Kauai High School’s varsity softball team was defeated by Saint Francis School of the Interscholastic League of Honolulu Wednesday evening at the Patsy Mink Softball Stadium on Maui. The Red Raider girls fell to the Saints, 13-3, in the opening
Kauai High School’s varsity softball team was defeated by Saint Francis School of the Interscholastic League of Honolulu Wednesday evening at the Patsy Mink Softball Stadium on Maui.
The Red Raider girls fell to the Saints, 13-3, in the opening round of the DataHouse Softball Championships – Division II state tournament. Play ended after five innings because of the 10-run mercy rule.
Facing a 5-3 deficit, Kauai High recorded five errors as Saint Francis scored eight runs in the fifth inning to widen the Saints’ lead to 10 runs.
With two outs and runners on first and second, Red Raiders senior starting pitcher Kailee Nii struck out Saints pinch hitter Ashlie Hee to end the inning.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Nii flied out and senior catcher Tammie Yoshimori popped up to the shortstop for the first two outs.
Junior third baseman Kahela Nishikawa-Chandler hit a two-out single to right field, but sophomore second baseman Kyra Hirokane hit a grounder to second base in the following at bat to end the game.
Kauai scored the game’s first run in the opening inning. Yoshimori hit an RBI single to second base to plate Red Raiders sophomore Tia Takasaki from third.
The Red Raiders got two more runs in the fourth inning. As Hirokane reached on a Saints error, pinch runner Kayla Kawamura scored from second. In the next at bat, senior right fielder Shanie Querto hit an RBI single to center field to bring home Nishikawa-Chandler from third.
Kauai High got its three runs off seven hits, left seven runners on base and totaled five errors. Yoshimori was 2-3 at the plate with one RBI. Nii was the losing pitcher — allowing 13 runs, seven of which were earned runs, off 14 hits, walked four and struck out four in 5 innings.
Saint Francis got its 13 runs off 14 hits, left eight runners on base and had one error. Saints sophomore first baseman Sammie Ofoia was 3-3 with two runs and two RBIs.
Saints starting pitcher, senior Shaye Simms, was the winning pitcher, allowing three runs off six hits and walked one batter in three innings. Relief pitcher, junior Tiare Guerrero, recorded the save for Saint Francis, allowing one hit, walked one and struck out three in two innings.
Kauai next plays at 10:30 this morning versus Kohala of the Big Island Interscholastic Federation. Kohala lost its opening game Wednesday, 3-0, against Farrington of the Oahu Interscholastic Federation.
Saint Francis went on to play No. 4 seed Lanai of the Maui Interscholastic League in the quarterfinals Thursday afternoon. Results of that game was not available by press time.
Kauai High varsity softball head coach Elena Kealoha couldn’t be reached for comment Thursday.
Statistic from Hawaii High School Athletic Association.
