OIA Softball
Campbell edges Kapolei, 4-3, to clinch West title


  



Thu, Apr 21, 2016 @ [ 6:00 pm ]


FINAL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Kapolei 0 120000392
Campbell 1 1 10001482

W: Danielle Cervantes    L: Sadie Kapaku-You

CAMP: Darien Robinson 1-3 rbi dbl; Danielle Cervantes 7.0 IP 3 ER 4 K
KAP: Laugatausala Pedebone 2-4 2 runs rbi 2 dbl; Sadie Kapaku-You 7.0 IP 2 ER 5 K


WAIPIO – Elisa Favela's two out, RBI single with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning scored Cydney Curran with the winning run and No. 1 Campbell beat No. 3 Kapolei, 4-3, Thursday to clinch the Oahu Interscholastic Association Western Division crown.

The Sabers (11-0), who extended their winning streak to 15 dating to last year's state tournament, will draw a first-round bye in next week's OIA tournament. The Hurricanes (9-3) have to wait for result of Saturday's Campbell-Mililani game that ends the regular season. If the Trojans (9-2) win, they will earn the division's second seed and first-round bye. If Mililani and Kapolei tie for second, a coin toss will break the tie since they split the season series and have beaten the same opponents.

Starting pitchers Sadie Kapaku-You of Kapolei and Danielle Cervantes of Campbell engaged in a duel in a game that was tied at 3 after three innings before the home-team Sabers pulled out the win at the Patsy T. Mink Central Oahu Regional Park.

After Cervantes retired the Hurricanes in order in the top of the seventh, the Sabers sent up pinch hitter Trinity Favela, who drew a four-pitch walk, the only free pass allowed by Kapaku-You. After Cieana Curran struck out, Cydney Curran reached on an infield single that sent Trinity Favela to second. Sissy Pantastico grounded to short that resulted in a force out at third. Jocelyn Alo then beat out a single to shortstop Laugatausala Pedebone, who looked toward second initially for the force before deciding to throw to first. Elisa Favela then singled to right-center for the game-winning hit.

"I was a little nervous because I wasn't doing so good," said Elisa Favela, who was 0 for 3 (she did reach base on an error in the third inning) before delivering RBI single. "I told myself, ‘Gotta help out the team.' I just had to believe in myself and just make contact any way possible."

Campbell jumped out ahead in the first without hitting the ball out of the infield thanks to a walk, two infield ground outs and two passed balls to take a 1-0 lead.

But the Hurricanes tied it in the top of the second on successive doubles by Pedebone and Lili Kaimi.

The Sabers regained the lead in the bottom of the second when Caragh Morris reached on a high-chop single between third and short and scored when Darien Robinson smoked a line drive double to the right-center alley.

Kapolei took the lead in the top of the third when Kapaku-You doubled and her courtesy runner Alexys Wilhelm scored on Pedebone's second double of the game. Pedebone then scored on Kaimi's line single to center to put Kapolei ahead 3-2.

But Campbell tied it in the bottom of the frame. Pantastico singled with one out and an out later, scored when Elisa Favela reached on a two-base throwing error by third baseman Raina McKean.

Kapaku-You and Cervantes settled down the rest of the way until the Sabers started their seventh-inning rally. Each pitched the distance. Kapolei's pitcher was charged with four runs, two earned, eight hits and a walk with five strikeouts. Cervantes, who entered the game with a 0.53 earned run average, gave up three runs, nine hits and a walk with four strikeouts. Both were backed by nice defensive plays, albeit Kapaka-You was hurt by her team's errors and passed balls.

"Sadie's great," Campbell coach Shag Hermosura said. "She hit her spots well, she changed speeds. She pitched to location, really kept us off-balanced. We didn't hit the ball like I know we can. Sadie did a hell of a job."

The Sabers, who have won six games by more than five runs, were kept in check by Kapaku-You. It was the second time she kept the Sabers to four runs, the fewest the Sabers have scored in a game this season. The Sabers won the March 28 meeting, 4-2.

"That kid did an awesome job," Kapolei coach Tony Saffery said of Kapaku-You. "So I'm really excited for postseason for the kids…I'm so happy with where the direction is going."

After the shaky first three innings, Cervantes settled down and kept the Hurricanes off the board the rest of the way. The Hurricanes hit four doubles in the first three innings, mostly pulling inside pitches. Kapolei's heart of the order – Kapaku-You, Pedebone and Kaimi (three, four and five hitters in the order) – combined to go 1 for 6 after batting 5 for 6 in their first to at-bats.

"They were looking for the inside pitch," Hermosura said of the Kapolei hitters. "As you can see (later in the game) we went outside."

By the same token, Kapaku-You tried to jam Campbell's left-handed hitters inside, as the Sabers are deft at opposite-field hitting.

It was the kind of game the Sabers needed with postseason starting next week.

"Last year was last year," Hermosura said. "This year is this year. We have to start playing like the way we were last year. Forget what happened last year and keep on working. Preparation gives us an opportunity to be successful. Tonight was a game that was who really wanted to win, how much heart you have."

 



Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at [email protected].




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