State softball setbacks: Warriors, Cowgirls, and Daggers suffer eliminations in tournament play
Rewritten Article:
Here's the lowdown: Five Big Island Interscholastic Federation (BIIF) softball teams are battling it out on Oahu this week in the HHSAA tournament, but it's not all sunshine and rainbows.
Three of those teams took a hit in the opening rounds on Tuesday, leaving them to fight for their spot in the consolation brackets.
The unlucky ones include the Waiakea Lady Warriors, who faced off against Kaiser in the Division I tournament. Despite a promising start, scoring three runs in the first inning, Kaiser managed to claw their way back and secure a 10-3 victory. The Lady Warriors now stand at 8-5 for the season, while the Lady Cougars improved to an impressive 12-2.
Kaiser racked up an impressive 13 hits compared to the Lady Warriors' mere four. The game turned South when Kaiser's Paisley Kuba smashed a three-run homer in the third inning, giving them the lead they held onto until the final out.
Kuba ended the game with an amazing four hits, while teammates Audrey Higa, Sadie Tanabe, Makenzie Yokoyama, Elyse Yoshioka, and Madeline Nelson each picked up hits. The Lady Cougars' pitchers, Yoshioka and Yokoyama, combined for four hits, three runs, and five strikeouts.
The Lady Warriors were led by Tehani Chinen who managed two base hits and an RBI. Kaelyn Sewake and Kaitlyn Miura also chipped in with one hit each. Chinen handled the pitching duties, allowing 13 hits, 10 runs, and striking out two.
With this loss, the Lady Warriors will now face Moanalua in the consolation bracket at 9:15 a.m. this morning at RWSS. From here on out, they'll be fighting for ninth place in the state tournament.
Meanwhile, the Lady Cougars moved on to play second-seeded Maryknoll in the DI quarterfinals.
Over in the HHSAA Division II bracket, the BIIF DII runner-up Kohala Cowgirls faced off against Kailua. It was a close game, but the Lady Surfriders managed to squeeze out a 7-0 victory, leaving Kohala with seven hits while they logged just seven.
Mahealani Alayon and Caydence Kauhi led Kailua with two hits each, followed by teammates Amythest Thomas-Sare, Miyah Galdeira, and Harmony Kamalani with one apiece. Kauhi also hit a home run.
Kamalani was a force in the pitching circle, allowing only two hits, no runs, and racking up 11 strikeouts. She has a 2025 record of 8-2 with an ERA of 1.74.
Mahealani Pang and Maile Karratti picked up Kohala's only hits. Kalia Marquez handled the pitching for the Cowgirls, allowing seven hits, five runs, and striking out three.
With this win, Kailua moves on to face No. 1 seed Kapa'a in the DII quarterfinals. The Cowgirls, now 10-3, will play Aiea at 10 a.m. this morning at McKinley High School in the consolation bracket. Kohala, with a record of 9-3, will be playing for ninth place in the state tournament.
Pahoa also joined the DII bracket, going up against Radford. Despite a valiant effort, the Lady Daggers fell 12-2. The Lady Rams managed six hits to the Lady Daggers' two.
Leading the Lady Rams was Kyralee-Marie Cordeiro with a game-high two hits. Aubryanna Benjamin, Emma Hoolulu, Brandie Pahia-Obra, and Jesley Arakawa each picked up one hit for the Lady Rams. Pahia-Obra was the only pitcher, earning the win after allowing only two hits, two runs, and striking out eight.
Isabel Tokelau and Kawena Alatini managed to pick up one hit each for the Lady Daggers. Alatini was their sole pitcher, allowing six hits, 12 runs, and striking out three.
Radford, with a record of 9-3, played second-seeded Pearl City in Wednesday's quarterfinals, while the 4-7 Lady Daggers moved on to face Waialua in Wednesday's late-afternoon consolation matchup.
- Makenzie Yokoyama, a member of the victorious Kaiser softball team, contributed to their success with a hit in the game against Waiakea.
- The Kapa'a softball team, currently undefeated in the HHSAA Division II bracket, will face Kailua in the quarterfinals, following their win against Radford.
- In the HHSAA Division II tournament, Pahoa lost to Radford, and they will now compete against Waialua in the consolation bracket on Wednesday afternoon, fighting for a higher placement in the state tournament set for 2025.
