Kapa‘a High School unlocked 19 hits over two games against Waimea, but could only convert nine runs Saturday at the New Kapa‘a Town Park. Waimea bats, on the other hand, cranked out 28 hits and the Menehune converted 28 runs
Kapa‘a High School unlocked 19 hits over two games against Waimea, but could only convert nine runs Saturday at the New Kapa‘a Town Park.
Waimea bats, on the other hand, cranked out 28 hits and the Menehune converted 28 runs over 12 innings in its 11-3 and 17-6 wins over the Warriors.
Malina Obar, coming in to close for Kapa‘a in Game 2, joined the ranks of the heavy hitters, marking her first homerun of the season, a grand slam in the fourth inning of Game 2 when Kapa‘a scored six runs on four hits and two Menehune miscues in a comeback effort from a 15-0 deficit.
But Waimea had its own share of heavy hitters, marking one homer by Tauina Tafiti in Game 1 before adding homers from Kawehi Ephan, Ulu Matagiese and Alyssa Jardin in Game 2.
Tafiti opened the homerun log in Game 1, smashing a 2-run shot in the fourth inning to push Matagiese, getting first on a strike-three wild pitch, across the plate for two runs on two hits.
Matagiese marked her own homer in the first inning of Game 2, driving three runs across the plate as Waimea scored nine runs on six hits, including doubles from Ephan and Jazzlyn Bradbury.
Jardin marked her homer in the second inning, another 3-run shot, scoring Cassandra Dupree, walking to first, and Tafiti, singling to centerfield.
Ephan’s homerun, a 2-run event, came in the fourth inning, driving Bree Resquer-Yorkman, hit by a pitch, across the plate.
Shelly Koerte picked up the two wins on the hill, ending the first game with seven innings of work, allowing three hits, one earned, on nine hits with one strikeout. She followed that with a five-inning
performance in Game 2, allowing six runs, four earned, on 10 hits with one strikeout and walking two.
Ta’ashi Napoleon suffered the loss in Game 1, going the distance with 11 runs, eight earned, allowed on 14 hits while striking out five and walking eight.
She pitched two innings in Game 2 as the starter, allowing 12 runs, 11 earned on eight hits while striking out one and walking six before Obar came in to close.
Obar went three innings, allowing five runs, all earned, on six hits while striking out one and walking two.
With the sweep in Kapa‘a, Waimea improves to 6-2 on the season and will host the Kaua‘i Red Raiders in a single game, Wednesday at the Waimea Canyon Park starting at 5:30 p.m.
Kapa‘a drops to 0-9 on the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation season.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
