KAILUA-KONA — Kealakehe won’t have to worry about an attack of the, “shoulda, woulda, couldas.”
The Waveriders left it all on the field in a semifinal series clinching 16-3 victory over Hilo on Saturday afternoon.
“They had the fire in their eyes today,” second-year Kealakehe head coach Loni Mercado said. “I told my five seniors they just had to get out there, have fun and leave it all on the field. I try to teach them that so they don’t have any regrets. You know, shoulda, woulda, couldas when they look back on the game.”
With the win, Kealakehe (10-5) advances to a second consecutive Division I championship while also securing a spot in the HHSAA state tournament on Oahu from May 3-6. The Waveriders will face two-time defending champion Waiakea (15-0), which swept Keaau in the other semifinal series.
But Kealakehe — which has lived largely in the shadow of the East Hawaii teams and has never won a BIIF title in softball — is no longer happy with just being in the conversation.
“It’s a blessing, but we aren’t content with just going to states or making it to the championship,” Mercado said. “Waiakea has been the best on the island. But we have a whole bunch of talent, too. They just need to play with confidence and know that they can hang with the best of them.”
Kealakehe senior ace Kiara Cantiberos earned her second win in as many days, going the distance in the six-inning affair, allowing seven hits and three earned runs while striking out two.
Offensively, the ‘Riders recorded 10 hits off Hilo (7-8) starting pitcher Chalisse Kela. Zayanna Sanchez helped lead the charge, going 2-for-4 at the plate with three runs scored. Jami Tan had a solid day as well, registering a pair of extra-base hits, scoring twice and knocking in an RBI. Verly DeCasa accounted for three runs, while Brittney Keaunui punched in a pair of RBIs. As a team, Kealakehe had nine stolen bases.
“I feel like everyone has been hitting a lot better,” senior short stop Breianna McLeod said. “It’s like everything has clicked.”
That might be an understatement.
It was the sixth game in a row that the Waveriders scored in double-figures — all wins. The offense has scored 71 runs in the last four games.
“I think we feel more bonded as a group,” DeCasa said. “That has helped us work better as a team.”
Being a part of a small, but powerful roster might have something to do with that. The five seniors make up half of Kealakehe’s roster of 10, just one more than the minimum needed to play. You wouldn’t know by listening to their rowdy dugout, which delivers some of the loudest — and catchy — chants in the league.
“We try,” senior outfielder Kesha Mori said with a laugh. “We take pride in it. It keeps us pumped up and into the game.”
It didn’t take long for Kealakehe to get focused for Game 2 against Hilo. With some patience at the plate, the Waveriders pushed two runs across on a walk and a hit batter with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the first inning. It could have been even more bountiful, but a nice snag by Hilo second baseman Mandi Kawaha on a line drive resulted in the third out.
Hilo entered the series dealing with a late-season head coaching change, but didn’t lack any passion to keep its season alive, even when faced with some early adversity.
Kealakehe had opened up a 6-1 lead by the third inning, but Hilo clawed back with two runs in the inning, spurred by an RBI single from Moana Pinner down the third base line.
And it nearly was even closer.
Cassidy Kaaua nailed a ball to the outfield fence, driving in two runs to make it a 6-5 game. However, she had not officially reentered the game after leaving in the previous inning for a runner. After a brief discussion, the umpires decided that Kaaua would be ruled out and the runners on base would return to where they started. Kealakehe escaped the jam when the next batter grounded out.
Mercado was aware of the situation as it was going on and acknowledged that her team dodged a bullet. But she is also proud of being a rules aficionado.
“I read that thing before I go to bed every night,” Mercado said, referring to the rule book. “I just want to be able to do my job the best I can and fight for my girls when I need to.”
Kealakehe took control of the momentum from there, scoring three runs in the fourth and wrapping up the game with a seven-run rally in the sixth.
“We have been playing well as a team,” Keaunui said. “We might make a mistake or two, but we always have each others backs.”
Waiakea won both games against Kealakehe this season, including a 17-14 slugfest and a 7-2 contest which was closer than the final score indicated. Not to mention, the Warriors ended the Waveriders’ championship chase last year, but you don’t have to remind them of that.
“We are still hungry for redemption against Waiakea,” Mori said.
But like their coach reminds them, if they make the moment too big, the shoulda, woulda, couldas can creep up.
“We shouldn’t focus on just winning. It’s more about playing the game the right way and having fun,” Cantiberos said.
“Step by step,” Keaunui added. “That’s how we get there.”
Waiakea 11, Keaau 0
Skylar Thomas hit her seventh home run of the season and Halee Sweat pitched a one-hitter as the Warriors polished off a two-game sweep on their field.
Thomas started the second with a single, and Emma Fincher, Shaily Moses, Madison Hwang and Kristi Hirata all added hits to fuel a five-run rally. Thomas led off the next inning with a solo home run.
Fincher was 2 for 2 with two RBIs and two runs scored, Hwang was 2 for 3 with a run batted in and Hirata batted 2 for 4.
In a five-inning TKO, Sweat struck out six and walked two.
Britney Calhoun collected the only hit for the Cougars, who wrapped up a 4-11 campaign.
Each team committed five errors Friday in Waiakea’s 17-7 win in Game 1, but Keaau made the only error of Game 2.
Friday
Waiakea 17, Keaau 7
Jolene Hirata homered, Kelsie Imai and Jourdan Perreira each pitched three innings and combined to allow only three hits and the host Warriors overcame five errors.
Brandee Chinen collected three hits from the top of the lineup for the Waiakea (14-0), including two in the fourth as the Warriors scored nine time to break open a tie game.
Chinen scored four times, and Perreira (2 for 5) drove in four runs. In the circle, the junior allowed two unearned runs and two hits with two strikeouts and two walks after Imai allowed only one hit, five runs (two earned) with five walks and three strikeouts.
Perreira’s two-run single with one out in the bottom of the sixth ended the game via TKO.
Two-time defending Waiakea goes for the sweep of the Cougars in Game 2 at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Caitlyn Calhoun worked 5 1/3 innings for Keaau (4-10), which also made five errors.
Including with her solo blast, Hirata collected two hits, two RBIs and three runs, and Johnacy Mackwelung was 2 for 3 with a triple.
