Friday, February 1, 2002
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Sophomore Pikake Nutter-Gaudet took advantage of one bad pitch and Alexis San Nicholas took care of the rest yesterday to send Leilehua into the semifinals of the Chevron State Championship. Mules mar Mililani’s
state dreams
By Tim Crouse
tcrouse@starbulletin.comNutter-Gaudet rocketed a middle-of-the-plate fastball over the left-center field fence in the first inning for a two-run homer as Leilehua beat four-time Oahu Interscholastic Association champion Mililani 2-0 in a quarterfinal game at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
Leilehua meets OIA-rival Kailua at 8 p.m. tonight in the second semifinal. Kamehameha and defending champion Baldwin face off in the first semifinal at 6 p.m.
San Nicholas, also a sophomore, made the early runs stand up for Leilehua yesterday with a dominating complete game. She gave up just three hits and did not allow a Trojan baserunner to reach third base.
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Nutter-Gaudet, the Mules' clean-up hitter, said she wasn't trying to hit a home run when she went to the plate with a runner on first in the first inning."I was just trying to get a hit," she said.
Her blast gave the Mules extra confidence against the Trojans, who had won two previous meetings this season.
"With that we just felt like we had to hold them down," Leilehua catcher Heidi Garcia said.
Said San Nicholas: "We were struggling in the other games so we had to work really hard and make sure we had this game. This is my biggest win. It feels good."
Mililani threatened several times in the game, but San Nicholas did not give in.
"I felt pressure, but my fielders are good and they backed me up a lot," she said.
After allowing her first hit to Christal Chong in the third inning, San Nicholas hit Johnna Rowland with a pitch to put two runners on with one out. But San Nicholas made quick work of the next two hitters, getting leadoff batter Karyna Wilkerson to ground out to third and B.J. Shimamoto to ground out to second base.
Mililani put two runners on with two outs in the fifth, but San Nicholas responded with a huge strikeout of Wilkerson, one of only two punchouts in the game.
But the biggest play of the game came early for Leilehua when a Mililani baserunning error ended a potential threat in the second inning.
"Today (San Nicholas) knew what she had to do, she was confident," Leilehua catcher Heidi Garcia said. "Everyone was behind her and we said, 'Alexis, just do your job and we got your back.' "
Leilehua coach MaryAnn Christian said the previous losses to Mililani were because of fielding errors.
"I told them this is the third time, no excuses."
And now the Mules are a win away from entering the state final.
"I wouldn't have believed (we could be in the state semifinals)," San Nicholas said. "It's unbelievable."
Baldwin 8, Waiakea 0: Junior Sabrina Alesna-Mindoro had a huge day with the bat and in the pitcher's circle to help the Bears win their fifth straight state tournament game. Baldwin, the defending state champion, advanced to a showdown with Kamehameha -- a rematch of last season's finale, which the Bears won 1-0.
Alesna-Mindoro pitched a one-hitter and was 3-for-4 with four RBIs yesterday.
Kailua 11, Maui 2: The Surfriders scored eight runs in the first inning -- taking a 7-0 lead before the Sabers recorded the second out -- and cruised to a win over the Maui Interscholastic League champions.
Complete-game winning pitcher Danielle Young was 2-for-2 with an RBI during the rally. Kamaile Hughes chipped in with a two-run double.
Kamehameha 3, Waimea 0: Leo Sing Chow shut out the Menehunes on one hit and went 2-for-3 with a home run as the top-seeded Warriors advanced to a semifinal against Baldwin.
Leilehua 2, Mililani 0
Mililani 000 000 0 -- 0 3 1 Leilehua 200 000 x -- 2 4 2 W: Alexis San Nicolas. L:Miki Asamura.
Leading hitters -- Mil: Christal Chong 2-3. Lei: Shannon Guerrero 2-2, run; Pikake Nutter-Gaudet 1-3, 2-run HR.
Baldwin 8, Waiakea 0
Baldwin 203 012 0 -- 8 8 1 Waiakea 000 000 0 -- 0 1 4 W: Sabrina Alesna-Mindoro. L:Myra Amisone.
Leading hitters -- Bald: Zoie Sevilla 2-2, 3 runs; Ashlyn Russell 1-3, 2 runs, RBI; Kristi Ah Yen 2-3, 2 runs, RBI; Alesna-Mindoro 3-4, 3 RBIs. Waia: Jenna Yanagi 1-2.
Kailua 11, Maui 2
Maui 000 200 0 -- 2 4 5 Kailua 810 020 0 -- 11 14 3 W: Danielle Young. L: Jana Lee Medeiros.
Leading hitters -- Maui: Medeiros 2-3. Kail: Young 2-5, 2 runs, RBI; Kamaile Hughes 2-3, 2 runs, 2 RBIs; Latoya Lastimosa 2-3, RBI; Jaushlyn Mansinon 2-3, run.
Kamehameha 3, Waimea 0
Kamehameha 020 000 1 -- 3 6 0 Waimea 000 000 0 -- 0 1 2 WP: Leo Sing Chow. LP:Albette Nawai.
Leading hitters--Kam: Sing Chow 2-3, HR, 2 runs, SB; Gould 1-1, 2 RBIs. Waim:Destinie Keamoai 1-2.
Consolation Bracket
Kaimuki 7, Castle 2
Castle 011 000 0 -- 2 6 4 Kaimuki 113 101 x -- 7 7 2 W: Lovely Moyle. L:Anuhea Young.
Leading hitters -- Cast: Puna Waiolama 2-3, RBI. Kaim: Sheena Asaau 3-4, 2B, 2 runs, RBI; Dalia Solia 1-3, 2B, 2 RBIs.
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