Softball

The featured game of the first round of the DataHouse/HHSAA Softball State Championships could have been one of those heavyweight slugfests. Haymakers and maybe a high-scoring extravaganza. Instead, Punahou got a superb pitching performance from Kennedy Ishii and Bailey Akimseu sealed the win with a three-run homer in the fifth inning as Punahou stymied Kapolei 10-2 on Tuesday night at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. “I think that was close to a perfect game. We knew Kapolei was strong,” said Akimseu, […]

Cheyenne Ardona sure picked the perfect time to have the best pitching performance of her career. The 6-foot-2 senior, who will play basketball in college, scattered seven hits, fanned seven and walked just one as Mililani stunned OIA runner-up Roosevelt 6-1 on Tuesday in the opening round of the DataHouse/HHSAA Softball State Championships at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. “I’m very happy. It was a great team effort,” longtime Mililani coach Rose Antonio said. “The whole team contributed.” The composure and […]

The opening day of the Datahouse/HHSAA State Softball Championships is here. Punahou vs. Kapolei Fifth inning Akimseu walloped a two-out, three-run homer to left after a single by Eri Mizuguchi and a walk by Saiki. PUN 10-2. Ishii set the ‘Canes down in order and has not allowed a runner in scoring position since the third inning. Fourth inning The Buffanblu add another run. Saiki leads off with an infield single, Akimseu walks and Sato singles to center, scoring Saiki. […]

The home run explosion is not limited to Major League Baseball. The hitters on the highest level of softball in Hawaii have evolved as well. While the MLB has its Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge and Nolan Arenado, the HHSAA boasts of Jocelyn Alo, Mysha Sataraka and Kelsie Hee. There has been an average of more than one home run per game in each of the last three years of the state tournament, the first time that has ever happened. The […]

Maryknoll softball coach John Uekawa insisted the Spartans’ path to a second straight ILH championship wasn’t similar to the route they followed last year. “It’s not similar,” Uekawa said. “it’s exactly (the same).” Other than a change of venue for the championship game, the Spartans indeed took the long road to the title the last two seasons. They captured the program’s first league crown with a win at Kamehameha a year ago. This time, Maryknoll traveled just across Wilder Ave. […]

Three-time defending state champion Campbell, which won its first OIA title since 2013, is the top seed in the DataHouse/HHSAA Softball State Championships beginning Tuesday at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. The Sabers are making their 13th consecutive appearance in the state tournament. ILH champion Maryknoll, which beat Punahou for its second consecutive league crown today, 8-7, is the No. 2 seed and is making its fourth appearance at states in the last five years. BIIF champion Waiakea is making its […]

Gratified but not satisfied. Maryknoll clinched a state tournament berth and earned a shot at the overall ILH softball title with a resounding 15-2 win over ‘Iolani in six innings on Tuesday in the league’s tournament final and left Sand Island Park looking forward to the next step. “As a team it was a relief for us, but we still definitely need to work on a lot of stuff,” Maryknoll senior Kahilu McNicoll said. “I feel we didn’t really hit […]

Since the beginning of the season, only once did any team collect more than 70 percent of the first-place ballots in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser Softball Top 10. Today, Campbell not only surpassed that threshold, but also became the first program this spring to be a unanimous selection by coaches and media as the state’s top softball team. Aside from Kamehameha, which was No. 1 in Week 5 (Mar. 19), OIA West programs have ruled the rankings in every poll this […]