WAIMEA — Waimea Junior Varsity softball player Alyssa Miyamoto whacked three homeruns and scored four times, but the effort fell short as Kaua‘i High School held off the Menehune 20-13 at Waimea Canyon Park. Miyamoto, a strong softball finisher at
WAIMEA — Waimea Junior Varsity softball player Alyssa Miyamoto whacked three homeruns and scored four times, but the effort fell short as Kaua‘i High School held off the Menehune 20-13 at Waimea Canyon Park.
Miyamoto, a strong softball finisher at the national Hershey Track and Field event last summer, conked her first homer, a solo shot, in the first inning to put Waimea on the board during the exhibition game.
But the Menehune were still chasing a 4-2 deficit in the third inning as Kaua‘i marked runs by Kyren Ishikawa, Kiana Pagador and Tammie Yoshimori, the runs being fueled by a two-run double from third baseman Malia Manipon in the third frame.
“Malia never played before,” said Kaua‘i coach Kassandra Wong. “Having the JV series gives her, and others who never played, an opportunity to gain experience.”
Waimea answered the call with four runs on four hits in the bottom of the third, Miyamoto crossing on a Kiani Kamakea RBI single. Kamakea, Waimea’s pitcher, crossed on an RBI double from Caysha Goais-Soares.
Brandy Domingo got to first after being hit by a pitch and went on to score on a passed ball followed by Kelsie Shimatsu driving Jaelyn Rivera-Jacinto home on an RBI play. Shimatsu crossed on an RBI single from Kamryn Kenny for the 7-6 go-ahead.
With no outs in the fourth, Kaua‘i swung the tide. Aleigha “Red” Scovel crossed on a Yoshimori single and Kayrlee Malapit crossed on a Kailee Nii single.
“We can also use the JV games to develop our players, because as long as the players are not beyond 10th grade, we can play them in positions other than what they play in varsity,” Wong said. “In our first game against Waimea, Nii was pitching to a freshman catcher. Tonight, Tammie is in shortstop and Kayrlee Malapit is catching. It makes a difference to have an upperclassman catching against a freshman.”
Kaua‘i broke open a 9-9 deadlock with five runs in the fifth inning when Kiana Pagador marked two RBI on a single, scoring Manipon, singling first, and Jenessa Maghanoy-Louis, walking first.
Pagador and Malapit, getting first on an error, scored on another Waimea miscue. Sadie Tumaneng marked the final run in the frame.
Waimea could only answer with Miyamoto’s second solo shot to centerfield before Kaua‘i pushed two more runs in the sixth inning, Yoshimori’s RBI double driving Scovel home and Nii driving Yoshimori home.
Kaua‘i’s final three runs came in the seventh when Malapit pushed Manipon, getting first on a hit-by-pitch, home followed by Pagador, walking first, crossing on a Yoshimori RBI play, the shortstop getting caught at first on a throw from third base. Maghanoy-Louis, getting first on a fielder’s choice, scored the final run on a passed ball.
Waimea made its final push in the bottom of the seventh, fueled by a three-run homer with one away from Miyamoto, the Menehune shortstop, which landed close to the Scovel camp in centerfield. Kamakea and Goais-Soares both singled and Menehune loaded the bases when Rivera-Jacinto was hit by a pitch.
But the three runners were stranded as the next two batters flied out for the final.
Waimea varsity girls close out the first round with a double-header at the Kapa‘a High School facility Saturday starting at 10 a.m.
The JV girls next take the field on April 4 when the Menehune visit Kaua‘i at Isenberg Park starting at 5:30 p.m.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
