Kaiser's Seli Aholelei throws a pitch to the plate against Moanalua. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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032214_Kai_relief_pitcher_0642.jpg - Greg Yamamoto | SL

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HAWAI'I KAI - Saturday's doubleheader split between Moanalua and Kaiser took on different perspectives for each team.

Na Menehune took the opener, 5-3, but the Cougars bounced back to take the second game, 7-4, at the Cougars' field. It was a scheduled twin bill with Moanalua the designated home team in the opener and vice versa. Moanalua has and will travel for all its road games because its field is still under construction.

Both teams entered the day with undefeated records; the split left them where they started off. Moanalua (6-1) maintained its half-game lead on Kaiser (5-1) in the O'ahu Interscholastic Association Red East.

After dropping the opener, Kaiser was pleased to salvage a split.

"That was important," Kaiser coach Mitch Matsumoto said.

But Moanalua coach Kristie Morikawa saw the split as a missed opportunity to open its division lead against its closest opponent, despite the fact her team has to travel for all its games.

"I think we never feel good about coming up short," Morikawa said. "But the thing we always talk about is it doesn't matter if we don't have a field; we practice the same (way) anyway. We're not going to use that as a reason to not perform. So splitting doesn't feel good."

But if there was a juncture in the season to lose, this was it.

"If we're going to lose, we'll take it now," Morikawa said. "This is the right time for the improvements to come, the fight to come back. It's not great, but we can definitely learn from it."

The second game came at a price for both teams. Moanalua left fielder Najee Reed was ejected for a sportsmanship issue after she was thrown out at first by the right fielder, losing an RBI single. She hit the ball hard and it got quickly to the right fielder Bailey Gongob, who had switched from left after an injury to pitcher Crystal Ching-Lake.

The ejection means Reed will have to sit out Moanalua's next game.

Ching-Lake, Kaiser's ace, was struck on the the left shin by a liner off the bat of Cyanne Fernandez to start the fifth inning. The right-handed pitcher had to be helped from the field and was replaced by right fielder Seli Aholelei. She will get a diagnosis from her doctor to determine the severity.

"Hopefully, if it's just a bruise, she'll be back," Matsumoto said.

Ching-Lake pitched four-plus innings, allowing a run, eight hits and a walk to get credit for the win. Aholelei gave up three runs in the final three innings.

Fernandez, who was 3 for 4 at the plate, pitched the distance, allowing seven runs, eight this and six walks for Moanalua. Caitlyn Ramiscal was 2 for 3 with two RBI, Jadeen Sakauye also had two hits.

Marissa Oda led the Kaiser attack with four RBI, including a three-run triple in the bottom of the fifth to cushion the Cougars' 2-1 lead entering the inning. Aholelei batted 3 for 3 with a walk and two RBI. Tiana Ching-Lake, twin sister of the injured pitcher, batted 2 for 3 with a walk and scored three runs.

in the opener, Moanalua sent nine batters to the plate in a five-run second inning that was highlighted by Taylor Takushi's two-run triple. It was all the support starting pitcher Leisha Yamauchi needed in pitching the distance to get the win. She allowed three runs (two earned), six hits and a walk with seven strikeouts.

Bailey Gongab had a two-run double in Kaiser's three-run sixth inning.