StarBulletin.com

Roosevelt wins the Red


By

POSTED: Sunday, May 03, 2009

Big things come in little packages, at least for the Roosevelt Rough Riders.

Charisse Tanabe belted a two-run homer in the fourth inning and Roosevelt held on to shock defending champion Mililani 3-1 in the final of the Oahu Interscholastic Association Red Conference softball tournament.

Under coach Clay Okamura, Roosevelt (14-1) captured its first OIA softball crown to return to the state tournament for the first time in a decade.

Tanabe's homer came moments after Cierra Kapea reached base on an infield error.

“;It was outside and high,”; she said of the pitch from Mililani starter Kylee Rodrigues. “;I was, 'Oh my gosh!' I really needed that. I wasn't hitting.”;

Lianna Bajarin, mixing fastballs and changeups, held down the fort the rest of the way and finished with another complete-game victory. The junior southpaw scattered six hits and struck out three.

She didn't walk a batter until the bottom of the seventh, when Rodrigues reached base to lead off the frame. After Courtney Senas reached base on an infield single, the Trojans suddenly had the tying run at first base and the potential winning run at home with Jaimee Aiwohi up to bat.

However, Bajarin induced Aiwohi into a groundout to short, ending the game.

Tanabe, the shortstop, was a defensive force. Her wide-ranging stop, 360-degree turn and throw from behind second base on Glenelle Nitta's hard grounder put an end to Mililani's scoring threat in the sixth inning.

Roosevelt, ranked No. 9 in the Star-Bulletin Softball Top 10, was led by Tanabe and Bajarin at the plate. Bajarin went 3-for-4.

Roosevelt took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Kamalei Pitoy walked and came in to score on a single to left—and fielding error—off the bat of Bajarin.

Second-ranked Mililani (12-3) answered with a run in the bottom of the first when Rebecca Lee singled, stole second and came home on a groundout by Aiwohi.

 

At CORP

                                                                                                                                                           
Roosevelt (13-1)1002000393
Mililani (12-3)1000000172

Lianna Bajarin and Lindsay Takekawa. Kylee Rodrigues, Kishti Kamaka (5) and Rebecca Lee. W—Bajarin. L—Rodrigues.
Leading hitters—Roosevelt: Charisse Tanabe 1-4, HR, 2 RBIs; Bajarin 3-4. Mililani: Lee 2-4, run, SB.