St. Francis 10, KS-Hawaii 0, final (5 innings)
The Saints capture their first state championship in softball with a dominant performance. Sierra Kupihea hurls a two-hitter with three strikeouts and two walks. The Saints win the Division II crown with the biggest margin of victory in the final since Waimea topped Nanakuli 12-4 in 2012.
Fifth inning
The Warriors get a walk by Baptiste and a two-out single by Kuulei Ili, but Kupihea gets Kawehi Ili to fly out and it’s over.
Fourth inning
Ah Yat is hit by pitch and after a single by Kalani, Matsumura brings Ah Yat home with a groundout. ST. FRANCIS 10, KS-HAWAII 0.
The Warriors go 1-2-3 and that’s 10 in a row retired by Kupihea.
Third inning
Another KSH error, their fourth of the game, sets the Saints up again. Keliinoi is hit by pitch — the third of the game by Baptiste — and Mahelona singles to left, scoring Kalani. KSH LF Jessica Cameros saves further damage, leaping at the fence to steal a home run by Ofoia. After walking Kealoha, Baptiste gets Perreira on a forceout to end the frame. ST. FRANCIS 9, KS-HAWAII 0.
Again, Kupihea sets the Warriors down in order. That’s seven batters retired in a row.
Second inning
The Saints tack on two more runs, benefitting from two hit batters and an error. Skye Ah Yat’s two-run single down the left-field line scores Mahelona and Ofoia. ST. FRANCIS 8, KS-HAWAII 0.
The Warriors go 1-2-3 in the top half of the second against Kupihea: pop-up, fly out, strikeout.
First inning
Saints are extremely opportunistic from the start. With one out, Ka‘ena Keliinoi reaches base on a throwing error by SS Kawehi Ili. Kailee Mahelona then yanks an 0-2 pitch from Taylor Sullivan for a two-run homer to left. That. Was. Quick. It doesn’t end there. Sullivan walks Sammie Ofoia, the clean-up hitter, on four pitches, and walks Kolbee Kealoha on five tosses. Kamaile Perreira comes up clutch again, drilling a triple to the corner in right, scoring Ofoia and Kealoha for a 4-0 lead. Brooke Baptiste replaces Sullivan on the mound. Perreira later scored on a groundout by Jordyn Lono and Ah Yat, who walked, came home on a single by Kaitlyn Kalani. ST. FRANCIS 6, KS-HAWAII 0.
Huge opportunity for the visiting Warriors, who get a one-out walk from Kawehi Ili, a single by Dioni Lincoln and a sac bunt-turned-fielder’s choice for Jessica Cameros — Ili was safe at third on the tag attempt — to load the bases. But St. Francis pitcher Sierra Kupihea retired Leiloa Bustamante (strikeout) and Taylor Sullivan (fly out) to end the threat.
Pre-game
The game is underway between unseeded St. Francis and No. 2 seed Kamehameha-Hawaii. The Saints are ranked No. 4 in the Star-Advertiser Softball Top 10 rankings, tied with Punahou, but aren’t seeded in the state tourney because the ILH has only two D-II programs in softball. BIIF D-II champ KS-Hawaii is 20-3 entering the game. St. Francis is 12-3.
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