LIHUE — Gaylan “Ulu” Matagiese, signing with the University of Hawai‘i Rainbow Wahine earlier, is the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation Player of the Year for softball. Matagiese, finishing the season with three homeruns and 20 RBI, filled the catcher’s position for
LIHUE — Gaylan “Ulu” Matagiese, signing with the University of Hawai‘i Rainbow Wahine earlier, is the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation Player of the Year for softball.
Matagiese, finishing the season with three homeruns and 20 RBI, filled the catcher’s position for Waimea High School, the defending Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association Division II champions.
Waimea placed eight players on the KIF softall all-star list, and Teddy Perreira, the team’s coach who led the team to its KIF softball title.
Menehune making the KIF softball all-stars include pitcher Deannalynn Tafiti, who pitched 12 games for Waimea, winning 11 games and ending the season with 16 earned runs on 48 hits allowed. She struck out 29 batters and walked 20.
Bailey San Agustin-Nordmeier filled the first base position with Waimea freshman Saecha Padasdao-Oyamoto anchoring second base. Another freshman, Alyssa Miyamoto, anchored third base, the freshman being second in Waimea hits to Matagiese with 20 hits, scoring 18 times and led the Menehune in RBI with 27.
Waimea filled the infield as Sienna Santiago, the Menehune’s lead-off hitter, got the nod for shortstop in the KIF all-stars. As the lead-off hitter, Santiago finished the season with 19 hits, scored 25 times and had 15 RBI.
Waimea got two of the three outfield positions with Bryana Resquer-Yorkman and Taylor Lazaro.
Analeigha Carvalho-
Toloai of Kapaa got the nod for the third outfield position, the Warrior led the Kapa‘a bats with 12 hits on the season, including a homerun. She topped the Warriors with six RBI and ended the season scoring four times.
Carvalho-Toloai was joined by Kapa‘a pitcher Kalia Kaui getting the nod for Utility in the KIF all-stars, Kaui also finishing the season scoring four times. As a pitcher, Kaui threw for nine games, and in the box, swung the bat for nine hits with two RBI.
Of note, Kauai High School, finishing the KIF as runner-up and ending the HHSAA Div. II title fight in fourth place following a loss to Waimea on O‘ahu, did not place anyone on the KIF all-star list.