Late inning push helps Kaiser surge past Leilehua, into OIA D1 semis

Rayden Aoki | SL

If "pressure makes diamonds," then maybe a bit of adversity was a good thing for the Cougars.

Faced with a late inning deficit for the first time this season, Kaiser responded with five runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to pull away from Leilehua, 12-7, securing a berth in the state tournament as well as spot in the OIA Division I playoff semifinals.

"It definitely boosted our confidence more," said Kaiser catcher Lia Hamamura of the come-from-behind win. "Now we know we can get through anything as a team."

Trailing 6-2 heading into the last of the fifth, the Cougars searched for a spark and got it in the form of a two-run laser to left field by Rylee Yamasaki, that was followed up two batters later by another two-run blast, this one by Hamamura, that made it a brand new contest at 6-all.

"After Rylee and Lia's home runs, that really picked up everybody," remarked Paisely Kuba, who was 2 for 4 with two runs scored and three RBI on the afternoon. "That really fired all of us up and give us all the confidence to know that we can hit this girl."

Miya Yoshioka's line drive single drove in Kuba to put the home team in front, 7-6, capping a five run effort in the inning.

The Cougars added to the margin in the sixth, getting one run when Hamamura was hit by a ptich with the bases loaded, setting up Kuba with the bases still full and a golden opportunity to extend the lead even further.

And extend it she did, fouling off four pitches in succession before driving a double to left that emptied the base paths, making it an 11-6 game.

"I pretty much fought off every single one of her pitches," said Kuba of the at-bat. "She gave me everything and I just kind of stayed calm and let myself swing, and trust in myself to win the at-bat."

Sadie Tanabe added one more insurance run on an RBI single of her own to cap the scoring for Kaiser.

In the last of the seventh, a leadoff double by Meadow Tammarine, followed by a five pitch walk made things interesting, but Makenzie Yokoyama was able to shrug off some nerves to record an infield fly for one out and a strikeout looking for the second.

A wild pitch allowed a run to come home, but Yokoyama was able to induce a game-ending pop fly to left to end the threat.

Yokoyama was stellar in the circle, going the distance once again, allowing seven runs on seven hits. She walked four and struck out 11, raising her season total to 40 punch outs.

"She knows how to just focus in the circle," said Kuba of Yokoyama. "And her defense, she knows that we got her back on the field as well."

Leilehua, who led through the first 5 1/2 innings of play, took the early advantage on a fielder's choice that scored BB Leong, and made it 3-0 in the third on a home run by Arria Vierra, before Kaiser got back into the game with a run in the bottom of the third on an Audrey Higa double and another in the fourth on an RBI single by Mylah Burgess-Heely.

The Mules built the margin back to four runs on an RBI single by Isabella Mercado and a wild pitch that allowed two runs to come home in the top of the fifth.

Yamasaki was 3 for 4 with three runs scored and two RBI for the Cougars, who saw the top of its batting order account for 10 of its 13 hits and 10 runs scored.