FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM
Amber Waracka pitched Kamehameha to a 2-1 win over Pac-Five yesterday in ILH softball at Ala Wai Community Park.
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Waracka, Kamehameha edge Pac-Five
It took almost six weeks for the Pac-Five Wolfpack to learn what the rest of the Interscholastic League of Honolulu has known.
Amber Waracka can be a demoralizing wrecking ball. The Kamehameha senior struck out 11 as the second-ranked Warriors edged Pac-Five 2-1 yesterday at Ala Wai Community Park.
Waracka outdueled Wolfpack sophomore Sheridan Mahelona, who allowed one earned run and seven hits. Unlike many of Waracka's foes, Pac-Five was far from demoralized. The 'Pack had her on the ropes several times, but left eight runners stranded on base. Pac-Five went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position as Waracka gutted out several threats.
Kamehameha improved to 10-1 in ILH play (23-1 overall), while Pac-Five slipped to 6-5 in the league.
"Pac-Five is a good team. They don't belong in D-II," Kamehameha coach Randy Tamura said.
Though Waracka has dominated the league, she couldn't get her repertoire of pitches working, and Pac-Five never lost hope. A crater in front of the pitcher's mound had a profound effect on her riser, drop and curve.
"I like these situations when it's tight," Waracka said. "If we want to do good the rest of the season, we have to fight through. I'm proud of my team. They were backing me up even though I wasn't doing that good."
She only walked one, but gave up seven hits to the scrappy 'Pack.
"We changed our game plan. She's so dominant, so we did a lot of small ball," Pac-Five coach Randy Oyama said. "The girls executed, by and large."
The Warriors opened the first inning with an unearned run off Mahelona, who dropped a pop-up on a bunt attempt by leadoff hitter Fraser-Ann Fellezs. Pomaikai Kalakau's two-out infield single brought Fellezs home for a 1-0 lead.
Waracka struck out the side in the first, but Pac-Five loaded the bases with no outs in the second. Two strikeouts and a flyout later, Waracka was out of the inning unscathed.
Chante' Tesoro led off the third for Pac-Five with a single and made her way to third base, but again, the 'Pack came up empty.
Kamehameha tacked on a single run in the fourth with three consecutive singles. Pinch hitter Briana Sauer removed her nose ring in the middle of her at-bat, then delivered an opposite-field single to give the Warriors runners at the corners. Pinch hitter Marche Llanes, a freshman, then socked a single to left, scoring Ashley Morisako for a 2-0 Kamehameha lead.
Pac-Five ended the drought in the bottom of the fourth on Joedee Lovell's single to left, scoring Sammy Ford. However, with runners at second and third with no outs, the next two Wolfpack batters missed squeeze-bunt signals from Oyama. Britney Hagihara struck out, Angie Yoshizu was tagged out by Waracka in a rundown between home and third, and Alena Hookano struck out to end the inning.
Pac-Five got runners in scoring position again in the fifth and sixth innings, to no avail.
Iolani (5-6) |
001 |
000 |
00 |
-- |
1 |
8 |
0 |
Maryknoll (7-4) |
000 |
000 |
12 |
-- |
3 |
8 |
1 |
Brittney Guro, Kelly Imada (8) and Kai Masutani. Ariel Silva and Kimi Okaneku.
W--Silva.
L--Guro.
Leading hitters--Iolani: Jana Tokuhama 2-4, 2b; Masutani 3-4; Shanna Tashiro 2-3, RBI. Maryknoll: Kori Nishitomi 2-4, RBI; Joni Shimomura 2-4.
St. Francis 7, Mid-Pacific 3
Ululani Reyes hit a line-drive single to left-center to drive in Brittnee Vierra and Kayla Sakamoto in a four-run fifth inning to lead the Troubadours past the Owls at Kamamalu Park.
Winning pitcher Titisi Tualau pitched six solid innings of one-hit ball, whiffing six.
Mid-Pacific (2-9) |
000 |
000 |
3 |
-- |
3 |
4 |
4 |
St. Francis (6-5) |
000 |
142 |
x |
-- |
7 |
9 |
3 |
Desi Dung, Tori Hamura (7) and Kaydi Kochi. Titisi Tualau, Jessica Tang (7), Ashley Smith (7) and Briana Tovio-Asato.
W--Tualau.
L--Dung.
Leading hitters--St. Francis: Smith 2-3, RBI, run; Chelsea Kaluhiokalani 1-3, 2 RBIs; Ululani Reyes 1-2, 2 RBIs.
oia red east
No. 4 Moanalua 11, Kalaheo 1, 5 innings
Sarah Robinson went 2-for-4 and struck out out 13 while giving up only three hits from the pitcher's circle to lead Na Menehune over the Mustangs.
Britni Ronolo helped out with a 2-for-3 performance.
Caira Pires hit a solo home run in the first inning to give Kalaheo its only run.
Moanalua (10-1) |
|
313 |
22 |
-- |
11 |
8 |
0 |
Kalaheo (1-10) |
|
100 |
00 |
-- |
1 |
3 |
0 |
Sarah Robinson and Kylee Oshiro. Kara Holtzman and Hiilei Olsen.
W--Robinson.
L-- Holtzman.
Leading hitters--Moanalua: Robinson 2-4, Britni Ronolo 2-3. Kalaheo: Caira Pires HR, Liliuokalani Cabral 2b.
Roosevelt 17, Kalani 5, 5 inn.
After a scoreless first, the Rough Riders' bats caught fire to produce 17 runs on 18 hits in the next four innings to crush the visiting Falcons in a game shortened by the mercy rule.
Tiana Sugui's double to left-center in the bottom of the fifth scored the game's final three runs.
Kalani (1-10) |
011 |
03x |
x |
-- |
5 |
3 |
4 |
Roosevelt (7-5) |
053 |
36x |
x |
-- |
17 |
18 |
3 |
Chelsea Yamamoto and Kristi Belshe. Lianna Bajarin and Kamalei Pitoy.
W--Bajarin.
L--Yamamoto.
Leading hitters--Roosevelt: Charisse Tanabe 3-4, 2 runs; Paika Frank 2-4, 2b, run; Pitoy 3-4, 2 runs; Lindsay Takekawa 3-4, 2b, 3 runs; Tiana Sugui 2-4, 2 2bs, 3 RBIs, 3 runs.
oia red west
No. 4 Campbell 7, No. 6 Leilehua 1
The Sabers scored six runs in the first inning and Leinna Kalua hit a solo home run in the fourth to beat the Mules at Kaala Elementary School.
Kalua finished 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI for Campbell.
Campbell (8-3) |
600 |
100 |
0 |
-- |
7 |
8 |
4 |
Leilehua (8-4) |
000 |
001 |
0 |
-- |
1 |
3 |
1 |
Breanne Patton and Anu Yamaguchi. Kaylen Ynigues, Alex Smith (2) and Chasea Crawford.
W--Patton.
L--Ynigues.
Leading hitters--Campbell: Leinna Kalua 2-3, HR, 2 runs, RBI; Rika Pantohan 2-3, 2b, RBI. Leilehua: Kristen Campogan 3b.
Pearl City 9, Aiea 3
Lauren Fujisaki retired 12 batters in a row and had a no-hitter through four innings to lead the host Chargers over Na Alii.
Maya Nagata went 2-for-4 with three RBIs for the Chargers. Fujisaki also helped her own cause by going 3-for-4.
Aiea (0-11) |
000 |
021 |
0 |
-- |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Pearl City (2-9) |
010 |
125 |
x |
-- |
9 |
12 |
3 |
Marcelle Hiruko, Rayna Strom-Okimoto (5) and Kori Nishi. Lauren Fujisaki and Maya Nagata.
W-- Fijitaki.
L--Hiruko.
Leading hitters--Pearl City: Fujisaki 3-4, 2 runs; Brooke Kamahiai 2-3, 2 runs; Nagata 2-4, 2 runs, 3 RBIs.
oia white
McKinley 5, Anuenue 3
Catcher Trudy Hong hit a run-scoring triple to left field in the bottom of the sixth to help the Tigers edge visiting Na Koa.
McKinley withstood Anuenue's rally, matching Na Koa run-for-run in the fourth and fifth innings.
Anuenue (0-11) |
000 |
120 |
0 |
-- |
3 |
7 |
2 |
McKinley (4-6) |
100 |
121 |
x |
-- |
5 |
5 |
4 |
Kala Lewis and Kaena Kirkland. Rachel Ragus and Trudy Hong.
W--Ragus.
L--Lewis.
Leading hitters--Anuenue: Lewis 2-4; Kirkland 2-4, 2 RBIs. McKinley: Kylie Sato 2-3, RBI; Hong 3b, RBI.
Farrington 14, Kaiser 4, 6 inn.
The Govs posted runs in every inning against the host Cougars before the game was ended in the sixth due to the mercy rule.
Farrington starting pitcher Felicia Tui went the distance, striking out six.
Amber Salez led all hitters, going 4-for-5 with two RBIs.
Farrington (8-4) |
322 |
421 |
x |
-- |
14 |
16 |
5 |
Kaiser (8-3) |
101 |
200 |
x |
-- |
4 |
5 |
3 |
Felicia Tui and Kinciana Ngiralmau. Kayla Alcoran and Chelsy Okuma.
W--Tui.
L--Alcoran.
Leading hitters--Farrington: Amber Salez 4-5, 2b, 2 RBIs; Ngiralmau 3-5, 3b, 2 RBIs; Chanel Canan-Sevao 3-5. Kaiser: Okuma 2-4, RBI.