KOHALA — Playing in what seemed like a dust bowl, the Kohala Cowgirls swept visiting Honokaa in the BIIF D-II semifinal series on Friday at Kamehameha Park. Kohala won both games by the 5-inning run rule, taking the first game 10-0 and the second game 13-2.
In extremely dry conditions that saw play halted on several windy occasions by the home plate umpire to allow the dust to settle, the Cowgirls managed to take advantage of control issues by several Honokaa pitchers and advance to the championship series next week against Kamehameha. With the win, Kohala also secures one of three D-II spots for the HHSAA state playoffs.
“Kamehameha is tough but we can hang with them. We just have to be confident,” said first-year Kohala coach Joby Amaral. “Making the playoffs (Friday) was a huge weight off our shoulders. We felt the weight and that is why we started off so slow, but the girls kept their heads up and we hit. That is the name of the game. We had to hit.”
In the opening game of the semifinal doubleheader, Kohala held a 2-0 lead over Honokaa heading into the fifth inning. Ashlyn Van Zandt and Setsuko Kimura led off the bottom of the fifth with a pair of singles to center. Tomiko Coito knocked in Van Zandt on a double to left. Jurnee Keawe reached on a fielder’s choice with the out coming on Kimura at third. Denae Rivera followed with a single up the middle, scoring Coito and Keawe for a 5-0 advantage.
A walk to Kiera Javillonar and singles by Symphony Kauanoe, Kiana Alejandro-Zazimero, Van Zandt and Kimura added five more runs. Kimura’s single knocked in two, ending the game early.
Kauanoe was lights out inside the circle. She faced only four batters over the minimum in the complete game performance, allowing one hit, hitting one batter, and allowing two runners to reach base on errors. She struck out seven — including the last three batters in the fifth inning — and walked one.
The second game was not as clean as the first for the Cowgirls, but they still managed to put it away early. Kohala jumped out to a 9-0 lead after two at-bats off six walks and back-to-back, in-the-park home runs by Rivera and Coito.
Honokaa scored two runs in the bottom of the second as Kohala starting pitcher Alejandro-Cazimero struggled with her control, walking two and hitting two batters. With the bases loaded, the starter was pulled for Van Zandt, who allowed two inherited runners to score on a single to left by Kayla Requelman before getting out of the inning.
Van Zandt would not allow another Dragons’ player to cross the plate, enabling Alejandro-Cazimero to pick up the win. Kohala added four more runs in the top of the fifth off a second in-the-park home run by Rivera, a double by Kyrah Sol, a pair of singles by Kumulani Ka’ai and Kailena Kaaekuahiwi, and two walks.
Rivera led the Cowgirl offense, going 4-for-7 with seven RBI’s in the doubleheader.
“Denae didn’t over-swing and she kept her head in there and made contact,” Amaral said. “We have to see the ball to hit the ball and she did a good job doing that and hitting the ball hard.”
The championship series between Kamehameha will be held at Old Kona Airport Park, with a doubleheader on Friday and a third game on Saturday if necessary.
The season is not over for Honokaa. The Dragons will have a chance to earn a spot in the HHSAA tournament in the BIIF third place game against Konawaena on Wednesday at 3 p.m. at home.
Kamehameha sweeps
Mykala Tokunaga tossed a one-hitter and a three-hitter, and Tokunaga, Kiarra Lincoln and Kekai Wong Yuen each posted multihit games in both ends of the doubleheader as Kamehameha swept its way back into the BIIF final, beating Konawaena 11-1 and 12-2 in the Division II semifinals Keaau.
Tokunaga, a junior right-hander, struck out three and walked two in Game 2, while Jaysha Alonzo-Estrada led the charge at the plate, finishing with three hits and three RBIs for the three-time defending champion Warriors (12-0). Makena Wagner had two hits and drove in three runs, and Taylor Sullivan (two hits, RBI), Lincoln (two hits, RBI) and Tokunaga (three hits) each doubled.
Teizha Kaluna pitched five innings and took the loss for the Wildcats (5-7). Bethany Batangan hit a two-run single to account for Konawaena’s runs.
Tokunaga struck out seven in a five-inning TKO in the opener and the only hit she allowed was a run-scoring single to Kaimana-Joy Manzano in the fourth inning.
Lincoln and Wong Yuen each doubled and drove in two runs against Batangan, who pitched four innings.