WAIMEA — Waimea catcher Kawehi Ephan whacked two homeruns to lead the Menehune to a 12-1, 18-8 sweep, Saturday at Waimea Canyon Park. Ephan conked a 2-run shot in the first match and followed that with a grand slam in
WAIMEA — Waimea catcher Kawehi Ephan whacked two homeruns to lead the Menehune to a 12-1, 18-8 sweep, Saturday at Waimea Canyon Park.
Ephan conked a 2-run shot in the first match and followed that with a grand slam in the second game for a total of seven RBI over the two games in the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation softball league.
Shelly Koerte handled mound chores for both games, allowing one run on five hits in the first outing with five strikeouts and no walks, but hitting one batter.
She picked up her second win of the season in Game 2 with one run allowed on just two hits while striking out two and walking none before being relieved by Ulu Matagiese after one out in the fourth frame.
Matagiese was strapped with seven runs on one hit while striking out one and walking three Kapa‘a batters. She also hit four batters.
Kapa‘a’s Malina Obar suffered the loss in the first match, pitching three full innings and allowing six runs, five earned, on five hits before Ta’ashi Napoleon took over for an inning to allow six runs, four earned, on three hits while striking out one and walking two.
Napoleon started Game 2 and was strapped for 11 runs, eight earned, on eight hits while striking out two and walking two before being relieved by Obar with two outs in the first frame.
Obar went on for the remainder of the game with seven runs allowed, two earned, on eight hits while striking out two and walking two and hitting one batter.
Waimea bats piled up eight hits in Game 1 with Ephan leading with her homer, scoring twice and driving in two runs.
Sienna Santiago was 2-2 in Game 1, scoring twice followed by second base Krysta Kali 2-3 with two RBI. Centerfielder Matagiese finished 1-3, scoring twice and driving in three runs.
First base Tauina Tafiti ended 1-2, scoring once and driving in one with Bailey Nordmeier going 0-3 and driving in a run.
Obar scored Kapa‘a’s sole run in Game 1, finishing with two hits on three at-bats to lead Kapa‘a’s five hits.
Waimea piled up 11 runs on eight hits and three Kapa‘a miscues in the first inning of Game 2 en route to its 18-8 win on 16 hits.
Following Ephan (2-4), Kali ended 2-2, scoring three times with two RBI, Santiago (2-4) scored four times with an RBI, Matagiese (2-3) scored three times with four RBI, and Tafiti ended 3-4 with an RBI.
Kapa‘a broke open with seven runs in fourth frame on just one hit and one Waimea miscue. Overall, Kapa‘a finished with three hits.
Reggie McCabe, Kailia Kaui and LaRae Ho‘opi‘i marked Kapa‘a hits in Game 2.
Kapa‘a drops to 0-3 on the season while Waimea, now 2-0, travels to the Isenberg Park, Wednesday for its first meeting against the Kaua‘i Red Raiders, 1-0 following its Wednesday win over Kapa‘a.
The first pitch goes off at 5:30 p.m. in a single game.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
