Kailua staves off 7th inning Kaimuki rally in 2-1 win


Kaimuki threatened to score in the bottom of the seventh, but Kailua pitcher Teah Kauhi and her teammates used a great defensive effort and preserved the victory over the host Kaimuki Bulldogs. Unlike the first matchup, where Kaimuki won 8-5, this game was a low scoring affair.

"It feels good because we lost to them in our first game and we came back today and won by 1 so it was great," said Teah Kauhi.

"I think we put our best effort today, but I think a lot of it is communication and there are things we still need to work on. We made some contact, but we didn't come off hitting hard like the last game we played because Ehlen (Awaya) held us down and kept us unbalanced. But it was a close, exciting game," said Kailua head coach Tamara Kaluau.

In the top of the second inning, Kailua's Georgienne Murray hit an RBI single that brought Moani Kupahu home.

In the top of the third inning, Kailua's Lindsey Farley scored from third base to give the Surfriders a 2-0 lead.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Kaimuki's Alison Pologa blasted a homerun and gave the Bulldogs their only score of the game.

Kauhi shook it off and credits her teammates for helping her get past that play.

"I tried my best and my team helped me out defensively. I was relaxed and my team talked to me so I felt more comfortable," said Kauhi.

In the bottom of the seventh, Kaimuki was in position to score. Daria Amond hit a double, but advanced to third base after a fielding error. On the next at-bat, Kauhi walked Kaela Nera. However, a double-play sealed the victory for the Surfriders.

"Teah has been our go to pitcher, and she has been closing out games for us. Right now, she is our only pitcher that I have that gets full games. Part of it is gaining that experience and pitching under pressure. There were a few missed pitches here and there, but that's where we learn in preparation for the remainder of the season."

Both teams are 4-2 in OIA Red East.

"We like to see where we are in the standings, but I think the main thing is to see if the team is improving game-by-game and developing the consistency of playing better ball," said Kaluau.

Kaimuki pitcher Ehlen Awaya recorded 5 strike-outs.



Reach Brandon Ching at [email protected].