Kohala edges Waialua to reach first state final

The Cowgirls celebrate after defeating second-seeded Waialua Friday afternoon. Michael Lasquero | SL

Kohala's miracle run continues.

The unseeded Cowgirls will make their first state championship appearance Saturday night after squeezing past second-seeded Waialua, 6-5, in the semifinals of the DataHouse Division II Softball Championships Friday afternoon at Patsy T. Mink Field at Maui High.

Kohala, who defeated a seeded team for the second straight day, will meet reigning state champion Saint Francis in the 6:00 p.m. final.

"They hit good, the girls played hard. I never thought we'd get this far, but we did it," said Kohala coach Terrence Alcoran. "I've been coaching a while, but this has been one of the best teams I've coached. We contend every year, but this year, I never knew we'd get this high."

Junior Laila Caravalho led the Cowgirls at the plate, going 4-for-4 with a triple, RBI and three runs scored to help Kohala take a 5-0 lead after the third inning.

Senior Mikayla Kekoa earned the win in the circle, scattering four hits in a complete game effort while tossing eight strikeouts, all coming in the first four innings.

"Awesome," Alcoran said of Kekoa, a three-sport athlete. "If we go win this tournament, Mikayla going have to do everything. She going have to hit, she going have to pitch, she going have to do everything."

The Cowgirls' run to the state final didn't come without some drama however. Waialua rallied with five runs, two unearned, in the top of the fifth to tie the game up at 5-5.

But Kohala did enough to push the game-winning run across the plate in the bottom of the frame, with freshman Leiana Caravalho driving in older sister Laila for the Cowgirls' sixth run.

"I just told the girls all we need is runners on base and somehow we going come around and score," said Alcoran. "They worked hard. They really wanted to win today. They had the heart today, heart of a lion."

The Cowgirls move on to face a talented Saint Francis squad that went 12-4 in the ILH. In the other semifinal the Saints defeated Kamehameha-Hawaii, 7-1, who was a team that beat Kohala four times during the BIIF season.

"I don't know, the girls are on a high right now," said Alcoran. "They better watch out for us."

Trinity Ozoa tripled for the Bulldogs while Haven Guerrero drove in two runs to lead Waialua in the loss.

Reach Michael Lasquero at [email protected].