KAPA‘A — Kapa‘a pitcher Kalia Kaui allowed just three hits, but Kaua‘i High School won 6-4 Wednesday at the Kapa‘a High School softball facility. Kaua‘i relied on its defense and aggressive play on the base paths to churn up its
KAPA‘A — Kapa‘a pitcher Kalia Kaui allowed just three hits, but Kaua‘i High School won 6-4 Wednesday at the Kapa‘a High School softball facility.
Kaua‘i relied on its defense and aggressive play on the base paths to churn up its runs. Three of the Red Raiders’ last runs came on wild pitches and one came off a Kapa‘a error.
Kaui, in the loss, allowed three hits, walked five Red Raider batters, struck out five batters and hit one batter.
Courtney “Ka‘a” La‘amea picked up the win on the mound for Kaua‘i, giving up 10 hits while walking two Warrior batters and striking out two.
The pitching duel between Kaui and La‘amea overflowed onto the field as Kaui scored three times and finished with a three-for-four showing in the batter’s box, getting a double and two singles.
On the other side of the field, La‘amea scored once, got one of the three Kaua‘i hits, an RBI triple in the sixth inning.
Joining Kaui in the offensive showing, Analeigha Carvalho-Toloai was also three-for-four, ending with a double and two singles with one of four RBIs marked by Kapa‘a. She also scored once.
Jordan Lopez, playing third base, singled and doubled. Kailana Kaimina‘auao singled, and Destiny Navalta singled to round out the Warrior offense.
Joining La‘amea, Kyana Hirokane doubled and Kirra Jaquias had a bunt single and scored once.
Kaua‘i got on the boards early. Kiana Pagador walked first in the opening inning and scoring on a Kapa‘a error.
Kaui kept the Raiders off balance, walking two in the first frame, but redeeming herself with two strikeouts and allowing no Kaua‘i hits until the third inning.
But Kaua‘i could not capitalize on the hit and Kaui, getting first on a double in the third inning, scored on a Carvalho-Toloai RBI single to knot the contest 1-1 with two away.
Kaui scored the second time in the fifth inning, getting first on a Kaua‘i error and scoring on a Kaimina‘auao RBI single for the 2-1 go-ahead.
Faced with the one-run deficit, Kaua‘i answered in the sixth inning with four runs on just a hit, a La‘amea triple.
Jaquias, getting first on a Kapa‘a error, scored on a wild pitch, followed by Aleigha “Red” Scovel, walking first, scoring on another wild pitch before Kapa‘a marked the first out of the frame.
Pagador, walking first, scored on La‘amea’s RBI triple, and La‘amea crossed the plate on a Hirokane sacrifice fly to centerfield.
Kaua‘i marked its final run in the seventh inning when Kailee Nii got first on an error. Advancing to second on another error and moving to third on a wild pitch, Nii was replaced when she was injured on a lead-off play, the pinch runner, Kyren Ishikawa, crossing on a wild pitch.
Kapa‘a, faced with a four-run deficit and down to its final three outs, opened with a Kaui single followed by Carvalho-Toloai doubling before the first out.
Both Kaui and Carvalho-Toloai scored on a Kelsie Gorospe-Keli‘ipuleole play for the second out, but not before the two runners crossed the plate. The next Warrior was taken out to end the threat.
Kapa‘a next travels to the Waimea Canyon Park for a doubleheader Saturday against the Menehune. First pitch is at 10 a.m.
Kaua‘i, after being rained out Saturday, will host Waimea in the make-up game, Monday in a doubleheader at Isenberg Park. The first pitch goes at 3 p.m. with a 20-minute break following the completion of game 1.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
