WAIMEA — The Kapa‘a High Lady Warriors claimed the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation softball crown with a 15-8 comeback win against Waimea High Monday night in a playoff contest at the Waimea Athletic Field.
But the KIF has an opportunity to send Waimea, the KIF runner-up, to the Datahouse Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association Division II softball championships.
According to the HHSAA website, sportshigh.com, Waimea can earn a berth in the Division II tournament if they can get past the runner-up team from the Interscholastic League of Honolulu in a May 7 play-in contest that will start at 2 p.m. at McKinley High School on O‘ahu.
The state Division II tournament is scheduled from May 11 to 14 at Maui High School.
To earn that spot, Waimea had to settle the KIF playoff contest that was waged between the Lady Warriors and the Lady Menehune before a large audience that ringed the perimeter of the softball field at the Waimea Athletic Field.
Trailing by four runs, the Menehune stirred the audience when its lead-off hitter, shortstop Sianni Saiki, smacked a solo homerun in the home half of the first inning to provide a preview of the excitement to come over the next seven innings.
Waimea jumped on the Kapa‘a starting pitcher for six runs on five hits to take a 6-4 advantage in the marathon first inning where the Lady Warriors had earlier set the stage with four runs on three hits.
Trailing 8-5 following three innings of play, Kapa‘a made its move, scoring a run in the fourth, adding four runs on five hits in the fifth, two runs on three hits in the sixth, and three runs on three hits in the seventh for the comeback.
Seijia Makanani, taking over from Kaia Davis-Caberto, silenced the Menehune bats, allowing Waimea just one hit from the third inning.
Kapa‘a catcher Savanna Simons got aboard on a single, stole second and scored on an RBI single from Kai-Lee Kupihea, who took second on a steal. She moved to third on a bunt single from Tira Ann Kaui and scored on a Waimea miscue to knot the contest at 8-8 with no outs in the inning.
With two outs in the fifth, Kaui scored on a Kailee Gorospe RBI single, and Gorospe scored on a Rhea Furtado RBI triple to start the go-ahead.
Trailing 12-8 in the home half of the sixth, Waimea launched a concerted comeback effort with no out as Sakai walked, Kayla Prigge ended on second with a ground-rule double and Ryleah Torres walked to load the bases.
But Makanani got the Warriors out of the hole by striking out two Menehune, the third out coming on an infield fly, leaving three runners stranded.
The Warriors went on to add another trio of runs in the seventh, and Makanani struck out three Menehune in a row to claim the KIF crown.
Makanani, hurling for 6.67 innings, allowed two Waimea runs, both unearned, and just two hits while striking out nine Waimea batters and walking three.
Taelor Camelo suffered the loss on the mound, giving up 16 Kapa‘a hits for 15 runs, 12 being unearned, while striking out five Lady Warrior hitters. She had no walks.
Makanani, Simons and Kupihea topped the Kapa‘a bats with three hits apiece.
Sakai was the top hitter for Waimea with her home run. Hunter Akita notched two hits. Kayla Prigge, Ryleah Torres, Camelo and Kaulana Huihui-Caberto each had hits.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
