LIHUE — The Kauai Senior Softball League sailed through a beautiful weekend in town with games at Isenberg Stadium and the Peter Rayno Softball Complex. The Lihue A’s put extra work into preparing Isenberg for three games, converting the expanding diamond to meet senior dimensions. The Islanders hosted four games at their home park in Hanamaulu.
Dwight Fujii’s Aloha Kia Lihue A’s continue to steamroll their way through the opposition. In the early breakfast game, the A’s throttled West Kauai and rolled off three straight five-run innings to shut out Al Migno’s squad in a five-inning game, 15-0.
The Keonimana Gents did not miss a beat in a tough game with Neil Zaslow’s Hana Hou. Hana Hou, as a new team to the league, has shown veteran hitting for a competitive edge. But Sia Salausa and the Gents handled adversity with calm execution. The Gents outslugged Hana Hou, 15-8, racking up their fourth win in the season.
The day concluded with an encounter between the Ohana Motors Rebels and Frank Bukoski’s Ohana. Ohana went right to work, jumping out to a three-run lead in the top of the first inning. Gary Yates answered with his lineup responding with five runs in the bottom of the inning. The Rebels put up back-to-back fiver-run innings to run away with a 16-4 win in five innings.
The Lihue A’s, Gents and Rebels remain undefeated in the early going with 4-0 records.
In Hanamaulu, the Peter Rayno Softball Complex was in full swing with Joe Bertucci’s Islander taking on Da Kruzers in the opening match up. The Islanders were a too much for Barry Toy’s bunch, posting a 16-4 win on their home turf.
Tom Christy has Solid Steel in the title hunt as the other team with an undefeated record after knocking off Kuku’s Aces, 16-3, peeling of their third-straight win.
Ernie Koerte brought the hitting sticks out for Kawaihau as they took on Peter Rayno and the Hanamaulu Hillsiders. Both teams pounded away with strong days at the plate, putting up 34 runs total with Kawaihau storming to a 23-11 win.
The day wrapped with a battle royale between the Rookies and Barteks. Alan Horikawa engineered a 16-15 cliffhanger win over Pat Baniaga’s Barteks. The Rookies remain near the top of the league standings with a 3-1 record.
Senior softball moves out west with four games in Kaumakani and a tripleheader in Hanapepe. The Rookies will host the long day of games, opening with the Aloha Kia Lihue A’s in a crucial showdown. The East Kauai Legends tangle with Da Kruzers in the second game. The brunch game pits Solid Steel against Ohana, and the day wraps up with an early afternoon game between Kawaihau and Kuku’s Aces.
Barteks will be home to host the games at Hanapepe Stadium. They’ll have rebound on their minds when they go up against the Keonimana Gents. The Ohana Motors Rebels take on West Kauai in the mid morning matchup. Hana Hou closes out the contests, taking on the Islanders.
Results
At Isenberg Stadium, Lihue: Aloha Kia Lihue A’s 15, West Kauai 0; Keonimana Gents 15, Hana Hou 8; Ohana Motors Rebels 16, Ohana 4
At Peter Rayno Softball Complex, Hanamaulu: Islanders 16, Da Kruzers 4; Solid Steel 16, Kuku’s Aces 3; Kawaihau 23, Hanamaulu Hillsiders 11; Rookies 16, Barteks 15
