaving the bases empty with just one out remaining in the season. Kali got it going again with a double to right field. Ephan then brought her home with a single for a 5-3 score.
Gaylan “Ulu” Matagiese got aboard on a four-pitch walk, putting the winning run at the plate in the form of Tanisha DeFabian. DeFabian delivered a single to score Ephan, with Matagiese and DeFabian moving to second and third on the throw.
With the tying and winning runs in scoring position, Tafiti battled and punched a looper to left field, which initially appeared it would drop short of the defense. Yamamoto got to it and made the catch, setting off the Pac-Five celebration at the pitcher’s mound.
The Waimea bats, which were stifled by Mahelona for much of the game, were led by Ephan, who finished 2 for 2 with two runs and an RBI, also reaching twice on HBP.
Kali, DeFabian, Tafiti and Mariebeth Watanabe each had a hit, with Kali scoring twice and DeFabian and Tafiti each notching an RBI.
Pitcher Michelle Koerte went the distance for Waimea, surrendering five runs (four earned) on 12 hits and three walks.
Pac-Five’s Aja Keyes was 2 for 3 with three RBIs and a run. Quirena Natividad, Yamamoto and Alena Hookano had two hits apiece.
Mahelona went seven innings on the mound, giving up four runs on six hits, walking three and striking out four.
In the Division I championship game that followed, Campbell controlled the action in a 5-1 victory over Punahou, as both teams came into the tournament unseeded.
Colette Black drove in two runs and Nicole Arata scored twice for Campbell.
