HILO – Gold Coast took the field defying uniformity. Some players, such as pitcher Telsea Taketa, wore sky blue jerseys, but others sported shirts that were royal blue, fluorescent green, red or yellow.
The All-Star softball team’s appearance might have been jumbled, but its execution in Game 1 of the Little League Majors District 4 playoffs was seamless.
Gold Coast played clean and organized Friday at Walter Victor Complex, and after a 10-0 victory against Hilo that took all of 80 minutes, coach Jerry Hiraishi told his girls to try even harder Saturday.
“If we go to California, there are better teams, we just have to improve,” Hiraishi said. “We can’t let down.”
Gold Coast of West Hawaii can clinch a trip to San Bernardino, Calif., for West Regionals (ages 10-12) with in a win in Game 2 at 9 a.m. Saturday. If Hilo should win, a decisive game will be held Sunday, but Hiraishi clearly doesn’t want that, and when he emphasized that to his team in a postgame talk, the All-Stars replied in unison, “Yes, coach.”
“It’s good to have a tough coach,” said Taketa, who struck out seven in a four-inning complete game. “He pushes us harder to want to win. I think it’s better than having a soft coach that doesn’t want as much.”
Taketa, the younger sister of recent Kealakehe graduate Tavian Taketa, pounded the strike zone with fastballs and didn’t allow a hit until the fourth, and by then Gold Coast already led 10-0, batting around in the second and third innings for a pair of five-run rallies.
“I was trying hard to put it where it had to be,” said Taketa, who allowed two hits and walked two.
Hilo starter Dioni Lincoln retired the side in the first inning, but she walked the bases loaded in the second. Anela Spencer bunted home the game’s first run, and Kanoe Piltz, Tehani Epenesa (2 for 3, two RBIs) and Kierra Molina (2 for 3, three RBIs) followed with run-scoring hits.
Hilo’s defense committed three errors in the third, setting up Epenesa’s RBI single and triple by Molina that plated two more runs.
Even when Hilo did manage its first hit, Lincoln was cut down trying to extend her single into a double. Gold Coast made just one error.
“At this age, it’s about getting them to focus,” Hiraishi said. “One error in softball can mean the game. That’s my job is to get the best out of them.”
Half of his team returned from last season, when Gold Coast got a bye at districts and won states to advance to regionals. It fell a game short of reaching the regional final in California. There is no state tournament this season, putting Gold Coast on the cusp of another trip to the mainland.
“Hopefully those returnees can step it up and help the younger kids,” Hiraishi said. “This year, I don’t have the same talent as last year. We just have to be more team-oriented.”
Baseball
Elisha Martin homered and tripled to power West Side Hawaii to a 12-0 victory against North Hawaii to open a double-elimination Minors District 4 tournament.
James Kapela picked up the win with two hits at the plate, and Evan Elarionoff also had two hits for West Side Hawaii, which will face Hilo at 12:30 p.m. Saturday. Hilo got a bye.
Jake Bannister was the losing pitcher and Quentin Hook finished with two hits for North Hawaii, which takes the field again Sunday against the West Side Hawaii-Hilo loser in an elimination game.
