LIHU‘E — After a rather mundane, pitcher’s duel in the first game, a Kaua‘i High Red Raider win, 3-0, Waimea’s Menehune girls busted out the whipping sticks and laid an 18-8 thrashing on the Raiders in game two. The Menehune sent
LIHU‘E — After a rather mundane, pitcher’s duel in the first game, a Kaua‘i High Red Raider win, 3-0, Waimea’s Menehune girls busted out the whipping sticks and laid an 18-8 thrashing on the Raiders in game two.
The Menehune sent 18 batters to the plate in the top of the seventh inning, scoring 13 runs on nine hits off of Wailana Borrero, who won one game and lost one game in pitching all 14 innings of her final home games Saturday at Isenberg Park.
Fiare Moe had two hits in the inning, including a bunt single, and Ariel Mizumoto, the Menehune’s lone senior, was three for four with a grand slam home run and a triple, scoring three runs, getting five RBIs and stealing a base, in the second game.
After a seesaw battle that saw both teams score four runs in their respective first innings in game two, the next scoring took place in the fourth inning, when Mizumoto led off with a triple, scoring on Moe’s fielder’s choice and pushing Waimea into the lead, 5-4.
The lead would not last long. In the bottom of the fourth, Shereen Doi led off with a walk, was pushed to second on a sacrifice bunt by Alyssa Carvalho, and scored on Naja Pungan’s homer to right.
The Raiders weren’t done in the home half of the fourth, as Jessica Iwata singled, stole second, and scored on Randee Layosa’s hit to shortstop that was thrown away from the Waimea first baseman.
That made the score 7-5.
The Raiders added another single run in the bottom of the sixth inning, when Carvalho singled and was knocked in by Borrero’s single.
At 8-5 and Waimea down to their final three outs in their last at-bat, it looked like the Raiders’ unbeaten run to the KIF title was safe.
Nobody told the Menehune that, and after the Waimea barrage made the score 18-8 in the middle of the seventh (most of the runs were scored after one out was recorded), the Raiders tried to mount one last rally.
In the home half of the seventh, the Raiders had two runners aboard with one out. But a grounder to the Waimea shortstop turned into a game-ending double play, the shortstop tagging the Raider runner on her way to third, then tossing to the second baseman to get the force, ended the contest before loud and long applause from the Waimea faithful among the 200-some people at the games.
In the top of the first inning, Waimea showed they weren’t going to give up after the first game loss, with Krista Kali reaching on an error, Ona DeFabian walking, and Tauina Tafiti reaching after a third-strike passed ball, all of them racing home on Mizumoto’s grand slam to right.
The Raiders came right back, scoring four in the bottom of the first off consecutive hits by Carvalho, Pungan, Iwata (double) and Borrero, with Iwata getting an RBI and Borrero notching two RBIs. All four of them scored.
Shelly Koerte got the win for Waimea, going the distance. She gave up eight runs on eight hits. Waimea made five errors, and Kaua‘i High made four errors.
Waimea’s 18 runs came on 13 hits, and virtually everyone in the Waimea lineup did some damage: Kali, one for five, three runs scored, three RBIs, a stolen base; Kawehi Ephan, two for five, two runs scored, a walk, two RBIs; DeFabian, two for five with a double and a walk, two runs scored, three RBIs, a walk; Tafiti, one for five, two runs scored, three RBIs; and Moe, two for four, two runs scored, two RBIs.
For the Raiders, Carvalho had two hits and two runs scored, and Pungan had a single with her home run, was two for four with two runs scored and two RBIs. Iwata was two for four with a double, scored two runs, and had an RBI. Borrero was two for four with three RBIs, and scored a run, and Doi was one for two with a run scored and two walks.
In the first game, Borrero and Koerte each tossed six-hitters, with just two Waimea runners reaching as far as third base. The Menehune left nine runners on base, and the Raiders stranded eight.
The Raiders’ winning run was scored by Borrero, who singled in the bottom of the fourth and scored on Carly Matsumoto’s sacrifice fly to left.
The Raiders added insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth, with Pungan and Iwata reaching on singles and scoring on Borrero’s single to left. Borrero was two for three, scored a run and knocked in two.
Pungan was two for three with a run scored, Iwata was one for three with a double and run scored, and Shanel Klattenhoff was one for three.
For Waimea, Kali was two for four, DeFabian was two for four with a double, and Moe and MaryBeth Watanabe were both one for three.
Kaua‘i High ended the day at 4-1 in the second round, 10-1 overall, while Waimea moved to 4-2 to end their second round, 7-5 overall. Kapa‘a is 0-5 in the second round and 0-11 overall.
That means the Raiders must win at Kapa‘a New Park against the Warriors on Wednesday to clinch the KIF girls softball title outright by winning both the first and second rounds of play.
A Warrior upset would force a one-game playoff between the Raiders and Menehune for the round-two title, and if Waimea won that game, there would be a one-game playoff for the KIF title.
