The Waimea High School softball team closed its season with a sweep of Kauai High School Saturday at the Waimea Canyon Park. Facing a trio of pitchers from Kauai High School, Waimea pushed 21 runs on eight hits across the
The Waimea High School softball team closed its season with a sweep of Kauai High School Saturday at the Waimea Canyon Park.
Facing a trio of pitchers from Kauai High School, Waimea pushed 21 runs on eight hits across the plate in the opening inning en route to a 26-3 win over the Red Raiders in the first game of the doubleheader.
Facing Tia Rego on the mound for Kauai, Waimea soared through a 21-11 win over the Red Raiders behind a pair of three-run homers in Game 2.
Kauai struggled through its first defensive appearance in Game 1, Kahela Nishikawa-Chandler taking the mound and giving up an RBI double to Bailey San Agustine-Nordmeier and singles to Saecha Oyamot (one RBI), Sienna Santiago (two RBIs), and Kiani Kamakea (one RBI).
But she hit four batters and walked four with no recorded outs before relinquishing the ball to Aleigha “Red” Scovel who gave up a two-run single to Oyamot, walked two Menehune and hit two more. Kauai finally settled on Rego who went the remainder of the game as well as pitched the whole game second game.
Waimea went on to record a run on two hits in the third inning and four runs on three hits in the fourth inning, including a three-run double from Taylor Lazaro, en route to its opening win.
Kauai opened with a triple from Scovel who scored on Nishikawa-Chandler’s out.
The Red Raiders added two more runs in the third when Cailey Caires singled, stole second base and scored on a Waimea error off Nishikawa-Chandler’s bat. A double from Tammie Yoshimori pushed Nishikawa-Chandler home as Kauai wrapped up its three runs on three hits allowed by Waimea pitcher Kamakea.
During the win, Kamakea allowed no walks and struck out four.
Game 2 started on the other extreme. Kauai took a 7-3 lead off seven hits, including an RBI triple from Railee Layosa after Waimea responded with the three-run homer from Oyamot with two outs in the first inning.
Kauai added three more runs on three hits in the third inning, fueled by a two-run double from Chase Tokita, scoring Nishikawa-Chandler, who had an RBI single that scored Scovel and Yoshimori, who got to first on a fielder’s choice.
Waimea roared back from its early deficit and pumped four runs on two hits in the third, including a three-run triple from Tyrelle Unciano, and nine runs in the fourth inning on seven hits, including a three-run homer from Miyamoto, and doubles from Shania Rita (three RBIs) and Miyamoto.
Waimea, who, under coach Teddy Perreira, earned the Data House Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division II title in 2012 and finished third in 2013 after beating Kauai High School, will enter the state tournament as the KIF representative May 6-9 on Oahu.
Kapaa High School, finishing the KIF season as the runner-up, will be flying to Maui Saturday for a play-in spot at the state tournament against a yet-to-be-determined opponent.
