Underclassmen help sole senior Oshiro to OIA D2 softball crown

Greg Yamamoto | SL

KAKAAKO - After three rough seasons as an underclassman, Saunette Oshiro walked into the sunset of her high school career as an Oahu Interscholastic Association Division II softball champion Friday night.

Pearl City got a strong pitching effort from freshman Haley Shinjo to help the Chargers (11-0) claim their first league crown in more than 40 years with a 10-2 win against Aiea at McKinely's Tiger Softball Stadium.

Oshiro, has endured some rough seasons in her career. During that span, Pearl City was 4-34 in Division I. She has been with the team longer than her coach, Erin Barros.

"This was great for Saunette," third-year coach Barros said. "Very, very happy for her. These girls really took to her leadership. She knew she could back off because she knew she could trust all of these girls, so it's good and I'm glad that they did do it for her."

Trust indeed. Oshiro was flanked by seven freshmen out on the field. They followed her lead all season and eventually, Oshiro was able to ease the reins from the younger players.

"In the beginning, it was hard," Oshiro said. "It was a little frustrating, but as time went on, I think we really bonded together. That's why we're so close and can play like this."

It was fitting that Oshiro showed the way. She led the team with three hits, two of them doubles.

Samantha Nakamatsu and Maile Oda each drove in three runs, and Phoenix Sky Lumabao scored four runs from the lead-off spot.

Freshman starting pitcher Haley Shinjo threw 5 1/3 solid innings for the Chargers, allowing two runs, scattering seven hits and three walks with three strikeouts. She was happy to help her senior teammate win a league title.

"It feels good because I knew this was something she would've wanted and she was working toward it," Shinjo said. "That was the goal for us."

The Chargers did not waste time against Na Alii. Aleia-Lyn Tonaki-Sagucio ignited a three-run first inning with a two-run single off Aiea starter and eventual losing pitcher CJ Peneueta, who lasted just two-thirds of an inning. Tonaki-Sagucio took second on a fielding error and scored on Harlyn Barry's single to make it 3-0 and chase Peneueta from the game.

Pearl City padded its lead off Taja Souza on Nakamoto's two-run double.

The Charger secured their lead with a solo home run by Phoenix Sky Lumabao in the fourth and a four-run sixth on RBI single by Nakamatsu and a two-run double by Maile Oda and a fielding error, the sixth by Aiea in the game.

Aiea got its only two runs in the third on a run-scoring triple from Nylove Peneueta, who scored on CJ's single.

Pearl City's previous league title was in 1979, when it made it back-to-back crowns in just the third year of softball in the OIA.

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at [email protected].