KAPAA — The Kauai Senior Softball League played four games at the Bryan J. Baptiste Sports Complex Softball Stadium on an extended schedule and another three at the Eleele Softball Auditorium — the smallest park in the league. Norman Holt and the East Kauai Legends hosted the day of games in Kapaa. On the other side of the island, West Kauai welcomed three contests to their home in Eleele.
The Legends took on the Keonimana Gents in the early morning matchup. East Kauai showed some spark and rang up five runs, but in the final outcome was no match for the consistent run scoring machine Sia Salausa had put together. The Gents put the game away by 12 runs in a 17-5 victory for the team’s 18th win of the season.
The Islanders and Da Kruzers tangled in the second game. Da Kruzers are working with a new lineup and are starting to score runs in bunches. The Islanders have also developed their roster over the middle of the season and are on target with management projections. Barry Toy got the Kruzers swinging away and put up 13 runs for one of their best offensive showings. Joe Bertucci has his lineup tuned into a late season juggernaut with non-stop hitting. The Islanders overpowered Da Kruzers, 29-13. The win helps raise the Islanders bracket positioning in the upcoming state tournament seeding.
The Hanamaulu Hillsiders and Kawaihau kept the packed stands attentive with a game filled with hits and runs on both sides. Peter Rayno has the Hillsiders on the move racing the bases for 11 big runs. Ernie Koerte had the answer and had Kawaihau come up with more hits and runs to pull off a 17-11 win.
Kawaihau played a make-up game with the Islanders for a fourth contest at the park. Once again the Islanders had too many hitters having a good day at the plate. Kawaihau got knocked out in a 21-6 loss. The Islanders picked up a doubleheader sweep for the day.
In Eleele, first up was an encounter with West Kauai taking on Kuku’s Aces from Kaumakani. The Aces always show flashes of brilliance but fall onto difficult situations. West Kauai went to work right away early in the game with a five-run inning to open playing their home field. The home team pulled away when Kuku got his infield to pull off the highlight play of the year with a triple-play, shutting down the attack and shocking the crowd. West Kauai didn’t know what hit them. It still wasn’t enough though as West Kauai slugged their way to a 19-0 shutout. The win also helps secure West Kauai in their seating for the state tournament on Maui.
The Rebels took on Ohana in the mid-morning battle, and it was bombs away with Frank Bukoski’s bunch blasting two home runs. Gary Yate’s Rebels responded with two two-run homers of their own — Tony Rapozo and Bully Mission homered for Ohana while Aaron Garcia and Clay Carvalho went yard for the Rebels. Ohana jumped out to a 4-2 lead early, but pitcher Myles Yoshida and the Rebel defense shut them out over the final four innings. The Rebels banged out 22 hits and outscored Ohana down the stretch 7-0 to capture a 13-4 win.
The featured game of the day pitted Barteks with the Aloha Kia Lihue A’s. Both of these teams pack a loaded lineup with clutch hitting and stingy defenses. Dwight Fujii has the A’s on the climb in the standings and a win would be valuable. Pat Baniaga and Barteks have been headed in the other direction and needed a win in a big way.
A’s starting pitcher Miles Tone baffled the potent Bartek hitting order over the first few innings as Lihue built a strong lead. Baniaga’s squad rallied in the middle of the game to get on the scoreboard and bring the game within reach. As the game got into the late innings, the A’s took advantage of a few fielding miscues and great place hitting to get a lead and try to hold on with 12 runs on the scoreboard.
Barteks pulled off a great come from behind rally with three runs in the seventh and got the tying run on base. Tone and the A’s withstood the challenge and closed out the game, picking up their sixth win in a row trimming Barteks, 12-10.
Nearing the end of the season the senior teams are fighting hard for their position in the league standings with three weekend’s left and little time to move. Half of the senior games remain at the Bryan Baptiste Sports Complex with Da Kruzers playing host this next Saturday. The other games will move to Isenberg Softball Stadium with the Aloha Kia Lihue A’s inviting teams to join them.
In Kapaa, Da Kruzers will open with the East Kauai Legends. Barteks will make the long road trip to meet up with Kawaihau in the second game, and the day will wrap up with the Hanamaulu Hillsiders in a contest with the Keonimana Gents.
The Aloha Kia Lihue A’s are waiting for the Ohana Motors Rebels for the first game of the day in Lihue. The Rookies are back in action in the middle game faced with Kuku’s Aces. The final game of the day will have West Kauai challenging the Islanders. All games will start at 9 a.m., 10:15 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
League standings
• Ohana Motors Rebels, 20 wins, 2 losses
• Keonimana Gents, 18 wins, 2 losses
• Aloha Kia Lihue A’s, 16 wins, 5 losses
• Rookies, 16 wins, 5 losses
• West Kauai, 14 wins, 7 losses
• Barteks, 12 wins, 10 losses
• Ohana, 11 wins, 11 losses
• Islanders, 10 wins, 10 losses
• East Kauai Legends, 7 wins, 14 losses
• Kawaihau, 7 wins, 14 losses
• Hanamaulu Hillsiders, 4 wins, 17 losses
• Da Kruzers, 2 wins, 19 losses
• Kuku’s Aces, 0 wins, 21 losses
