Softball

Information. Application. Precision. The Campbell Sabers are a perfect 9-0 in the rough-and-tumble OIA West, one win away from sealing a first-round playoff bye. They’ve done it without the benefit of a bone crushing lineup of deep-ball hitters. They’ve done it with all the craftsmanship of a surgeon or jeweler. Small ball, pitching and defense, in 2019, are alive and well. Yet, even with perfect mark and a No. 1 ranking in the Star-Advertiser Softball Top 10, the intricacy of […]

Aleia and Ailana Agbayani were born three years apart so they knew they would only have one chance to play together in high school. That’s this season and the two are making the most of their one year on the same team while being coached by their father. It’s a family affair for the fourth-ranked ‘Iolani softball team with former MLB player Benny Agbayani getting to spend extra time with his two daughters. Aleia will head off to California to […]

The spirit of a winning team can be complex. Catcher Liana Heshiki knows this well, so she aims to be consistent on and off the field. Heshiki went 4-for-4 and drove in five runs as No. 2 Punahou extended its winning streak to 10 games on Monday, rallying past No. 4 ‘Iolani 10-4 at the Buffanblu’s middle field. It was a bumpy ride, though, as the visiting Raiders scored four runs on four hits, with help from a Punahou error, […]

A nine-game winning streak has Punahou tied for the lead in the ILH — for now — and ranked No. 2 in this week’s Honolulu Star-Advertiser Top 10. The good news might not last long however as the Buffanblu host ILH co-leader ‘Iolani this afternoon with the winner taking over sole possession of first place. The Buffanblu began the year No. 1 after an impressive preseason run, but began league play with losses to Maryknoll and Mid-Pacific. A 9-3 win over ‘Iolani […]

‘Iolani has a little bit of everything on the softball field. They can hit, pitch, hit for power, and play defense. But, more importantly, while they’re doing those things well, they’re also running the bases aggressively. And they bunt. Classic small ball. “Everybody in the lineup has to know how to bunt,” said Raiders coach Benny Agbayani, who played in Japan and may have gotten some of that small-ball wisdom by osmosis. “Every one of them might have to bunt […]

Mele Turner was a one-woman annihilator for the Castle Knights on Saturday evening. With a calm and clear pre-sundown Honolulu skyline in the background at the McKinley field, Turner pitched and hit her team to an 11-1, mercy-rule shortened, six-inning OIA East softball victory over Moanalua. Turner set the tone fast and never let up. On the first pitch of the game from Na Menehune’s Jada Young, the senior made a solid connection and sent the flourescent green-yellow ball deep […]

The first time Leilehua and Waianae met during the regular season, the host Seariders rallied for a key 6-4 win. This time, in their second meeting during OIA West play, they stuck with a similar blueprint. It was not, however, exactly the same, and No. 10 Leilehua won its fourth game in a row, blasting four home runs in an 8-1 victory on Saturday morning at sunny Kaala Elementary School field. Leilehua is now 6-3 in the OIA West, still […]