Resilient Radford rallies past Nanakuli to claim first ever OIA league crown

Greg Yamamoto | SL

For the first time in school history, the Rams are league softball champions.

Radford got help at both the plate and in the circle from senior Kyralee-Marie Cordeiro, rallying to a 6-4 win over Nanakuli in the title game of the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division II playoffs.

"It being my last year here, to make history at Radford is just absolutely amazing," said Cordeiro.

The Rams broke a 4-all deadlock in the top of sixth courtesy of Cordeiro's line drive double to left that scored Radford's other Cordeiro, Karlee-Ann, to make it 5-4. Radford added another run a batter later as Siitia Baughn laced a single to center to bring home Kyralee.

Kyralee finished with quite the stat line, going 2 for 3 with a run scored and three RBI at the plate while pitching 5 innings, allowing two runs on four hits, striking out four and walking three in the circle.

Her peformance in the league title game capped off a stretch where she's hit safely in four straight games, accumulating eight hits, nine runs and five RBIs to go along with three doubles and a home run.

The Golden Hawks got on the board first in the bottom of the first off a two-run home run by Kailey Naehu, then saw the Rams bounced back to plate three runs in the second and another in the third to take the lead, 4-2.

Karlee-Ann pushed the Rams' first run on across, as Brandi Pahia-Obra came in to score on a fielder's choice, before Kyralee-Marie added a two-run double a batter latter. Emma Hoolulu's RBI single in the third capped off the scoring spurt.

Nanakuli equalized in the bottom of the third as Naehu hit her second two-run homer of the game, but only managed two singles in the final four innings, as Radford played lights out defense down the stretch to back Kyralee Cordeiro, who came on to start the third in relief of starter Taylie Tiitii.

"As a pitcher you can't just strike everybody out, you have to able to rely on your defense and that's what I did," said Kyralee.

Nanakuli was looking for its sixth league crown, all in Division II, and its first since 2023.

Both teams, along with Aiea, Kahuku, Kalaheo and Waipahu will represent the OIA in the upcoming Division II state tournament, set for May 6-9 at Patsy Mink Field on the campus of Maui High School.