Keesha Matsuoka looked good in practice for Honokaa and Tyrah Fernandez finally was able to practice.
They combined Tuesday to help the Dragons softball team to their best victory of the season. Fernandez finished with three hits and Matsuoka pitched five innings as Honokaa beat Konawaena 7-5 in Kealakekua in a Big Island Interscholastic Federation Division II game.
Honokaa (4-3) won its third straight to tie Kohala for second place in Division II. The No. 2 seed will host a BIIF semifinal series.
“That’s our goal,” Honokaa coach Wesley Fujimoto said.
The Wildcats had home-field advantage last season and beat Honokaa in the semifinals, but Konawaena (3-4) fell a half-game in back in fourth place.
Fernandez was playing for the first time this season because she was only recently able to practice after getting a physical. She keyed Honokaa’s five-run second inning with a two-run single.
Starting in the circle for the first time this season, Matsuoka allowed three runs – two earned – on five hits and four walks with two strikeouts.
“Keesha looked good in practice (Monday),” Fujimoto said.
Sarah Sedillo, Kayla Requelman and Taylor Tabucbuc finished with two hits apiece for the Dragons. Tabucbuc had an RBI single, as did Maluhia Sanchez.
“The girls stuck together and did what they were supposed to do.” Fujimoto said.
Shyla Victor and Jordan Losalio-Watson each had two hits for the Wildcats.
Trailing 7-3 in the bottom of the seventh, Teizha Kaluna brought in a run with a hit and another run scored on a wild pitch. But with the potential tying runs on base, Tabucbuc retired Sierra Amor on a pop out to end the game.
“We played errorless ball and that really helped,” Fujimoto said.
In a complete game, Victor yielded 12 hits and six earned runs with three walks and four strikeouts.
Honokaa 105 100 0 – 7 12 0
Konawaena 002 010 2 – 5 8 4
Waiakea 23, Keaau 8
Brandee Chinen finished with four hits, Kristi Harata pitched into the sixth and the visiting Warriors scored 13 first-inning runs to drop the Cougars into a tie for first place.
Harata, who finished with a strikeout in picking up the victory, had two of her team’s 19 hits, including a double. Taylor Nishimura was 3 for 5 for Waiakea (3-3), Tierra Teves went 3 for 6 and Jayla Costa tripled.
Caitlyn Calhoun started but only got one out for the Cougars (6-2).
Waiakea ( 13)03 007 – 23 19 4
Keaau 401 030 – 8 7 1
Hilo 14, Ka’u 4
The Vikings (6-2) won at Walter Victor Stadium to move into a first-place tie atop Division I.
The Trojans fell to 2-5.
Monday
Kohala 20, Hawaii Prep 0
Kiana Alejandro-Cazimero pitched three hitless innings and didn’t walk a batter in Kapaau and Denae Rivera drove in five runs.
Alejandro-Cazimero struck out two and had a double at the plate, and Rivera was 3 for 4 with a double and a triple. Kaila Tabiola-Amaral had two hits and two RBIs, and Setsuko Kimura had two hits and one RBI.
Keola Stevens took the loss for Ka Makani (1-5).
HPA 000 0 – 0 0 8
Kohala 3(14)3 –20 12 1