LIHU‘E — If there was a crown for queen of the softball diamond, Alyssa Jardin of Waimea would have earned it hands-down Saturday at Isenberg Park in a game that started an hour early due to Waimea celebrating its prom.
LIHU‘E — If there was a crown for queen of the softball diamond, Alyssa Jardin of Waimea would have earned it hands-down Saturday at Isenberg Park in a game that started an hour early due to Waimea celebrating its prom.
Jardin, the Menehune designated hitter, whacked four hits and drove in six runs over two games, including a 2-run in-the-park homer to deep right in the fifth inning of Game 1 to thwart the Kaua‘i efforts at a double-header sweep at home.
Waimea took Game 1 15-5 behind 10 hits and three Kaua‘i errors before dropping the nightcap 5-19 to clinch the second round and force a playoff for the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation title.
Kaua‘i, holder of the first-round title, will host the playoff in a single game starting at 5:30 p.m. at Isenberg Park.
Waimea capitalized on Kaua‘i’s pitching in the second and fifth innings of Game 1, pushing six runs on just two hits in the second and icing the win with five runs on five hits in the fifth, the final inning in a match shortened by the 10-run rule.
Naja Pungan, the Raiders’ starting hurler in the critical first game, ran into trouble and was pulled after just 1.2 innings to suffer the loss after allowing eight runs, all earned, on just four hits and striking out two while walking seven batters.
But Pungan charged back in Game 2 to hold Waimea for just five runs, four earned, on six hits and walking just three batters in the complete-game (five innings) 19-5 victory.
Aniase Soltren took over Game 1 for 3.1 innings, closing with seven runs allowed, five earned, on six hits with one strikeout and three walks.
Jardin topped the Menehune bats in Game 1, scoring twice and driving four runs on one hit in two at-bats. Ulu Matagiese, the rifle-armed shortstop, finished Game 1 by scoring twice and driving three runs on two hits followed by Cassandra Dupree scoring twice and driving three runs on one hit.
Tauina Tafiti finished perfect, going two hits on two at-bats while scoring twice and driving in one run. Krysta Kali finished by scoring twice and driving one run home on one hit and Fiare Moe scored once on one hit to round out the Menehune hitting in the opening game.
Daeja Cummings, leadoff hitter for Kaua‘i, finished by scoring twice and driving in one run on one hit, a solo homerun to deep left-centerfield. Kyana Hirokane scored one on one hit, Melia Aki had a hit with an RBI, along with Angel Camarillo, Adriana Medeiros notched one hit as did Moana Waipa.
Medeiros, affectionately labelled “Adri Mama” by her dugout-mates, led the Raiders’ comeback in Game 2, finishing by scoring twice on two hits with four RBI as Kaua‘i piled up 19 runs, 11 coming in the third, on 17 hits and five Menehune miscues.
Cummings continued to fuel the Raider lumberyard, scoring twice with two hits and two RBI. Pungan added three RBI on two hits, Hirokane scored three times on twi hits, Aki crossed three times on one hit, Malu Hornos marked an RBI and scored once, Camarillo was four-for-four, scored twice and marked an RBI, Waipa scored twice on one hit, a double, with one RBI and Waileia Kaneali‘i finished perfect three-for-three, scoring twice and marking two RBI.
Jardin was perfect for Waimea, finishing three-for-three with two RBI followed by Ephan scoring one with a triple and an RBI, Matagiese scoring once with an RBI, Dupree scoring twice with a hit and Tafiti getting a hit.
Both teams are now tied at 9-3 following the Saturday split heading into the KIF championship, Wednesday.
Ross Shimabukuro, the Kaua‘i athletic director, said following the Wednesday game, the vanquished has another shot at advancing to the state championship when the KIF will host an ILH team, Saturday at a site to be determined.
