Ever-resilient and ever-competitive, the Kohala High softball program is just like Terrence Alcoran left it, even if all the players have changed.
Alcoran, back guiding the Cowgirls after a three-year break, went through the conflicted feelings of being a coach Saturday after Kohala’s rally fell short against three-time BIIF Division I champion Waiakea, which held on for a 13-12 win on its field.
“I’m satisfied with how they did,” Alcoran said. “Losing by one run to Waiakea is pretty good.”
A few seconds later after discussing Kohala’s early season fielding issues, Alcoran said: “Should have had them. I hate that, even with Kealakehe (a 9-7 loss Feb. 26), I know we can beat these teams.”
He reinherits a program that lately has been as consistent as any in Division II not named Kamehameha, and it boasts one of the league best players in junior pitcher/slugger Mikayla Kekoa, who wasn’t available against Waiakea (4-0) because of SAT testing.
The Cowgirls (2-2) have made eight consecutive trips to the HHSAA tournament, four from 2011-14 under Alcoran, who succeeded Nathan Kekoa.
“I’m still (getting used) to the girls,” Alcoran said, “but they are getting better and are going to do good this year.”
Kayla Kealoha drove in five runs for the Cowgirls, hitting a grand slam in the second inning as Kohala took a 7-2 lead.
Warriors senior Shaily Moses was the biggest thorn in Kohala’s side, driving in five runs with a pair of two-run doubles, the latter of the two highlighting an eight-run third inning that got away from pitcher Symphony Kauanoe, a four-year contributor.
The first four batters in the order, Kauanoe (double), Kalia Amaral, Kealoha and Missy Fernandez, each finished with two of the Cowgirls’ 10 hits against Halee Sweat, who went the distance for Waiakea and struck out 10.
In the fourth, Kauanoe walked and those next three batters singled as Kohala rallied for four runs to take an 11-10 lead. Nicole Castillo was hit to drive in one run, and Cheylin Imai’s walk brought home another.
“We can hit,” Alcoran said. “The hitting part I’m worried about.”
Waiakea went ahead for good in the fifth. Brandee Chinen led off with a walk, Jolene Hirata reached on a fielder’s choice, and two batters later Moses’ grounder was misplayed for an error and two runs scored.
“That’s our problem,” Alcoran said, “if we can fix the defense.”
“Before I left we could field but not pitch,” he joked. “Now we can pitch but not field.”
Trailing by two in the seventh, Amaral’s hit and a throwing error brought in one run, but Sweat buckled down and got the final two outs. The sophomore allowed five earned runs and walked six.
Chinen was key at the top of the lineup, going 2 for 3 with two RBIs and four runs scored and Alize Ka’apana and Johnacy Mackwelung also finished with two hits apiece. Ka’apana fueled the rally in the third with a two-run single.
Kauanoe struck out four and walked seven.
Hilo-area teams have had trouble working on fielding drills in practice because of the wet weather, but Alcoran said East Hawaii schools have it easy.
“I wish we had all the baseball parks like (here), there’s like a 100,” he said. “We got 20 teams, with T-ball and all, all sharing one park in Kohala.”
Kamehameha 9, Honokaa 0
Six innings
Brooke Baptiste pitched a one-hitter and delivered at the plate as well with a two-run triple and an RBI double as the host Warriors sent the Dragons (4-1) to their first loss.
Baptiste struck out four and walked three for Kamehameha (3-0), which coaxed eight walks from Alexis Martinez.
Kawehi Ili posted an RBI triple among her three hits, Dioni Lincoln doubled twice with an RBI and Kawai Kauahi-Raquel also doubled in a run.
In 3 2/3 innings, Martinez struck out two and was charged with seven runs and six hits.
Kealakehe 26, Hilo 5
Four innings
In their third trip to East Hawaii in six days, the Waveriders poured it on at Carvalho Park, evening their record at 2-2.
Nanea Kaluau tripled and doubled among her three hits, Dezarae Garcia finished with two doubles and a single, and Lucky Isisaki, Telsea Taketa, Lisan Mudong and Zayanna Sanchez each finished with two hits apiece.
Kitara Cantiberos pitched all four innings and was the beneficiary of all the run support, striking out four and walking five.
The Vikings fell to 0-3.
Baseball
Hilo 8, Kealakehe 2
Ocean Gabonia gave the Vikings another strong start with five shutout innings and nine strikeouts, and Briden Silva came through with three hits and two runs scored in Kailua-Kona.
The game, originally scheduled to be held at UH-Hilo, was moved to West Hawaii, and Wednesday’s game between the two teams was switched to at Wong Stadium.
Gabonia allowed one hit with one walk. Hilo reached 3-0 and its starting pitcher haven’t allowed a run yet.
The game was scoreless until the Vikings broke through for six runs in the fourth behind two-run singles by Donald Saltiban and Pu’ukani De Sa.
De Sa and Ryan Cabreira each finished with two hits.
Toby Estrella hit an RBI double for the Waveriders (1-3).
Hawaii Prep 7, Keaau 1
Finn Richmond pitched five solid innings in Waimea and collected two hits, and Nate Heymann hit a three-run double to key Ka Makani (3-1) at the plate.
Richmond allowed just three hits and two walks with three strikeouts before Michael Hughes and Jonah Hurney fired scoreless innings.
Hughes struck out two and doubled among his two hits. Heymann’s big hit in the third capped the scoring.
Bryant Respicio-Mercado was 2 for 3 with a run scored for the Cougars (0-2) and he pitched 2 1/3 innings of shutout relief after starter Dylan Kamakea went 2 2/3 innings, allowing seven runs (three earned), three hits and five walks with two strikeouts.
Waiakea 9, Kohala 0
David Nakamura pitched six innings of five-hit ball with six strikeouts and Safea Villaruz-Mauai and Jacob Igawa helped key a six-run second with two-run singles as the the Warriors (2-0) cruised at home.
Dreg’n Roque Lewis led off the game with a double for Kohala (0-3) but was stranded at third, and Nakamura was stingy, not walking a batter before Cody Min threw a scoreless seventh.
Gideon Rabang took the loss and was charged with three hits, three walks and seven runs in two innings.
Villaruz-Mauai was the only player in the game to finish with two hits.
Kamehameha 11, Honokaa 2
Kyran Kai cracked two triples with three RBIs and two runs scored, and he struck out four in two perfect innings of relief as the host Warriors used a committee of pitchers to improve to 4-0.
Kamehameha scored five runs in the first, with Bryce Furuli driving in two with the first of his two hits.
Kalani Marquez (1 1/3) Rydge Ishii (2 2/3) and Braeden Coloma (one) all preceded Kai on the mound.
Kieran Lo drove in both runs for the Dragons (0-4) with hits in the first and third, and Benjamin Akau collected two hits and scored a run.
Kaia Nakamoto started and got two outs for Honokaa. He walked two and hit a batter along with allowing Kai’s first triple.
Editor’s note
Statistics were provided by the home teams, except in the case of Hilo-Kealakehe baseball and softball.