HONOLULU — Unseeded Waimea High School softball exploded at the 2025 DataHouse Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division II softball state championships with a 21-0 shutout over the Waialua Bulldogs on Tuesday on Oahu.
After earning a spot in the Division II tournament through a victory over the Molokai Farmers over the weekend on Maui, the Menehune entered the fray with no nonsense, cranking up 12 runs on 13 hits in the first two frames of play. The Menehune continued to churn, adding four runs in the third inning, and another five in the fourth inning in the game shortened by the 10-run rule. The Menehune finished with 21 runs on 232 hits.
Overall, third base Kayani Santos had the Waimea big bat with two runs scored on four hits, and seven Menehune Runners Batted In. Menehune second baseman Zyani Vea scored four times on four hits with three RBI.
Menehune pitcher S. Nakaya threw a two-hitter in picking up the win on the mound. She allowed no runs on two hits while striking out three Waialua batters and walking just one.
Armed with the solid victory from Tuesday, the Menehune faced No. 3 Kamehameha Schools-Hawaii on Wednesday in a noon showdown. Like Tuesday, Waimea piled up 11 runs in the first three innings. Kamehameha answered with three runs in the third inning, and the Menehune answered with an equalizing three runs in the fourth.
The results of that matchup were similar to those of the Tuesday show, with the Menehune knocking off the seeded Kamehameha, 14-3, in the 5-inning contest that was shortened by the 10-run rule.
Nakaya picked up her second win on the hill in as many days, going five innings with three runs allowed on four hits by the Big Island Warriors. She struck out four batters, walked a pair, and had a wild pitch.
Kealohi Pundyke, getting aboard on four walks, scored four times to lead the Menehune. Kamalie Valente had three hits, scored twice, and had four RBI.
The other Kauai team, top-seeded Kapaa High School, the reigning Central Pacific Bank Kauai Interscholastic Federation champions, will face Kailua High School, which advanced following a 7-0 win over Kohala High School on Tuesday. Their game starts at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.
For more information, visit the HHSAA website at www.hhsaa.org.
