[ HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL ]
CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARBULLETIN.COM
Punahou's Kaulana Gould slid safely back to third base while Kamehameha shortstop Sharee Fonoti tracked down the ball during the seventh inning yesterday.
Kamehameha goes 21
to defeat Punahou 2-1
All good things must come to an end, but for five hours and thirty-seven minutes, the Kamehameha and Punahou softball teams did their best to disprove that theory.
Brandi Peiler's line drive snuck underneath the diving attempt of Buffanblu right fielder Nicky Hanaysu and rolled all the way to the fence as Peiler raced around the bases to score the game-winning run in the bottom of the 21st inning as Kamehameha defeated Punahou 2-1 in what is being considered the longest softball game in Hawaii history.
"Simply amazing," was how Kamehameha coach Ty Sing Chow described the marathon game, which even featured a "bathroom break" intermission after 16 innings.
The win leapfrogs Kamehameha into first place in the ILH at 7-0-1, while Punahou dropped to 7-2. Ties happen only as a result of darkness, which is why this game, which began at 10 a.m., was allowed to continue for 21 innings.
"I've never been involved in a game like this," Punahou interim coach Ray Minami said. "What a well-played game."
Kate Robinson picked up the win in relief of starter Noe Esperas for the Warriors, pitching seven innings, giving up three hits and no runs while walking one and striking out eight.
"All of our pitchers were great," Sing Chow said. "While they had to rely on their one pitcher, we could go to any three of our pitchers and feel confident in them."
Peiler was the other pitcher used by Sing Chow, giving up five hits and no runs in seven innings, including escaping a 2-on, 1-out jam in the 14th inning.
Even in the loss, however, the story of the game might be Punahou starting pitcher Sarah Weisskopf, who pitched the entire game for the Buffanblu, throwing 209 pitches -- 152 for strikes -- and giving up just one earned run.
"Sarah was outstanding," Minami said. "She showed so much courage out there, and was just so strong mentally."
CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARBULLETIN.COM
Punahou's Sarah Weisskopf went 20-plus innings, throwing 209 pitches, but she gave up the winning run in the 21st.
The only earned run Weisskopf gave up happened to be to the first batter she faced, as Liane Horiuchi lined a shot into the gap in right-center for an inside-the-park home run. She then proceeded to hold Kamehameha scoreless for the next five and a half hours, until Peiler's hit in the bottom of the 21st ended it.
"I wish we coulda put a couple more runs out there, but Kamehameha played a real good game," Weisskopf said.
Up 1-0 after the first inning, the Warriors seemed like they wouldn't relinquish the lead, as Esperas was nearly unhittable for the Warriors. The Buffanblu advanced just two runners past first base the first six innings, and couldn't muster any offense until the top of the seventh.
Weisskopf and Kim Nagamine opened the inning with back-to-back walks, as Esperas seemed to tire. After a sacrifice bunt moved the runners into scoring position, Kelli Ishii hit a ball into the hole at short, but Warriors shortstop Sharee Fonoti kept the ball from reaching the outfield, limiting the Buffanblu to just one run on the play. Jeri Shimazu had a chance to give Punahou the lead, but her suicide-squeeze attempt failed as pinch runner Talia Autele was thrown out at the plate.
Nicole Kalakau nearly ended the game hours earlier for Kamehameha as she led off the ninth inning with a rocket to left field, but Shimazu made a tough over-the-shoulder catch to keep the game going.
"Both teams had their chances," Sing Chow said. "You could tell they really wanted this game, but our girls came ready to play as well."
As the innings dragged on and on, both teams had to make adjustments to the length of the game, as coach Sing Chow had his team switch to lighter bats to avoid any extra fatigue.
While this game featured many unbelievable performances, it was Peiler's hit, the 26th of the game, that made the difference.
"When I saw that ball go underneath her glove, all I could think was run, run, run," Peiler said. "That game was pretty intense, but that's what we practice for."
What makes Peiler's hit even more impressive was that she had been battling the stomach flu all week, and woke up extra early before the game, feeling sick.
"I felt it come on during the middle of the game, but in a game like this, you've got to do whatever you've got to do to win."
Even if it takes 337 minutes.
Kamehameha 2, Punahou 1
WP--Kate Robinson. LP--Sarah Weisskopf.
Leading hitters--Kam: Brandi Peiler, 5-9, run; Robinson, 3-8; Kaui Tom, 3-7, 2b. Pun: Weisskopf, 4-7, 2b, BB; Kelli Ishii, 2-8, RBI.HBA/SA/SF 6, Mid-Pacific 0
WP--Carolyn Fisher. LP--Miya Quinn.
Leading hitters--MPI: Miya Quinn, 2-3.Iolani 15, Maryknoll 1
WP--Sheryl Fukuda. LP--Jade Kuruhara.
Leading hitters--Iol: Kaz Masutani, 3-3, RBI; Tara Yanagihashi, 3-5, 3 RBIs; Blair Agena, 3-4, 2 RBIs; Fukuda, 2-2, RBI; Ame Uyema, 2-2, RBI; Monique Obra, 2-4, 3b, 3 RBIs; Taralyn Odo, 1-3, 2b, RBI. Mryk: Jess Akamine, 2-3, 2b, 3b, RBI.University 16, Sacred Hearts 0
WP--Mandy Yoshizu. LP--Allie Castellano.
Leading hitters--UHS: Dory Baga, 2-3, 3 runs; Yoshizu, 2-4, 2b, 2 runs; Iwalani Yamaguchi, 3-4, 2b, 2 runs; Layla Lariosa, 2-3, 2b, run. SHA: Castellano, 2-2.
OIA East
Roosevelt 11, McKinley 0
WP--Genoa Aiko. LP--Gloria Hong.
Leading hitters--Roos: Meghan Pasion, 2-4, 2 RBIs; Kimberly Fuller, 2-3, 3b, RBI.Kailua 10, Kaimuki 0
WP--Courtney Kessell. LP--Mindy Hirokawa.
Leading hitters--Kail: Tanisha Milca, 3-5, 2 2bs, 2 RBIs; Kessell, 3-4, 2 2bs, 2 RBIs.Castle 7, Moanalua 2
WP--Lia Pedrine. LP--Mika Tanji.
Leading hitters--Moan: Mika Tanji, 2-3. Cas: Lia Pedrine, 2-3, 2 RBIs; Sheynah Farley, 2-2, 3 RBIs.
OIA West
Campbell 5, Aiea 0
WP--Shafawn Eltagonde. LP--Ashley Sato.
Leading hitters--Cam: Alicia Pada, 2-3, 3b; Brittany Velez, 2-2. Aiea: Sato, 2-3.
