Frank Degele’s young Pahoa softball team had given him everything he wanted since returning to the field.
“They hustle, they come to practice and they practice hard,” Degele said. “They try their best.”
It’s a winning formula.
Kaeley-Mae Kalawe hit a three-run triple and drove in five runs Tuesday and Jaylynn Kaawaloa-Alidon settled down in the circle as the Daggers beat Ka’u 18-12 in a BIIF softball game at Pahoa District Park.
“Kaeley-Mae has been solid for us,” Degele said.
Pahoa scored nine runs in the first inning – using four hits, five walks and two errors – and Degele said the teams were even offensively and erratic at pitcher.
One key, he said, was Kaawaloa-Alidon threw more strikes as the game wore on, pitching all five innings.
“I told her to let her defense do its job, and she did,” Degele said.
Pahoa was charged with just one error.
At the plate, Kaawaloa-Alidon collected two hits, including a two-run single, and scored twice.
Tiare Wong-Yuen led the Trojans, going 3 for 3 with six RBIs, delivering a three-run triple in the fifth as Ka’u made matters interesting, scoring six times. Shanialee Silva had two hits and three runs scored.
Janelle Chang had an RBI triple for Pahoa, and Kiara Clear drove in two runs, scoring twice.
Clear attends Hawaii Academy of Arts and Science.
“She’s a first-year player, but she’s a real hustler,” Degele said.
There is a tripleheader at 2 p.m. Friday at Pahoa District Park.
Pahoa plays Kamehameha, the Warriors play Hawaii Prep and the nightcap features the Daggers and Ka Makani.
“The girls are always anxious to play,” Degele said.
Baseball
Kamehameha 11, Hawaii Prep 0: Salvatore Martino and Makana Carbonel-Mangus combined on a one-hitter Tuesday and Kaohu Kawelu smacked a three-run triple and finished with five RBIs in Keaau as the Warriors improved to 5-0-1 against Ka Makani in BIIF play this season.
Cross Pola collected two hits and three RBIs with two runs scored, and Keahi Hisashima had two hits, with two RBIs and two runs scored for Kamehameha, which belted 12 hits and again cut down its strikeouts against HPA pitcher Nate Heymann.
Martino struck out eight in four innings, and Carbonel-Mangus pitched a spotless fifth inning, striking out two.
Earlier this season, Heymann combined to fan 23 Warriors over two contests, but this time he struck out five. Of the seven runs charged to Heymann, five were unearned.
On April 28 in Waimea, Journey Leialoha doubled among his three hits and scored two runs and Boston Matsu drove in three runs to back Carbonel-Mangus’ five shutout innings in a 12-1 win. Carbonel-Mangus struck out six.
Heymann also struck out six, and five of the six runs against him were unearned.
• Hilo 14, Honokaa-Konawaena 7: Xaige Lancaster hit two home runs Saturday, including a grand slam, as part of a four-hit game in a wooden bat contest at Honokaa.
Justin Birch hit a grand slam for Honokaa-Konawaena.
Tyler Halemanu pitched four-plus inning for Hilo.
Volleyball
Recent scores:
• Kamehameha def. Hawaii Prep 25-15, 25-18, 25-17
• Hawaii Prep def. Parker 25-9, 25-6, 25-14
• Kamehameha def. Christian Liberty 25-15, 25-16, 25-10.
• Kamehameha junior varsity def. Pahoa 3-2