Kamehameha's Kamalani Dung pitched a complete game victory against Leilehua, striking out 14. Evan Asato | SL

×

050813_EA_Soft_KSK-LEI_5-8-13 16.jpg - Evan Asato | SL

Purchase this image
4x5 5x7 8x10 image download

Kamalani Dung struck out a season-high 14 and top-seeded Kamehameha downed Leilehua, 5-1, in the quarterfinals of the DataHouse Division I state softball tournament Wednesday at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

The Warriors (15-2) will play Moanalua (15-2) in a semifinal 7 p.m. Thursday. It's a rematch of last year's first-round game, won by the Warriors, 12-1. They are making their 21st semifinal appearance; they lost to Campbell last year, 6-2.

Dung, a sophomore, gave up a run - a lead-off homer to Mules' cleanup hitter Kyla Larson in the fourth - and eight hits in the complete-game win. She walked one, Jazmyn Dangaran, to start the game.

"She did a great job on all her pitches," Kamehameha coach Aloha Yamaguchi said. "Just working the counts and capitalizing."

Only twice Dung had more than one batter reach base - in the first and seventh innings - but escaped each time by striking out the batter for the last out.

Dung was backed by her offense. Kaya Naiwi was 2 for 3 with two RBI, including a solo home run in the second that gave Kamehameha a 1-0 lead. Jordan Sanchez also had a two-run single and Dung helped her cause with an RBI single in a four-run third; Naiwi had an RBI single in that inning as well.

The Mules just couldn't string together enough timely hits to threaten Dung. Leilehua coach Stacy Araki said Dung was one of the hardest throwers her team has seen this season.

"It was her speed," Araki said. "We were chasing her rise ball, the high ones. I think that was effective."

The Warriors tagged losing pitch Taezha Ann Cordero for four runs in 2 1/3 innings and a run off reliever Chasity Stalcup in 3 2/3 innings.

In the third, the Warriors sent nine batters to the plate. Rachel Dumlao led off with a single, went to second on Maelia Zablan's sacrifice and scored on Dung's single. Christine Hipa walked and Cordero was replaced by Chasity Stalcup.

But Naiwi followed with an RBI single to put runners at the corners. After Ateisha Norton popped out to second, Misty Ho'ohuli walked to load the bases to set up Sanchez's two-run single that made it 5-0 before Rachel Ogasawara grounded to second for a force at second to end the inning.

The Mules had a little something going in the seventh. Tihani Palomares led off with a single of Dung, who then struck out the next two batters. Dangaran reached on on an infield single that moved pinch runner Victoria Bega to second. But Dung put her signature on the game by striking out Chenoa Au to end the game.