Hawaii Tribune-Herald
The Nobu Yamauchi RBI softball team jumped off to a strong start at the West Regional in Los Angeles.
On Friday, the Hawaii girls beat Arizona 7-6 and defeated Anaheim 9-7.
In the first game, Hawaii led 7-1, but Arizona later rallied for five runs to get within a run.
Brooke Baptiste came in relief to extinguish a fire. She stranded two in the seventh.
In the second game, Hawaii grabbed a 6-3 lead, but Anaheim took a 7-6 lead in the top of the sixth.
Moana Pinner led off with a base hit. Then there was a hit by pitch and walk to load the bases.
Brandee Chinen hit a double for Hawaii’s final margin.
Baseball
The Nobu Yamauchi RBI senior (ages 16-18) beat Montana 14-8 at the West Regional in Los Angeles.
The RBI junior team (13-15) clobbered Seattle 20-1 and Los Angeles 12-0.
There are no state regionals for the Hawaii teams.
West Hawaii Today
Little League Minors (8-10 year olds)
North Hawaii won a thriller in its opener at the state tournament on Oahu, downing Maui Up-Country 4-3 on Friday afternoon.
With the win, North Hawaii earned a day off before playing on Sunday against an opponent that is still to be decided.
The five-team tourney includes North Hawaii, Kawaihau, Maui, Honolulu and Waipio Little League.
North Hawaii bested Hilo and West Hawaii to advance to the state tournament earlier this month.
Softball
Senior Girls Western Regional
Gold Coast got off to a 1-1 start in Missoula, Montana on Friday at the Little Leauge Senior (ages 13-16) tournament.
The Hawaii squad opened up the tournament with a 5-3 loss to powerful host squad Zoo Town, a team that won its second game 26-0. However, the Big Island girls bounced back in Game 2 with a convincing 16-1 win over Montana, 16-1.
Against Zoo Town, Dioni Lincoln and Leiloa-Valerie Bustamante notched RBIs. Lincoln — who was the only Gold Coast player with multiple hits in the game — blasted a homer, while Bustamante recorded a double.
Gold Coast’s bats warmed up for the second game of the day.
Four players recorded multi-hit games, including a five-RBI performance from Shaylann Marie Grace. The Konawaena standout hit two home runs in the game — a three-run dinger in the first inning that brought in Lincoln and leadoff hitter Nanea Kaluau, and a two-run shot in the sixth.
Grace also pitched the complete game victory in the circle, striking out three and walking just two in six innings of work.
Erin Kaimuloa Bates (2-4, 2 RBI), Lisan Mudong (1-3, 2 RBI), Bustamante (1-4, 2 RBI), Kaluau (3-5, 2 RBI) and Lincoln (3-4), also had solid games at the dish.
