No team seemed to have a solution for the hot bats of Leilehua’s softball powerhouse.
The Lady Mules had mowed down a string of opponents in recent games. They scored 18 runs in a playoff win over Moanalua. Twelve in a semifinal victory over Waianae. Then came Campbell, and when the Sabers turned to Chloe Sales, she was ready. The southpaw went the final four innings as the Sabers rallied from an early deficit for a 12-3 victory over Leilehua for the OIA Division I championship at McKinley on Saturday night.
Sales scattered five hits over those four scoreless innings with three strikeouts and no walks. She felt her curve ball doing its magic in pre-game warmups, but wasn’t certain she would see game action.
“I talked to her before the game,” Sabers coach Michael “Shag” Hermosura said “Nadia (Delzer) pitched two games, and I wanted four or five innings from her tonight. Chloe came in and did her job. She’s been working on certain pitches to dive in, get in under their hands better. Just as long as she knows her strides.”
Sales was ready when her opportunity came.
“I was kind of scared at first, but I knew my defense had my back, so I calmed down,” she said.
The development of Sales and Delzer, along with an air-tight defense, has the Sabers 15-0 in OIA play. It is their first unbeaten run.
Sanoe Samate’s two-run blast gave Campbell the lead, 4-3, in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Senior Alesia Ranches sparked a key seven-run push in the sixth inning that turned a close game into a 12-3 lead. Ranches blasted a three-run homer.
“I think I had one strike and two balls. I just just looking inside. It was a fastball in and I got a little jammed. I was surprised. I didn’t think it would go over, that’s why I was running so hard to first. Maybe it was the wind,” said Ranches, who signed with Iowa State on Wednesday.
It’s a mind-set knowing that Leilehua is a team that would capitalize on our mistakes.
“No matter how hard we fall, we always have each other’s back. We don’t want it to be like last year, where we won OIA and then lost at states. We want to stay humble and hungry.”
Ahhh! Heard coach shags no like play scrimmage against Saint Francis when they tried to put it together. Claims his girls “gottah rest and no like them get hurt”
We all knw the truth. That they beat u guys during preseason not once but twice! N the umpires blew the game. Don’t try and deny it Campbell, ur coach even talked to us Waianae parents from Waianae softball team n admitted and said “thank god the umpires missed those calls because we should’ve lost” He started laughing and said “oh well we got the win”
Come on that ain’t no champ team! Play a real game. Be honest take some pride. If u the best why u making excuses to play a good team. In fact, why deny any team that like play u guys? Scared to lose? Scared the next time will be different? Haha. The word going around is that Campbell coaches n players are scared to play Saint Francis. Every team on this island including OC16, Hawaii Prep World want to see this game put together. Do a scrimmage, no excuses now. Or is there more excuses to come? Campbell, if u think ur good convince ur coach to play saint Francis. Until then u sand bagging. Play Punahou or Saint Francis. That’s a REAL game.
Come on, DON’T BE AFRAID TO COMPETE “CHAMPS” Waianae will for real be there to watch this game! I’m sure many more teams will to.
As you know preseason is all about tryouts…hmmm, sorry maybe you don’t know because you don’t have a clear understanding of what “preseason” means. In fact not sure if you have a clear understanding of sports, by your comments above. Campbell has been competitive and there’s no denying. They weren’t always that way but through club league, volunteer coaching and parent commitments, these girls, in fact a lot of athletes succeed. Let’s not spread hate against these kids. Coach shag has been coaching for a couple decades. It’s called experience and it comes with time, commitment, efforts and sacrifices. There will always be haters no matter what sport and that’s okay, just don’t hurt the kids…clearly you are personally attacking these girls at Campbell and to you sir…that is not okay. Great job Coach Shag. Proud parent of Ewa Beach softball.
Irrelevant comment ….
Teams must continue to win in order to earn a specific matchup!
Congratulations to the Campbell softball program. Well deserved.
@BFavela I’m sorry if I come off as hating. I dont hate Campbell. I jus want to see a gud match up. Don’t u want to see a killah game? It’s not for D1 yea I get that. But it’s jus to see who’s a better team. Shag said in his video he support Sfs move to D1. Why not accept the challenge maybe after the states? After the championship game? Or now when OIA jus finished?
Heard Punahou wants to play Sfs before States to prepare them. Shags won’t scrimmage any team before States? I don’t believe that. I think he’s scared to lose to punahou or Saint Francis. I don’t mean to call on the Campbell girls, gud job! As for shags, he’s scared. He doesn’t want to lose. Any great coach, like our girls coach, coach keoki, coach boy and coach rose wud accept a killah scrimmage/game before states. Why not? Cuz injuries and rest? Got 2 weeks till the states. Not gonna scrimmage any team, jus practice? I guarantee u, the players and u parents probably all wud be like “yea come, we kick ur butt” haha. That’s how SHOULD be that’s why. But shags no like. Like I said, I no mean to call out the players, they have no say. But the head coach. Step it up. U shud accept any challenge. Ur attitude shud be like the parents. Confident in the players n pride in the school. Gud luck in the future Sabers. Hope u guys play punahou or Saint Francis soon. Scrimmage. That’s all. Rajah, shoots!
^^^ This is a crazy post! Campbell has no obligation to scrimmage anybody DURING the season. Campbell has enough teams to worry about in D1 states and they can prepare for it however they want. St. Francis is a D2 team and that’s not Campbell’s fault, that’s the fault of St. Francis administration.
St. Francis should just worry about D2 states since that is where they are whether they like it or not. There’s one team from Big Island that is legit good this year.
One scrimmage will not prove who the better team is!
Sometimes the better team does not even win the championship; so this persons plea to scrimmage should be disregarded.
Good luck to all teams!
Hahahaha!!! This post is comical! This person obviously does not have a clue about the game at all! To say Coach Shag is afraid to play a scrimmage shows your lack of knowledge from a coaches perspective. St. Francis does have very talented players but too bad your administration doesn’t have faith in them, leaving them no choice but to remain in division II.
Eh bottom line we all like see competition. Nobody care about D1 D2. Everyone who knows softball can see the truth. If anyone to blame should be the people running separate divisions. D2 down here get couple teams. Point less. Make everybody D1. Let the girls compete. Yea Saint Francis In D2, cannot help the AD screwed his own softball team over bcuz he felt that they weren’t deserving n the head coach for Saint Francis never made sure to put them in D1. Not the girls fault but they have no choice. I agree with u @Waianae I like see some ACTION. I know where u coming from braddah. It’s not about D1 it’s about competing. Yup we like see that match up. Jus let em play shags. 76 south not scared. I take pride in da Sabers, Line em up!
“Saber Pride Softball Parent” How you going agree with @Waianae? “I like see some action”? You sound just as uneducated about the game as they are! Campbell did play St. Francis in tournament play and both games were good and very competitive. To agree and say that coach Shag is scared to play is outrageous and not a smart decision being that they are getting ready to compete for a State title and you put your players at risk of getting injured to satisfy someone’s interest in “watching one game with action”! Besides, the main reason for different divisions is safety for the athletes and to avoid runaway games. This would not be of interest to people who don’t know anything about coaching this game besides “ho cuzz, they scade fo play us”…. amazing! In conclusion, its funny how @Waianae puts St. Francis as the top team when they had a very hard time winning that semifinal game last year against Konawaena!
@weaksydah
St francis should’ve one both games n shag himself told us all that. It came out his mouth. He even said recently he no like play saint Francis bcuz if they lose he doesn’t want his girls to feel discouraged going into States. Come on now, that doesn’t sound like a gud coach. Sounds like he’s scared bcuz he knows they’ll lose. AND as a proud saber softball parent, I say WE AINT SCARED OF NOBODY! LINE EM UP SHAGS! Believe in ur own girls. Weaksydah, if u feel gud about winning without playin a gud team ur sad. Obviously this whole state knows Saint Francis should be D1. So ur seperste division about run away games wud not happen. So that’s irrelevant. This game wud be killahz! His own family Kevin the one got fired, said shags scared.