Maryknoll senior pitcher Shearyna Labasan and Kalani junior pitcher/third baseman Reece Kakugawa came up clutch in wins for their respective teams last week. ScoringLive photo illustration

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Male Athlete of the Week: Reece Kakugawa, Kalani baseball
Reece Kakugawa has never let a little adversity keep him off track for very long.

The junior pitcher/third baseman was coming off a couple of hard-luck outings on the mound, but delivered in a big way for the Kalani baseball team last week. Kakugawa threw a complete game — his third of the season — and scattered three hits in a 6-0 win over Roosevelt Wednesday. He struck out eight batters and overcame four walks to notch his fifth victory this year.

"He actually struggled a little bit against Roosevelt," Falcons' coach Shannon Hirai said of his ace. "He kind of couldn't find the strike zone in fourth inning, but he battled through it and got the complete-game win."

Three days later, Kakugawa had a productive day at the plate, driving in a pair of runs and scoring twice in a 6-3 win over division-leading Kailua.

"He doubled in the seventh and that actually gave us insurance runs," said Hirai, whose team is tied with Castle and Moanalua at 6-4 for third in the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I East standings. "I think this gives us a real good shot at playing at home for the playoffs. This division will come down to the last day, but now our kids realize that they can play with anybody in this division, so it gives us a lot of confidence."

Three of Kalani's four losses this season have been decided by one run. Kakugawa was the losing pitcher in a 5-4 loss at Moanalua on March 25 and a 4-3 loss at Kaiser on April 4.

"I think with a couple breaks here and there he would actually have two more wins," Hirai said. "He was on the mound closing against Kaiser and unfortunately we made an error that cost us two runs and against Moanalua there was some controversy with the count and that actually gave them a walk, but a guy — with two strikes — makes contact, goes through the middles and gives up two runs, so he was kind of unfortunate in those two games, otherwise he could be 7-0."

Hirai said Kakugawa, a three-year varsity player, took the loss to the rival Cougars particularly hard.

"He was really distraught after the game and he felt like he let everybody down, but he did a real good job Wednesday (against Roosevelt) and getting his way out of it," Hirai said. "He handled it well and he's been with us since his freshman year so he has a lot of experience. He's just trying to deal with being the ace pitcher now."

Toward the end of his sophomore season last year, Kakugawa was dealt a tough blow when his father, Derwin, passed away due to cancer.

"We thought he was doing fine, then all of a sudden, before our Castle game last year, he passed away," Hirai said. "Nobody told (Reece) until he got home after the game and that's been the most impressive thing about him. He's really been able to overcome things this year. At the end of last year, even pitching for us was hard for him, but he handled it really well."

Despite the ordeal, Hirai said Kakugawa remains ever the jokester on the team.

"He's just a happy-go-lucky kid, who's always laughing about silly things, even on the field. I think he's a little bit more responsible now, but you couldn't tell he went through all of that," Hirai said. "He comes to practice, works hard and has a good time doing it. Sometimes a little bit too much fun and he drives me nuts."

Kakugawa and the Falcons next play Kaimuki Wednesday before wrapping up the regular season against Moanalua Saturday.

-Kalani Takase

Female Athlete of the Week: Shearyna Labasan, Maryknoll softball
She might be not be the most vocal player on her team, but her game speaks volumes.

Shearyna Labasan, who is 8-1 this season, is tough on the mound and currently leads Division I overall with 102 strikeouts and allowed 28 walks so far. She threw 11 strikeouts against then top-ranked Kamehameha on Apr. 8 and three days later threw nine against Iolani as Maryknoll improved to 9-1-1 in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu and jumped to No. 2 in the ScoringLive/OC16 Softball Power Rankings.

"There's two kinds of leaders--one that motivates and the other shows by example. Because she shows so much by example, and she's always positive and you can't go wrong with that," said Maryknoll coach John Uekawa, on Labasan's leadership style.

When asked about her leadership style-- whether she likes to be vocal or lead by example, Labasan replied, "A combination of both. During the game I don't really like to talk and to be out there. During practices I try to push everybody but so do our other captains."

She is usually the leadoff hitter for the Lady Spartans this season and against the Raiders on Apr. 11, she provided some offense and went 1-for-4 and drove in an RBI as the Lady Spartans won, 7-2.

Uekawa commented on how positive Labasan is even in tough situations. Maryknoll stifled Kamehameha and held one of the top hitting teams in the state (117 hits) to three hits and the Warriors went scoreless for the first time this season. Kamehameha capitalized on an error to get on base on an toward the end, but the defense rallied to pick each other up to get the final out to end the game. Labasan notes that none of it would be possible without the defense that supports her.

"Even if someone made an error or bobbled the ball, everyone was there to pick each other up. The team pulled through and the defense was working hard and that's how it should be," added Labasan.

"The second half of the season, the poise started coming in. She started mainly trying to do it herself and now she's letting the team do it. The key to it all is that she doesn't let things bother her--like an error or a base run, she just writes it all off," said Uekawa.

Maryknoll plays against No. 5 Punahou on Apr. 15 at Sand Island Park at 4:30 p.m. They lost to the Buffanblu on Mar. 12, 5-4, but since then they have gone on an eight-game winning streak. The Lady Spartans close out the regular season at home against Division II foes Sacred Hearts and Saint Francis.

-Brandon Ching

BASEBALL
Shane Agbayani, Kaiser — Batted 2 for 2 with a home run and three RBI in a loss to Moanalua

Makana Aiona, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Batted 2 for 3 with a double, walk, four RBI and a run scored in a win over Kohala

Kahoea Akau, Kamehameha — Batted 2 for 3 with a double, four RBI and two runs scored in a win over Iolani

Matthew Beall, Kalani — Allowed three runs on six hits in seven innings pitched in a win over Kailua

Jaisten Cabatbat, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Batted 3 for 4 with a walk, two stolen bases and three runs scored in a win over Hilo

Daylen Calicdan, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Batted 3 for 4 with a home run, triple and two runs scored in a win over Hilo

Thomas Capilonch, Kalaheo — Batted 3 for 4 with a double, two RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base in a win over Farrington and batted 2 for 3 with a triple, double, four RBI and two runs scored in a win over McKinley

Micah Chinen, Mililani — Struck out two batters, walked none and allowed five hits in seven scoreless innings pitched in a win over Waianae

Haloa Dudoit, Baldwin — Batted 3 for 4 with two RBI and a run scored in a win over Maui

Nicholas Enrico, Moanalua — Batted 2 for 4 with a double, an RBI, three runs scored and a walk in a win over Kaiser

Shannon Fermahin, Aiea — Batted 3 for 3 with a walk and three RBI in a win over Kapolei

Sean Fernandez, Saint Francis — Batted 2 for 4 with three RBI and a run scored in a win over Damien

Kaleb Gilmore, Kalaheo — Batted 2 for 3 with four RBI and a run scored in a win over McKinley

Matt Hanano, Kailua — Batted 2 for 3 with a double, three RBI and two runs scored in a win over Kaimuki

Dalton Kalama, Kailua — Batted 3 for 3 with three doubles and six RBI in a win over Kaimuki

Kekaulike Kalua, Moanalua — Batted 2 for 3 with a double and four RBI in a win over Kaiser

Dane Kaneshiro, Pearl City — Struck out four batters, walked one and allowed one hit over five scoreless innings pitched in a win over Radford

Cal Koga, Kauai — Batted 2 for 4 with three RBI and allowed one run on five hits in six innings pitched in a win over Waimea

Trayson Kubo, Leilehua — Struck out seven batters, walked two and allowed two (unearned) runs on two hits in seven innings pitched in a win over Radford

Ryder Kuhns, Saint Louis — Batted 2 for 3 with a double, walk, three RBI and a run scored in a win over Punahou

Janson Kupau, Saint Francis — Batted 2 for 4 with a triple, three RBI and a run scored in a win over Damien

Kaliu Lapera, Kalaheo — Struck out 10 batters, walked four and pitched a five-inning no-hitter in a win over McKinley

Micah Lum, Pac-Five — Batted 2 for 2 with a double, walk, three RBI and a run scored in a win over Hanalani

Dylan Madamba, Aiea — Struck out five batters, walked one and allowed two runs on three hits in six innings pitched in a win over Kapolei

Reece Mondina, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Struck out five batters, walked two and allowed six hits over six scoreless innings pitched in a win over Kohala

Andrew Oasay, Moanalua — Batted 3 for 5 with a triple, double, two RBI and a run scored in a win over Kaiser

Brendan Odo, Kailua — Batted 3 for 4 with two doubles, an RBI, two runs scored and a walk in a win over Kaimuki

Shane Ogata, Kauai — Batted 3 for 4 with a triple and two RBI in a win over Kapaa

Moon Pilanda-Parkin, Kahuku — Batted 2 for 3 with three RBI and a run scored in a loss to Farrington

Keoki Planas, Kapaa — Struck out five, walked none and allowed one run on seven hits in seven innings pitched in a win over Kauai

Dane Ramos, Pac-Five — Batted 2 for 2 with three RBI and struck out four and allowed one hit in three scoreless innings pitched in a win over Hanalani

Russell Raqual, Hilo — Batted 3 for 4 with a double and two RBI in a loss to Kamehameha-Hawaii

Kekai Rios, Kamehameha — Batted 2 for 4 with a home run and four RBI in a win over Iolani

Reyn Shitanishi, Kalani — Batted 2 for 3 with a walk and three runs scored in a win over Kailua

Kekai Smith, Kalaheo — Batted 2 for 3 with a walk, four RBI and three runs scored in a win over McKinley

Jantzen Tamanaha, Punahou — Batted 3 for 3 with a triple, double, RBI, walk and three runs scored in a loss to Saint Louis

Travis Tanaka, Saint Louis — Batted 2 for 3 with a double, four RBI and a run scored in a win over Iolani and batted 3 for 4 with a double, RBI and a run scored in a win over Punahou

Joe Uesato, Kapolei — Batted 2 for 3 with a triple, three RBI and two runs scored in a win over Waialua

Jarred Uyeda, Aiea — Batted 3 for 4 with two home runs, a double and five RBI in a win over Nanakuli

Brett Walden, Farrington — Batted 3 for 3 with a triple, three RBI and a two runs scored in a win over Kahuku

Ryley Widell, King Kekaulike — Struck out 12 batters and scattered three hits in seven scoreless innings pitched in a win over Kamehameha-Maui

Casey Wong, Pac-Five — Batted 2 for 2 with a double, two walks, two RBI and three runs scored in a win over Hanalani

BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Emmett Enriques, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Had 11 kills in a win over Moanalua

Austin Matautia, Moanalua — Had 12 kills in a win over Kahuku and 13 kills in a loss to Kamehameha-Hawaii

Micah Maa, Punahou — Had 12 kills and three blocks in a loss to Huntington Beach

GIRLS WATER POLO
Chloe Malia Arnes, Kaiser — Scored four goals in a loss to Roosevelt

Shannon Foster, Waialua — Scored four goals in a win over Campbell

Rell Koizumi, Moanalua — Scored four goals in a win over Campbell

Charity Lopes, Kalani — Scored four goals in a win over Leilehua

Maddie McClendon, Le Jardin — Scored four goals in a win over Kamehameha II

Megan McHale, Waialua — Scored six goals in a win over Farrington

Lisa Namatame, Kalani — Scored four goals in a win over Leilehua

Naomi Peltier, Farrington — Scored four goals in a loss to Waialua

Alijha Tabanera, Farrington — Scored five goals in a win over Kailua

Brianne Tengan, Roosevelt — Scored four goals in a win over Kaiser

GOLF
Kyosuke Hara, Moanalua — Shot a 3-under par 69 to win the OIA boys' tournament at Oahu Country Club

Iris Kawada, Castle — Shot a 1-over par 73 to tie for medalist honors at the OIA girls' tournament at Oahu Country Club

Malia Nam, Kaiser — Shot a 1-over par 73 to tie for medalist honors at the OIA girls' tournament at Oahu Country Club

SOFTBALL
Seli Aholelei, Kaiser — Batted 5 for 5 with a home run, two triples, two doubles, eight RBI and four runs scored in a win over Kaimuki

Kaili-Ann Akimseu, Mid-Pacific — Batted 3 for 4 with a triple and four RBI in a win over Iolani

Sabrina Alo, Kahuku — Batted 3 for 4 with two triples, two RBI and two runs scored in a win over Farrington

Jocelyn Alo, Kahuku — Batted 2 for 3 with a home run, double, an RBI and two runs scored in a win over Farrington

Danielle Cervantes, Campbell — Struck out nine batters, walked two and allowed four hits in seven scoreless innings pitched in a win over Waipahu

Nichelle Chang, Sacred Hearts — Batted 2 for 4 with three RBI and a run scored in a win over Mid-Pacific

T. Coito, Kohala — Batted 3 for 5 with an RBI and two runs scored in a win over Konawaena

Kamalani Dung, Kamehameha — Struck out five batters, walked two and allowed three hits in seven scoreless innings pitched in a win over Punahou

Noelani Eskran, Molokai — Batted 3 for 4 with a double and an RBI in a loss to Lanai

Elisa Favela, Campbell — Struck out 10 batters, walked one and allowed one run on seven hits in eight innings pitched and batted 2 for 4 in a win over Pearl City

Tyra Fernandez, Honokaa — Batted 3 for 4 with a double, two RBI and a run scored in a win over Honokaa

Brooke Kaliihoomalu, Lanai — Batted 2 for 5 with two home runs and four RBI in a win over Molokai

Waipuna Kelly-Paleka, Lanai — Batted 4 for 5 with a home run and four RBI in a win over Molokai

S. Kimura, Kohala — Batted 2 for 5 with three RBI and a run scored in a win over Konawaena

Jenna Kumabe, Mid-Pacific — Batted 4 for 4 with two doubles, two RBI and four runs scored in a win over Saint Francis

Shearyna Labasan, Maryknoll — Struck out 11 batters, walked one and allowed two hits in seven scoreless innings pitched in a win over Kamehameha

Nicole Lopez, Mid-Pacific — Batted 2 for 3 with a home run, double and five RBI in a win over Saint Francis and batted 2 for 3 with a double, three RBI and a run scored in a loss to Sacred HEarts

Gwen Maeha, Leilehua — Batted 2 for 4 with a triple and three RBI in a win over Waianae

Rainelle Matsuoka, Kaiser — Batted 2 for 4 with two doubles, an RBI and two runs scored in a win over Roosevelt

Cheyne Obara, Pearl City — Batted 3 for 3 with an RBI and two runs scored in a win over Kapolei

Kiley Ozaki, Sacred Hearts — Batted 3 for 4 with three RBI and a run scored in a win over Mid-Pacific

Noel Saunders, Pearl City — Batted 2 for 4 with two doubles, three RBI and two runs scored in a win over Kapolei

Chelsea Soong, Kaiser — Batted 2 for 4 with a triple and two RBI in a win over Roosevelt

Kyler Tsukada, Moanalua — Struck out seven batters, walked one and scattered eight hits in seven scoreless innings pitched in a win over Roosevelt

A. Van Zant, Kohala — Batted 3 for 4 with an RBI and three runs scored in a win over Konawaena