KAUMAKANI — The final weekend of the Kauai Senior Softball season played out in Kaumakani and Hanapepe with an exciting finish that cleared the path for seeding heading into the Senior Softball State Championship Tournament on Maui at the end of the month. Kuku’s Aces hosted the trio of games on the Westside while the Islanders invited the other teams to their home part for the conclusion of the year.
The initial contest found Kuku DeCosta’s Aces up against Da Kruzers early in the morning. The Aces have been hard pressed to find a win all season long, and Barry Toy’s Kruzers have struggled through the year as well. Both teams came out swinging with timely hitting and aggressive base running. DeCosta got the troops to find a way to keep the runs scoring and finally broke out of the slump with a rousing 11-7 victory over Da Kruzers. Kuku’s Aces celebrated long into the night with their first win of the season.
Frank Bukoski and Ohana got paired with Barteks in a battle of strong hitting. Pat Baniaga’s Barteks squad was looking to finish the season on a high note and secure a spot in the upper bracket for the state tournament. Ohana turned the big lumber loose and outscored Barteks for an 11-6 win to draw even in the league standings with both teams finishing with 13-11 records.
The final game at the Wally Sonoda pitted West Kauai with the Rookies.
Alan Horikawa has the Rookies looking for a strong finish to the year taking on the red hot West Kauai team guided by Neil Zaslow. West Kauai has been swinging a wild bat lately, posting extra base hits and lots of runs, and this game was no exception with seven runs scored. The Rookies were intent on securing their spot at the top of the league standings and beat West Kauai, 13-7, to end their year in a tie for third place with an 18-6 record.
Joe Bertucci’s Islanders team had one of the biggest challenges of the season facing the defending league champion Keonimana Gents in a doubleheader. Being on their home field did not afford the Islanders much of an advantage as Sia Salausa has his team rolling into the post season in full stride. The Gents clobbered the Islanders, 13-5, in the opening contest to move within a half game of first place.
The Hanamaulu Hillsiders ended their year with cross town rival Aloha Kia Lihue A’s. Peter Rayno had his team ready for the challenge and posted a steady defense with some clutch hitting. The Hillsiders put together one of their best offensive performances, posting seven runs against a solid A’s team. Dwight Fujii has the A’s in prime position in the standings. Lihue pounded out a 16-7 victory to pull even with the Rookies in a tie for third place with an 18-6 record.
Kawaihau and the East Kauai Legends were the final regular season matchup of the year and tied in the standings with identical records. Norman Holt’s Legends started out strong and came after Kawaihau, racking up six runs in a tight game. However, Ernie Koerte and Kawaihau had other ideas and ran away with a 12-6 win to improve their record to a one game advantage over the East Kauai Legends.
The season wrapped up with the long end of the doubleheader between the Islanders and the Keonimana Gents. The Islanders stood between the Gents and a first place tie. This game was a bit closer than the opener, but Sia Salausa had his team primed to close out the season and defeated the Islanders in an 11-7 win.
The victory for the Gents posted their 22nd win of the year with two losses and pulled them into a tie for first place with the Ohana Motors Rebels. The Aloha Kia Lihue A’s and the Rookies finished tied for third place in the league with 18-6 records. The four teams will face off in a playoff for the title and third place Saturday at the Hanapepe Sports Complex in winner-take-all fashion. The third place game featuring the Aloha Kia Lihue A’s and Rookies will take to the field at 10 a.m., and the championship game between the Ohana Motors Rebels and the Keonimana Gents will have the first pitch across the plate at 11:30 a.m.
With the new tournament format in place for the 44th annual Hawaii State Senior Softball Championships, both the Rebels and the Gents will be representing Kauai in the top “A” bracket. The Rookies and Lihue A’s will be assigned to the “B” bracket. West Kauai and Barteks are slated for the “C” bracket, while Ohana (despite being tied with Barteks at 13 and 11) and the Islanders will be scheduled for the “D” bracket. Kawaihau will play in the “E” division, the East Kauai Legends are headed for the “G” bracket. Da Kruzers will not be making the trip to the tournament so Kuku’s Aces will venture forth to the “H” bracket. The games will take place in Kahului, Maui from July 30 through Aug. 2.
Standings
Keonimana Gents, 22-2
Ohana Motors Rebels, 22-2
Aloha Kia Lihue A’s, 18-6
Rookies, 18-6
West Kauai, 16-8
Barteks, 13-11
Ohana, 13-11
Islanders, 10-14
Kawaihau, 9-15
East Kauai Legends, 8-16
Hanamaulu Hillsiders, 4-20
Da Kruzers, 2-22
Kuku’s Aces, 1-23
