HHSAA Softball
PAC-5 outlasts Nanakuli, will face off with Waimea in D2 final


  



Thu, May 4, 2023 @ [ 11:30 am ]


FINAL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Nanakuli 2 0100351182
Pac-FIVE 0 0 306031272

W: Elyse Yoshioka    L: Malia Felisi-Enriquez

P5: Kaiya Tom 2-4 2 runs 2 rbi HR; Elyse Yoshioka 7.0 IP 10 ER 11 K
NANA: Sienna Kauhi 1-2 2 runs 3 rbi HR; Melody Makanaole-Baligad 2.6 IP 0 ER 2 K


For each of the Division II titlists, the magic number was 12.

PAC-5 withstood a furious comeback by never-say-die Nanakuli with a last gasp rally of their own to inch out a 12-11 win in the first semifinal of the DataHouse/HHSAA Division II softball championships at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium, while Waimea broke a stalemate with seven unanswered in the sixth and seventh to take down Kamehameha-Hawaii, 12-5.

Trailing 11-9 with three outs left in the game, the Wolfpack got things going with one out when Kaiya Tom drew a walk then got the tying run aboard when Elyse Yoshioka was hit by a pitch a batter later. The Hawks opted to intentionally walk Milan Ah Yat to load the bases, then hit Chloe Horikawa with a pitch to bring in a run for the home team, and slimming the lead to just one.

That set the stage for Iida, who smashed a double to left center for a walk off two-RBI double to end it.

It was a fitting end to a back and forth affair that saw Nanakuli jump ahead early with a two run home run off the bat of Jhan'z Kaawa-Kawai, then add another to the score tally in the third when Daniella Samson-Wright came in to scvore on a throwing error.

The Wolfpack tied the score with three runs in the bottom of the third, capitalizing on two walks and two errors to even up the game.

Then in the fifth, PAC-5 put together a huge inning offensively, sparked by a solo home run by Tom to lead off the inning. Five more runs would touch home plate in the inning off of four hits, but the damage could have been even greater had it not been for a catch at the fence by Nadine Schmidt Sakaba that robbed Ah Yat of a would be grand slam homer that would have ended it.

Momentum swung Nanakuli's way in the sixth and top of the seventh, with three runs in the sixth coming in to score with one swing of the bat by pinch hitter Sienna Kauhi, and five more in the top of the seventh as the Hawks parlayed three hits and an error into a two run lead heading into the last of the seventh.

Yoshioka went the distance, allowing 11 runs on eight hits, walking nine but registering 11 strikeouts to earn the win.

The win puts PAC-5 into the Division II title game for the first time since 2016, where it went on to win a fifth state crown in its program's history (6-4 over Nanakuli).

Michael Lasquero | SL    Purchase image

Waimea 12, Kamehameha-Hawaii 5

Taelor Camelo went the distance and the Menehune bats registered 12 runs on 13 hits to take down BIIF champion Kamehameha-Hawaii, 12-5, to reach the title game for the first time since 2012, where it defeated Nanakuli 12-4 for its second state softball title overall.

The game remained essentially deadlocked through the first five innings of play, with five runs scored a piece by the two teams. Waimea took command in the sixth, however, plating four runs on three hits, capped off by a two-run home run by Kayla Prigge.

Three more runs came home in the seventh for the Menehunes, who benefitted from two errors and a pair of wild pitches that all but put the game out of reach for the Warriors.

Waimea won its first state title in 1990.





Show your support

Every contribution, no matter the size, will help ScoringLive continue its mission to provide the best and most comprehensive coverage of high school sports in the state of Hawaii and beyond.

Please consider making a contribution today.

ADVERTISEMENT


IMAGE GALLERY



MORE STORIES

Punahou continues unbeaten streak, hands Kamehameha second straight loss

Third-ranked Warriors suffered consecutive losses in the regular season for the first time since 2017.

No. 4 Iolani rallies to hand No. 1 Kamehameha first ILH loss

Ethan Akagi and CJ Taira scored the winning runs for the Raiders off a wild pitch to hand the top-ranked...

Punahou pulls away from PAC-5 to notch first ILH win

The Buffanblu ended a five-game skid and broke into the win column to keep the Wolfpack winless in the...

Kalani's Nishigaya headlines All-OIA East selections

Forward/midfielder Kaiulani Nishigaya helped lift Falcons to first-ever league title; Kaiser's Noelani...

Trojans' Fuamatu-Maafala leads All-OIA West picks

Mililani's Iai Fuamatu-Maafala named Player of the Year; Campbell's James Curran named coach of the year.

Knights' Turcios named All-OIA East player of the year

Damon Turcios lone Castle player named to first team; Kailua's Joseph Wood named coach of the year.