Courtney Kessell doesn't go out trying for strikeouts. And she doesn't think too much about no-hitters and perfect games. Perfect Kessell gets
support in Kailua win
By Tim Crouse
tcrouse@starbulletin.comBut the Kailua sophomore was perfect yesterday against Lahainaluna in the quarterfinals of the Chevron State Softball Championships at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
Kessell retired all 15 hitters she faced in a five-inning 12-0 win over the Lunas. The game was shortened due to the 10-run mercy rule.
"I don't know how we could have played too much better," Kailua coach Bernard Victor said.
DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM Kailua's Rusty Ann Borges stole second as the ball got by Lahainaluna's Kelsi Fushikoshi. Borges later scored.
The last quarterfinal between Mililani and No. 2 seed Baldwin was rained out last night. That game will be played this afternoon at 4.
Top-seeded Kailua (14-0) then plays unseeded Waiakea tonight at 6 in the first semifinal, and defending state champion and No. 2 seed Kamehameha faces the Mililani-Baldwin winner at 8.
The championship game is tomorrow at 8 p.m.
With the way Kessell is pitching and the Surfriders are hitting, they should find themselves in that final game.
Assistant coach Eddie Mitsuda said the players and coaches believe Kessell has the ability to throw a no-hitter or perfect game every time out.
"She averages 10 strikeouts a game," Mitsuda said. "In the regular season she pitches only seven games and had 71 strikeouts."
Kessell didn't reach 10 strikeouts yesterday -- sitting nine Lunas down, but threw 80 percent of her pitches for strikes.
The biggest Lahainaluna rally against Kailua was getting to a two-ball count, and that happened only once.
"It felt like a regular game," said Kessell, who took her perfect game in stride. "We did everything well. Especially our hitting and our defense."
Kessell threw 51 pitches -- 41 for strikes. Relying mainly on her riser, she got two ground outs and four pop flies to go with the nine whiffs. Kessell went to a two-ball count to only one hitter -- Audrey Chihara, the first of the game -- but rebounded to strike her out.
The Lunas (15-5) hit just one fair ball out of the infield.
"Everything was working," Kessell said.
On offense, Kailua took different routes for six-run innings in the third and fourth.
The Surfriders took advantage of two errors, three walks -- including two with the bases loaded -- and a hit batsman to score six times in the third. Kamaile Hughes knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly, another run scored on a wild pitch and another on an error.
Kailua got out its hitting sticks in the fourth, pounding out seven hits before the Lunas retired a batter. Kamaile Hughes and Pikake Choy Foo each had two-run singles to highlight the outburst.
"Hopefully we can step it up a notch more (against Waiakea)," Victor said. "If Courtney pitches like that and we hit like that we'll have no problems."
Loke Lastimosa was 3-for-3, Kessell had a pair of hits and Tanisha Milca also had two hits.
Waiakea 6, Waimea 2: With two outs and a full count, senior Kuulei Kahanu blasted a three-run home run in the fourth to lead the Warriors (11-2) into the semifinals.
It was Waiakea's biggest state tournament win since a 1-0 quarterfinal victory over Kamehameha in 2000.
Elise DuPonte scattered four hits to get the win for the Warriors, who knocked off Punahou on Wednesday.
Waiakea banged out 10 hits and benefited from three errors by Waimea (10-3).
With the two wins in this tournament by Waiakea, Big Island Interscholastic Federation teams are now 3-13 at states the past three seasons.
Kamehameha 9, Kapolei 1: Eight errors against the defending state champions, and the pitching of Kate Robinson, was too much for the Hurricanes to overcome.
Robinson allowed two hits and a run over five innings and the Warriors (16-2) pounded out 12 hits to reach the semifinals for the third straight season.
"I'm very happy for this first game," Kamehameha coach Ty Sing Chow said. "Kapolei is a very good team. We were fortunate that we were able to jump on them and keep it going."
Kamehameha scored on an error in the bottom of the first to take a 1-0 lead. After Kapolei (12-4) tied it in the fourth, Lena Nahale hit a sinking line drive to left that scored Sharee Fonoti with what proved to be the winning run. Fonoti had led off the inning with a single and moved to second on an outfield error.
Kamehameha put the game away with six runs in the fifth. Brandi Peiler drove in Napua Naumu, who had tripled to start the inning, to give the Warriors a 3-1 lead, and the rout was on. The Hurricanes committed three errors in the inning.
Peiler pitched the sixth and freshman Noe Esperas finished up in the seventh.
Kapolei, playing in its first state tournament, scored its lone run in the fourth when Austi Paris ripped a run-scoring double just over Peiler's head in left.
Peiler was 3-for-4, Naumu had the triple and a double and Kaulana Gould added two hits and two RBIs.
Consolation
Leilehua 3, Punahou 0: Alexis San Nicolas scattered eight hits in shutting out the Buffanblu (14-5). Leilehua (10-6) plays the winner of today's Hilo-Castle game for the consolation championship tomorrow.
All games at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium, unless otherwise stated State softball
SEEDED TEAMS
1. Kailua (14-0),
2. Kamehameha (16-2),
3. Baldwin (14-3),
4. Waimea (10-3).WEDNESDAY
Lahainaluna 4, Leilehua 2
Kapolei 3, Hilo 0
Waiakea 3, Punahou 2
Mililani 4, Castle 2YESTERDAY
Leilehua 3, Punahou 0
Waiakea 6, Waimea 2
Kailua 12, Lahainaluna 0
Kamehameha 9, Kapolei 1
Game 9: Baldwin vs. Mililani, ppd. rainTODAY
Game 9: Baldwin vs. Mililani, 4 p.m.
Game 10: Hilo vs. Castle, noon, at McKinley (at Castle at noon in event of rain)
Game 11: Waimea vs. Lahainaluna, 2 p.m., at McKinley (at Kailua at noon in event of rain)
Game 12: Kapolei vs. Game 9 loser, 4 p.m., site TBA
Game 13: Kamehameha vs. Game 9 winner, 6 p.m.
Game 14: Waiakea vs. Kailua, 6 p.m.TOMORROW
Game 15: Leilehua vs. Game 10 winner, 2 p.m.
Game 16: Winners of Games 11 and 12, 4 p.m.
Game 17: Losers of Games 13 and 14, 6 p.m.
Game 18: Winners of Games 13 and 14, 8 p.m.
Hawaii School Web Sites
