Nanakuli's Jhanz Kaawa (22) hit a three-run homer and finished with six total RBIs to lead the Golden Hawks at the plate against Aiea. Brian Bautista | SL

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_22040320_B3R60660.jpg - Brian Bautista | SL

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AIEA — The OIA Division II softball game at Aiea Annex Field Saturday afternoon had mostly sunny weather except for a few passing showers.

The visiting team from the West brought a storm however.

Nanakuli jumped out to an early 10-0 lead after the top of the first inning and never looked back in a 17-3 mercy rule win over Aiea as it improved to 9-0 atop the league standings.

The Golden Hawks batted around the lineup before Na Alii (6-2) recorded the first out, getting three straight hits from the top of the lineup to start the contest. Leadoff batter Lexus Kotrys got on with a double and scored after Hunnie Wright's RBI single. Jhanz Kaawa followed that up with a double of her own to score Wright to make it a 2-0 game.

Aiea starting pitcher CJ Peneueta then walked the next four batters before giving way to Cayleigh Naito, who came over from left field. Naito beaned two players and walked another before Na Alii got its first out on a fielder's choice that scored a runner. By then the score was already 8-0.

A sac fly by Kaawa scored run No. 9 and a throwing error towards second base on the same play scored the 10th run.

"We like to come out real hard," said Nanakuli coach Lambert Koko. "We try to get a good jump on them, try to rattle the other team."

Kaawa, a freshman first baseman, was the top batter for Nanakuli with six RBIs. She blasted a three-run homer in the fourth to push Nanakuli's lead to 14-3 and added another sac fly in the fifth for the final run of the game.

"She's one to look out for," Koko said of Kaawa. "She was in a little of a slump. She started off good in the year, but maybe the last two or three games she kind of struggled. I told her we needed her today against Aiea and she brought her bat today."

Other players that had multi-hit games for the Golden Hawks include Wright and starting pitcher Charyne Koko. Wright also finished with three RBIs and scored the most runs with three.

Koko earned the pitching win for the Golden Hawks, giving up just one hit and two walks while striking out one in three and two-thirds innings of work. She gave way to designated player Melody Makanaole to start the bottom of the third, but reentered after a bases-loaded walk gave Aiea its third run. Koko got the next better to ground out to a double play to end the threat. Makanaole pitched the final inning and ended the game on a strikeout of her own.

Kaheamailani Kawewehi led Aiea at the plate with a two-RBI double to score Na Alii's first two runs. Taja Souza, Trinity Caporus-Santos and Charlene Custino-Hunkin also had hits for Aiea.

Naito was Na Alii's pitcher that was in for the outs recorded in the first, second and fifth inning. Peneueta also got a second chance in the pitcher's circle and pitched through the third and fourth.