LIHUE — From behind the curtain of players emerging through the baggage claim exit, a parent’s voice rang out Sunday night at the Lihue Airport.
“They’re undefeated in Honolulu,” the voice said while deplaning passengers smiled. “They were undefeated on Kauai. It’s a perfect season — they’re champions!”
The Diamonds Kauai 10 Under girls softball team took the Hawaii State 10 Under Fastpitch Softball tournament championship Sunday on Oahu after finishing the tournament with a 5-0 record in the A Bracket, including a perfect Game 2 where the team allowed no runs, no hits, and committed no errors.
Jordan Blackstad proved the power behind the five-day win streak, pitching all five games and allowing just one walk in Game 4. Overall, she finished by allowing 10 runs while giving up 14 hits, and striking out 58 opposing hitters over the five-day span.
The Kauai Diamonds, under head coach Micah Furtado, opened play Wednesday on Oahu with a 6-1 win over the Outlaws behind three runs being pushed home in the fifth inning.
Blackstad and Lilinoe Kuhaulua-Leong fueled that final surge with RBIs. Blackstad picked up the win on the mound after throwing a two-hitter and striking out 16 Outlaw hitters while walking none.
Kuhaulua-Leong, credited with stealing the team’s two stolen bases, had the big bat, going two-for-three in the box.
Blackstad continued her mound magic in Game 2 where the Kauai Diamonds picked up a 4-0 win over the Hustlers.
She finished with no hits, no runs allowed while striking out 10 Hustler batters and walking none over four and two-thirds innings. She also picked up a hit along with Olivia Jenkins in the win.
Blackstad repeated the Kauai Diamonds’ win over the Outlaws on Saturday by allowing no runs and one hit over six innings while striking out 15. She was joined by Sienna Yamashita with two hits apiece to lead the Diamond bats.
The win advanced the Diamonds to face Synergy with Blackstad taking the mound to allow three runs on three hits over six innings. She also struck out 13 Synergy hitters. Blackstad was joined by Ashliyn Souza and Kennedy Braun for a hit each in the 6-1 victory.
Blackstad was tiring by the fifth game, throwing to allow six runs on eight hits by Synergy in the title match. She also struck out 11 Synergy batters, her lowest K count over five days.
But what she couldn’t do on the mound, she redeemed herself in the batter’s box, finishing with four hits — two doubles and two singles — to lead the Diamonds to a 9-6 win with four hits in four at-bats, and the state championship trophy. Her crowning touch came in the sixth inning where she marked a home run to lead the Diamonds who finished with 12 hits.
Souza added to the hitting, nailing a home run in the fifth inning in her multi-hit appearance in the box. Kuhaulua-Leong and Yamashita also piled up multiple hits.
“These were not easy walk-aways,” Furtado said. “The girls played hard all the way through. They’re tough.”
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
