KEALAKEKUA — Kamehameha moved one step closer to its sixth consecutive BIIF championship on Friday with a dominating 16-6 victory over top-seeded Konawaena on a wet and wild afternoon at Gabby Inaba Field.
Behind a three-run home run by Taylor Sullivan, the Warriors took a commanding 7-0 lead by the top of the second inning. Sullivan has carried a hot stick lately, with home runs in each of her last three games.
“Taylor has been stepping up more this year as a leader and we have been working to get her bat more consistent,” said Kamehameha coach Akea Kiyuna. “If the home run comes, then it comes. We are looking more for the smaller hits, but she stepped up today and helped take some of the pressure off the pitcher.”
Konawaena struggled defensively early on and were also hurt by an uncharacteristically wild performance from Shaylann Marie Grace in the circle.
Kamehameha pushed three runs across the plate in the first inning. Kiarra Lincoln led off the game and was hit by a Grace pitch. She moved around to third and scored on a throwing error to first by Grace off a bunt by Hiwa Helenihi. Leiloa Bustamante followed with a double, scoring Helenihi, and then rounded the bases herself to score off a sacrifice fly by Sullivan.
Grace walked the bases loaded late in the inning, but managed to escape the two-out jam with a strikeout.
Brooke Baptiste started in the circle for Kamehameha and put the Wildcats down in order in the bottom of the first.
In the second inning, Grace hit Lincoln a second time to open the frame, but she managed to get the next two batters out. However, Jessica Cameros doubled to left, scoring Lincoln, and Baptiste reached on a single, setting the stage for Sullivan, who sent a pitch over the left field fence for a 7-0 Warriors lead.
“Shaylann is really good and she has a lot of movement and spin so I was just trying to make contact with the ball,” Sullivan said. “I was trying to get my hands inside the ball because I noticed that I get more inside than outside pitches.”
Konawaena fought back in the bottom of the second off four singles and a costly error by Kamehameha. Teizha Kaluna and Erin Kaimuloa Bates led off the inning with a pair of hits to right field. Kaimana Manzano walked to load the bases and Jenai Halemano beat out a bunt single, scoring Kaluna.
Tianny Tagavilla laid down the second bunt of the inning and beat the throw to first. The late throw sailed over the head of the first baseman, allowing the bases to clear. Tagavilla ended up on second with her team now within three runs of the Warriors. She later scored on a wild pitch, cutting the Warriors’ lead down to 7-5.
“I told the girls (after Konawaena started to come back) to start playing our game again and not to get flustered,” Kiyuna said. “When they started to put the pressure on I just told them to relax and get back to the basics.”
Kamehameha began to build its lead back up in the top of the fourth, pushing six runs across the plate. Five of the six runs were charged to new Konawaena pitcher Andi Uemura, who took over for Grace at the start of the third inning.
The top of the fourth opened with the first Kamehameha batter of the inning standing on first after getting hit by a pitch for the third time in the game. A walk and a bunt single loaded the bases for Ashlyn Wengler, who singled to center, knocking in two runs. After another run scored on a wild pitch, Grace moved back inside the circle, but allowed two of her inherited runners to score, and allowing one run of her own, before getting out of the inning.
The inning also included a 10 minute rain delay. Wet conditions plagued the game from the start, but only got worse as each inning passed. In the fourth, the downpours started, and would hit frequently, for short periods of time, throughout the rest of the game.
In the top of the fifth, Kamehameha managed to get its final three runs off a walk, another hit batter, an error and a couple of singles.
Kamehameha’s Baptiste went into cruise control after allowing a five-run second inning. She forced the Wildcat batters to hit the ball on the ground, and entered the bottom of the fifth inning needing only three outs to get her team one win away from another title.
Konawaena did not go quietly in the inning but a base running mistake would quell a potential rally. Grace led off the inning with a bunt single and Kaluna followed with a walk. Bates flew out to right field and Grace moved to third on the play. However, Kaluna was caught in a rundown between first and third.
Knowing they had two runs to work with to get the mercy rule victory, the Warriors allowed Grace to score in order to guarantee the second out of the inning, which came when Kaluna was tagged near second. Kaimana Manzano then flew out to right field to end the game.
In the win, Baptiste allowed six runs, but only four earned, off six hits. She struck out three and walked two.
“Brooke has matured a lot over this season, just like the rest of her teammates,” Kiyuna said. “If an error is made and the other team scores runs, she is able to get her focus back and help out her teammates.”
Leading the Warriors’ offense, Helenihi and Cameros had three hits apiece.
Grace took the loss, allowing 11 runs, six earned, off eight hits. She struck out three and walked three. Uemura allowed five runs, all earned, off four hits. She also walked three batters. No Konawaena player had multiple hits.