Even as it practiced this week for Honokaa in the semifinals, Kohala kept one eye on preparing for a possible matchup with Kamehameha.
After another hit parade in Kapaau on Saturday, the Cowgirls can turn both eyes on the Warriors.
Kohala connected for 18 more hits, giving it 32 in the two-game series, and it swept the Dragons with a 15-7 victory at Kamehameha Park to reach the BIIF Division II softball championships for the second consecutive season.
The Cowgirls (13-5) and four-time defending champion Kamehameha (18-0) open their best-of-three finals at 3 p.m. Friday in Keaau.
“That’s the one we’ve been preparing for,” Kohala coach Nate Kekoa said.
The Cowgirls picked up where they left off in Thursday’s Game 1, ripping the ball all around the field to secure their seven consecutive berth at the HHSAA tournament.
Jurnee Keawe (four RBIs), Symphony Kauanoe (triple, three RBIs), Mikayla Kekoa (triple) and Antonnete Fernandez each belted three hits.
“They had a field day against us again,” Honokaa coach Wesley Fujimoto said.
Kauanoe (five innings, seven walks) and Kekoa combined on a two-hitter. Kekoa, a hard-throwing freshman right-hander, struck out four in two innings. Her team’s ace, Kekoa didn’t start either semifinal. Kiana Alejandro-Cazimero pitched five solid innings in a 12-2, five-inning TKO win in the opener.
“We wanted to make sure we have a full lineup of pitchers for the final,” Nate Kekoa said.
He knows he has the hitters.
Setsuko Kimura hit a three-run triple and Keiko Yamura was 2 for 3 with a double, two runs scored and two RBIs.
Losing pitcher Destynee Carvalho pitched four innings, allowing eight runs, with five walks and a strikeout.
Taylor Tabucbuc hit a two-run triple for the Dragons (1o-8), who can still reach states with a victory next Saturday at home against Konawaena (7-11) in the third-place game.
Kohala 060 213 3 – 15 18 2
Honokaa 212 020 0 – 7 2 3
Kamehameha 16, Konawaena 2: Mykala Tokunaga fired a two-hitter in a five-inning TKO game and Taylor Sullivan homered to close out the Wildcats. She allowed two runs (one unearned), walked two and whiffed one.
Sullivan batted 3 for 3 with four RBIs while Jessica Cameros and Makena Wagner added three hits for the Warriors. Kiarra Lincoln and Tokunaga added two hits and two RBIs each.
Tiani Lastimosa went the distance in the loss for the Wildcats.
Konawaena 000 11 – 2 2 4
Kamehameha 234 16– 16 17 2
