An 11-1 loss to West power Mililani in the OIA semifinals might be just what East champion Kaiser needed. “Eminem said it: ‘Snap back to reality, oh there goes gravity,’ ” Kaiser coach Mitch Matsumoto said. “Our goal was to get the bye as the East’s top seed and to make it to states. We did it. Now we can say that we are one of the best 12 teams in the state. “The teams in the West are hands […]
Kamehameha and Maryknoll will represent the ILH at the Datahouse Divsion I State Softball Championships at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium beginning May 12. The Spartans beat Mid-Pacific 13-1 to wrap up the league’s second berth on Saturday morning at Sand Island. The ILH only gets two berths this year, last year it got three and all three powers made the trip. But it didn’t help the league, as only the Owls made the Final Four and the title game was […]
The sun was starting to go down behind the buildings to the southwest of the Punahou softball diamond, giving the atmosphere a golden hue. Buffanblu senior starting pitcher Nicole Nishizawa was walking in from the outfield after working with her teammates to dismantle the makeshift home run fence. She had just played her last high school game and she went over to the dugout, where coach Bobby Makahilahila was packing up some final things before departing. They shared a few […]
One sister was pitching. The other sister was hitting against her. One was, disappointingly, eliminated along with her. The other will play at least one more game. During an ILH softball tournament elimination game Wednesday, Mid-Pacific senior Kaili-Ann Akimseu and Punahou freshman Bailey Akimseu matched up against each other. It was the third time this season that Kaili-Ann pitched against her sister Bailey. “We have a running joke going because all three games they’ve faced each other, Bailey gets beaned,” […]
OIA East champion Kaiser is a win away from rare territory for the school. The Cougars are the East’s top seed in next week’s OIA softball championship, giving it a valuable first-round bye. The Cougars play either Kapolei or Roosevelt at home on May 6, and a win would put it in the Division I state tournament for the first time since 1997. Kaiser was in the division II tournament in 2013. Should the Cougars get upset, they would play […]
So, can you name the best high school softball team in the state? Tough question. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser has run its weekly Softball Top 10 since March 10, and since that time three teams have made it to the top. But it’s a revolving door. Mililani has been the No. 1 team four times in the eight weeks, and Kamehameha and Campbell have ruled the roost twice. But a fourth team — Marykoll — has threatened to get there nearly […]
After being stifled over the weekend, Punahou’s offense came out swinging on Wednesday. The fifth-ranked Buffanblu got contributions throughout the batting order and off the bench in an 11-0 ILH softball win over No. 6 Mid-Pacific. Eleven Punahou players — seven starters and four pinch hitters — reached base safely and eight recorded hits to propel the Buffanblu to a bounce-back win following their 5-0 loss to Kamehameha last Saturday. Punahou (5-1) recorded 11 hits and scored at least two runs […]
BEAUTIFUL afternoon in Central Oahu. Blue skies, a few white puffy clouds and blazing sun here at Mililani High School, where No. 1 Campbell is visiting the second-ranked Sabers. The wind blowing into home plate from left field is powerful, 10 to 25 mph. First inning Campbell’s Cydney Curran socked a one-out single, but a 4-6-3 double play ended the frame. Sabers ace Elisa Favela looks strong, setting the side down in order with two strikeouts. She froze the leadoff […]