'Wild' finish to Kailua's 3-2 win against Mililani


Kailua starter Shealee Koki pitched eight innings, allowing 2 runs on 3 hits to earn the victory. Scott Nishi | SL
WAIPIO - Kailua's destiny was in Destinee's hands.

Destinee Chang ran through a stop sign, took third base after stopping at second on a single to right and eventually scored the game-winning run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the eighth inning as Kailua edged Mililani, 3-2, in a semifinal Thursday night at Patsy T. Mink Central O'ahu Regional Park.

The Surfriders will play Campbell for the O'ahu Interscholastic Association Red softball title 7 p.m. Friday at CORP. They are seeking their first league crown since 2006 under then-veteran coach Bernard Victor.

Kailua trailed 2-0 before tying the game in the bottom of the sixth on Sharla Kumai-Farrell's two-run double. Mililani relief pitcher Alysia Maddison then retired seven Surfriders in a row before Chang reached on a single to short with two out in the bottom of the eighth. Kumai-Farrell then grounded a hard single to right. It was hit hard enough that right fielder TJ Fernandez thought she might have a play at first and fired the ball to first baseman Chesarey Silva. Although Kailua coach Tamara Kaluau had her hands up to hold the runner, Chang broke for third when she saw the throw went to first instead of back to the middle infield. With runners at the corners at Mahina Turner at the plate, Chang scooted home on a 0-1 wild pitch to end the game.

"She (Kaluau) called me, told me to hold up," Chang said. "And then, I just broke."

"She saw something; I told her to hold up," Kaluau said. "It was her decision, but you know what? It was in our favor."

"We should've chased (Chang)," Trojans' coach Rose Antonio said of trying to set up a rundown. "We should've ran at her, try to get her to commit. But we didn't."

Shealee Koki pitched the distance for the Surfriders, scattering three hits and three walks with one strikeout. Both runs she allowed were unearned.

"She's our go-to pitcher," Kaluau said.

Meanwhile, the Trojans were clinging to their 1-0 lead through four innings and 2-0 after five behind starting pitcher Joen Baker, who pitched four scoreless innings, allowing four hits and two walks with two strikeouts.

The left-handed Maddison, who started as the designated player, picked up for right-handed Baker in the bottom of the fifth, retiring the side in order. Antonio said she made the change to give the Surfriders' a different look.

But in the sixth, Toni Damo-Agcaoili led off with a single and an out later, Chang walked. Both scored on Kumai-Farrell's double to the right-center alley to tie the game at 2.

The Trojans took a 1-0 lead in the second. Jade Yadao-Valdez walked, went to second on Kanani Lanias' sacrifice to third, but third baseman Chang's bobble made her throw late for the error that also allowed Yadao-Valdez to take third. After Lanias stole second, Silva singled home Yadao-Valdez.

In the fifth, Silva led off with a walk and was lifted for pinch runner Tori Kaya, who went to second on Fernandez's sacrifice and moved to third on a passed ball and scored on Toni Baysa's sacrifice fly to left to make it 2-0.

The Trojans, who entered the tournament as the West's fifth seed, will play at Castle for third place at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. Both have qualified for the Division I state tournament.





Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at [email protected].