In a game plagued by defensive miscues on both sides, the Konawaena Wildcats continued their roller-coaster season with a loss to Nanakuli in the first round of the HHSAA state softball tournament at McKinley High School in Honolulu.
Konawaena committed eight errors in the field on Tuesday and Nanakuli followed right behind with seven, but the Oahu team offset their mistakes with heavy hitting. The Golden Hawks posted 21 hits to the Wildcats’ five.
The Nanakuli offense was led by second baseman and leadoff hitter Daria Kawaauhau. Kawaauhau went 4-for-5 with two runs scored. Third baseman Chalyssa-An Belford and catcher Kaila Burnett followed with three hits apiece. Burnett scored twice and knocked in a run. Belford knocked in two and scored twice.
Center fielder Emma Kawaiaea, shortstop Cheyenne Lute and pitcher Autum McCoy picked up two hits apiece. McCoy had a double and a solo home run.
The offensive production for the Golden Hawks kicked into gear with a 2-2 tie going into the bottom of the second inning. Nanakuli scored six runs for an 8-2 advantage. The Wildcats answered with four runs in the top of the third but it would be as close as they would get. The Golden Hawks scored three runs in the bottom of the inning and put the game away with five in the fifth.
The Konawaena offense did not have nearly the same punch as Nanakuli. The Wildcats spread out five hits to five different batters. First baseman Kiersen Kawe Kahale led the output by going 1-for-3 with two runs and an RBI.
Bethany Batangan took the loss for the Wildcats from inside the circle. She threw 4-1/3 innings until the game was halted due to the run rule in the bottom of the fifth. Six of the 16 runs were unearned. She walked two batters.
McCoy allowed four earned runs in five innings of work. She struck out seven and walked one.
Nanakuli moves on to the second round of the state tournament on Wednesday where they will take on No. 1 seeded Pac-5 at 7 p.m. Konawaena falls into the consolation bracket and will play Thursday at 1 p.m.