Hawaii Prep scores landmark victory

By JOE FERRARO

Stephens Media

WAIMEA — Bottom of the seventh. Tie game. Runners on second and third. Nobody out. A chance for Hawaii Prep’s Stacie Doi to play hero and give her team its most notable victory in program history.

While Kealakehe held a conference in the infield during Wednesday’s tense Big Island Interscholastic Federation game, HPA coach Betsy Tranquilli sized up the moment and gave her star player a pep talk.

“I said, ‘I know this is the situation that you think of when you go to bed at night. So enjoy it.’”

Doi enjoyed it to the fullest, lining a single to right field that scored Tiana Bertelmann-Tabac and gave Ka Makani a dramatic 11-10 victory over the Waveriders.

After Doi’s game-winning hit, Tranquilli, also the team’s third-base coach, jogged toward home plate and found Doi. The two embraced before jumping up and down together among a host of other happy Ka Makani players.

Wednesday’s game marked the first time HPA earned a regular-season win over a BIIF Division I team on the field.

“Amazing,’’ said Doi, who also grounded a two-run single to center in the second inning. “I’m still shaking because of the adrenaline.”

Doi said she expected a first-pitch fastball from Kealakehe relief pitcher Ashley Isisaki. She got it and dumped the ball just inside the right-field line.

“I was praying it would stay in play,’’ Doi said.

Minutes before HPA (2-0) celebrated its victory, Doi made a crucial throwing error that allowed the Waveriders (1-1) to tie the game.

Kealakehe senior Summer McEntee had just made the Waveriders’ second out, laying down a safety squeeze bunt that scored Lina Palmer-Kahananui from third base to make it 10-9. With Isisaki at the plate and Nicole Rivera at second base, Rivera took off for third after a pitch by HPA’s Nani Lum skipped behind Doi.

The HPA catcher, trying to gun down Rivera, made an errant throw into left field that allowed Rivera to score the tying run.

Doi said she wasn’t aware Kealakehe had tied the game until she returned to the dugout after Isisaki made the team’s final out. Tranquilli, who picked up a handful of dirt and flung it to the ground in frustration after the Waveriders tied the game, took responsibility for Doi not knowing the score.

The seventh-year coach said Doi told her she wouldn’t have thrown the ball to third if she had known Ka Makani led by just one run.

But Doi, who went 2-for-3 with three RBIs, washed away the miscue with one swing of bat, giving HPA its first 2-0 start in league play.

“It’s great for our program, not only for this team, but for our future,’’ Doi said of the victory.

It’s a result that didn’t surprise Tranquilli.

“I knew we’d be competitive in every single game (this season), and that included this game,’’ Tranquilli said.

Tabac-Bertelmann, a sophomore, played a big role, going 3-for-4 with a double and scoring four runs out of the leadoff spot.

Lum, who scored three times and went the distance in the circle, earned the win. She allowed eight hits and eight walks, striking out three batters.

At the plate, HPA took advantage of four walks, three wild pitches and two Kealakehe errors in the fourth inning to score five runs and take what seemed to be a comfortable 9-3 lead.

McEntee struck out the side an inning earlier and appeared to have settled in after three Waverider errors helped lead to two HPA runs in each of the first two innings.

But McEntee, who pitched a four-hit shutout at Kohala last week, walked three of the first five HPA batters she faced in the fourth inning, prompting Kealakehe coach Wesley Takimoto to insert Isisaki in the circle.

With the bases loaded, Ka Makani didn’t allow the Waveriders’ relief pitcher to wiggle out of trouble. Doi raced home on a wild pitch, while Ranko Ono and Alex Disney came through with RBI singles.

Isisaki, who blasted a two-run homer to left that got Kealakehe within 4-3 in the top of the third inning, took the loss. In 3 2/3 innings, she allowed three runs on four hits. The junior struck out four batters, walked two and hit two.

In 3 1/3 innings, McEntee gave up eight runs on five hits, striking out four batters and walking four.

The Waveriders chipped away at HPA’s five-run lead, eventually tying the contest in the seventh inning.

Senior infielder Brooke Rivera drove in two runs, getting an RBI groundout in the second inning and a sacrifice fly in the fifth while junior Taylor Kurashige contributed a two-run single in the sixth inning.

However, Takimoto wasn’t too pleased with Waveriders’ defense, which committed six errors.

“We came out flat,’’ Takimoto said. “We weren’t mentally ready. They didn’t come ready to play.’’

Kealakehe 012 032 2 — 10 8 6

Hawaii Prep 220 510 1 — 11 9 5

• Kamehameha 13, Pahoa 7: Janell Cameros pitched 3 1/3 innings for the win. She allowed four runs on two hits and two walks. Kiani Wong went the final 3 2/3 innings for the save. The senior right-hander gave up three runs on one hit and struck out eight.

Wong had two hits to lead the Warriors (1-2).

Vaaigaomata Wilson took the loss for the Daggers (1-2), who were held to three hits. Macey Mokualii drilled a double

Kamehameha 600 430 0 — 13 7 4

Pahoa 400 300 0 — 7 3 4

• Hilo 13, Ka‘u 9: Wendilyn Simmons fired a nine-hit complete game. She walked one and struck out 11 and received abundant run support, despite the Vikings compiling just six hits.

Fantacie Keahilihau-Kuamoo had a memorable day: 3 for 4 with five RBIs, including a homer and two triples for the Vikings (2-0). Ashlyn Kaneshiro went 2 for 4.

The Trojans fell to 0-2.

Ka‘u 010 221 3 — 9 9 7

Hilo 250 420 x — 13 6 2

• Waiakea 2, Keaau 1: Chelsea Camello fired a three-hitter. She walked none and struck out five, allowing a single run in the first inning.

In the fifth, the Warriors (2-0) scored two runs on a pair of errors and Anela Granito-Wallace’s RBI triple.

Chelsey Pacatang-Hirai took a tough loss for the Cougars (1-1). She also went the distance and threw a three-hitter. She walked two and struck out two.

Waiakea 000 020 0 — 2 3 1

Keaau 100 000 0 — 1 3 6