HHSAA Softball
Four homers power Mules back to D1 title game


  



Fri, May 3, 2019 @ [ 5:00 pm ]


FINAL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Punahou 0 201010492
Leilehua 8 2 0200X12131

W: Alyssa Abe    L: Ashanti Martinez

LEI: Kawena Kahana-Travis 2-4 run 5 rbi HR; Alyssa Abe 7.0 IP 4 ER 2 K
PUN: Maya Matsubara 2-4 run 2 rbi; Ashanti Martinez 3.6 IP 6 ER


MANOA — Good things come in fours for the No. 2 Leilehua Mules softball team.

For the third consecutive game, Leilehua blasted four home runs to pummel second-seeded and No. 6 Punahou, 12-4, Friday night in the semifinals of the DataHouse/HHSAA Division I state tournament.

The No. 2 Mules (12-6) will defend their title against No. 7 Iolani (18-5) in Saturday championship in a battle of league runners-up at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. Game time is 7 p.m.

"We made it to the ‘ship," Leilehua coach Wendell Au said referring to the championship. "That's where it's at."

Where the Mules are at borders on insane. Leilehua sent 11 batters to the plate in an eight-run first inning, which featured a three-run home run by Alana Jarra-Parker, a grand slam by Kawena Kahana-Travis and solo shot by Gianna Araki. Jacelyn Kepaa added a two-run homer in the second that gave the Mules a commanding 10-2 lead.

In Thursday's quarterfinals, Kahana-Travis hit two home runs after hitting none during the Oahu Interscholastic Association regular and postseasons.

"I've been working really hard on my hitting, focusing on my hitting," Kahana-Travis said. "Kapolei game, my hitting wasn't that great. I just wanted to better it."

She went 0 for 3 against the Hurricanes in Wednesday's first-round game. She finished Friday batting 2 for 4 with game-high five RBIs.

Lost in the rain of homers was a strong pitching performance by Mules' starter Alyssa Abe, who contained the Buffanblu to four runs in the complete-game win. She allowed nine hits and issued six walks for the second time this season.

"My approach was I wanted to keep them off-balanced as much as I can," Abe said of the vaunted Punahou lineup. "I want to make sure that I can make the ball playable. I want it so the defense can make the plays."

Center fielder Mikayla Pinera made two nice catches with runners on.

"They made good plays," Punahou coach David "Boy" Eldredge said. "They made a couple plays in center to shut things down. We thought we had things going, maybe get a crooked number on the board an inning here, an inning there. They made some good plays that made it tougher for us."

Punahou starting pitcher Ashanti Martinez pitched 3 2/3 innings in two different segments. She was replaced by Briahni Alejo, who went 2 1/3 innings, before giving the game back to Martinez in the fourth.

Maya Matsubara drove in half her team's runs on a 2-for-4 performance to pace Punahou.



Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at [email protected].




Show your support

Every contribution, no matter the size, will help ScoringLive continue its mission to provide the best and most comprehensive coverage of high school sports in the state of Hawaii and beyond.

Please consider making a contribution today.

ADVERTISEMENT


IMAGE GALLERY



MORE STORIES

Kamehameha outlasts Punahou in overtime to go back-to-back

Warriors got the game winning goal by Tea Brandon with 1:56 left in regulation and hung on to deny the...

Jr. Bows cap perfect season with first-ever state title

The Jr. Bows outlast the Bulldogs in five sets to sweep the season series to win their first-ever Division...

Wade wills Warriors in dethroning of Buffanblu for D1 state volleyball crown

University of Hawaii-bound Kainoa Wade took 76 total swings and put down 34 kills to lead Kamehameha...

Le Jardin, University Lab advance to set up all-ILH state D2 final

The Bulldogs rallied from a 2-1 set deficit to eke past Konawaena, while the Jr. Bows swept past Molokai.

Wade powers Kamehameha past Moanalua, into D1 finale

Kainoa Wade poured in 36 kills in a four set win over Na Menehune, setting up a rematch with ILH nemesis...

Balanced Buffanblu attack proves too much for Trojans

Adam Haidar and Brody Badham put down 10 kills apiece and Punahou had six players finish with at least...