Mid-Pacific players celebrate their 7-1 win over Moanalua. Tyler Guieb | Special to SL

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Mid-Pacifics Kaili Ann Akimseu pitched the entire game for the owls giving up only five hits and one run. Tyler Guieb | Special to SL

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Mid-Pacific's Sarah Onishi trots into home plate after hitting one of two home runs on the night against Moanalua. Tyler Guieb | Special to SL

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Sarah Onishi crushed two home runs and drove in five to lead No. 2 Mid-Pacific Institute over No. 9 Moanalua, 7-1, Tuesday night in opening-round play of the DataHouse Division I state softball tournament.

Onishi had a solo homer in the second, a three-run shot in the Owls' five-run third and an RBI single in the fifth. Both of her homers easily cleared the left-field fence, which is 200 feet from home plate, at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

"It was definitely my first two home runs in a state tournament," the senior right fielder said. "I'm in a groove, so it feels really good."

The Owls (13-4), runners-up in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu, will play fourth seeded and No. 7 Baldwin (14-0) in a 3 p.m. quarterfinal Wednesday at RWSS.

Onishi provided the offensive support for starting pitcher Kaili-Ann Akimseu, who overcame a shaky first inning. Three of the five hits she allowed came in Na Menehune's only inning in which they scored. She walked none and had four strikeouts.

Onishi was not the only Owl with three hits. Leadoff hitter Jenna Kumabe was 3 for 3 with a run scored. Mid-Pacific's only other hit was a squib single in front of the plate by Lindsey Matoi.

Moanalua got off to an auspicious start. In the top of the first inning, Makamae Kaleikini led off with a double to left-center and an out later, scored on Cyanne Fernandez's single to center. Chrissi Omalza followed with a single that moved Fernandez to second, but Akimseu settled down and retired the next two batters to end the inning. Na Menehune would not be heard from the rest of the game.

Moanalua starting pitcher Leisha Yamauchi was charged with six runs (three earned) in 2 1/3 innings and was hampered by several illegal pitch calls. Moanalua coach Kristie Morikawa said she was told Yamauchi was using a "crow hop," or taking a step off the rubber and pushing off the dirt several inches in front of the rubber.

"For us, it was a matter of overcoming some of that other stuff that was happening," said Morikawa, upset at illegal pitch calls. "It's not a great excuse, but it's a very difficult thing to overcome and refocus. That big hit, I think, for them really dealt a difficult blow for us. Once those kinds of things happen, we get impatient. We had a game plan that we really didn't stick to. While we did a good job in the first inning, once all those other stuff happened, it was hard for us to refocus and get back to the game plan."

The Owls tied the game in the second on Onishi's one out, solo homer.

Mid-Pacific then blew the game open when it batted around in the five-run third. Samantha Sakihara with a walk. On a 2-2 pitch, an apparent strike by the home plate umpire was ruled an illegal pitch and Sakihara eventually drew ball four. Sakihara took second on Kumabe's single to right. The runners advanced on Taylor Ann Oda's sacrifice in which she reached second on a two-base throwing error to first by Yamauchi that scored Sakihara and sent Kumabe to third.

With MPI ahead, 2-1, and runners at second and third, Nicole Lopez hit a high fly to shallow left, but a confluence of Moanalua fielders could not come up with the ball that went off the glove of left fielder Dior Motas, scoring one and putting runners at second and third. The runners held after Matoi grounded out to Yamauchi, but Onishi drilled the first pitch she saw for a three-run homer. After Kiley Oeda walked, Yamauchi was pulled for first baseman Fernandez, who restored order by allowing a run in 3 2/3 innings and striking out seven.

After allowing the Omalza's first-inning single, Akimseu retired 20 of the last 22 batters she faced.
 
"Moanalua came out firing in the first inning," MPI coach Alan Inaba said. "We thought maybe it would be like a 10-8 kind of game. But our pitcher settled down after that, pitched well. Our defense plays good defense as usual."

Moanalua (12-4) will play Pearl City in a consolation-bracket game, 11 a.m. Wednesday at RWSS.