Softball

No. 3 Maryknoll’s batters have found a big-time groove. Coach John Uekawa‘s softball squad launched two grand slams and put the hurt on No. 7 Kamehameha 16-9 on Wednesday at the Warriors’ home field. Catcher Liliana Thomas and right fielder Kaylah Santos went long with the sacks full, and the Spartans (3-0) also got a complete-game performance from Aloha Akaka, who earned the win despite giving up three round-trippers to the Warriors. “We’e been very, very fortunate with the bats, […]

Aiea is up to Division I from D-II in softball this year. It’s not the exact place coach Alan Higuchi and his Na Alii want to be, but they’re going to do the best they can. “If it was by choice, I would choose Division II,” Higuchi said via cell phone on Friday. “Our school enrollment is dropping. Whereas in the past we would have 1,200 students, it’s down to 980. It’s hard to compete with schools that have three […]

With two wins to start the regular season, Campbell moved up two spots to No. 1 in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser Softball Top 10 this week. The Sabers, who won three state championships in a row from 2015 through 2017 before being supplanted by Leilehua at the top in 2018, rolled past Aiea 12-2 and then edged then-No. 8 Kapolei 2-0. Campbell received five of 10 first-place votes and replaced Punahou at No. 1 in the poll. The Buffanblu, after suffering […]

For two West side softball powerhouses, it’s a different perspective. The Leilehua Mules are defending state champions and ranked No. 2 in the Star-Advertiser Top 10. Kapolei is at No. 8 and trying to move forward in a circumstance it has no control over. Hurricanes coach Keoke Behic has experienced just about everything in prep softball from his time as a coach at Pearl City — he guided the Chargers to a state title in 2006 — as an assistant […]

The OIA regular season began today in softball with the defending state champion and second-ranked Leilehua Mules earning a 10-4 win over No. 4 Kapolei. By game’s end, the temperature dropped a good 10 degrees at Kaala Elementary School field, but Leilehua’s bats stayed red hot. The defending state champions peppered and powered 13 base hits, including a home run by Gianna Araki. Third baseman Kiana Domingo, batting fifth in the Mules’ lineup, went 2-for-4 with a pair of two-run […]

In a parallel universe, Damien enters year one of varsity softball after two years of intermediate play, after at least one year of JV experience. And in that faraway world, the Monarchs play in a pure Division II schedule. Like OIA D-II. Damien’s debut in the brutal world of ILH softball was a rough one. The 38-0 loss to ‘Iolani was stocked with gap hits by the Raiders that rolled and rolled for stand-up home runs — six in all, […]

Punahou made it all the way to the state Division I final a year ago, and the Buffanblu are off to a undefeated preseason start in softball. As a result, they’re the No. 1-ranked team in the first Honolulu Star-Advertiser Softball Top 10 of the year. The regular season starts this week with the ILH playing three of four schedule games on Monday. Pac-Five had to forfeit its game against Mid-Pacific due to a lack of players. The defending D-I […]

Cira Bartolotti has traveled near and far to achieve a dream. The Kapolei senior signed with Hawaii on National Letter of Intent Day, but she is far from satisfied. “It’s motivation and a self-awareness having that motivating you to work harder knowing have (college) next year,” said Bartolotti, who struck out 76 in 80 innings as the Hurricanes’ ace last spring. In her first season at Kapolei after transferring from Maui, she also clocked a team-high five home runs with […]