Kapolei advances with 6-3 win over Roosevelt

Kapolei pitcher Kayla Pedebone pitched a complete game and allowed 4 hits and 3 runs but struck out 13 against Roosevelt. Sylvia Lee | SL

KAPOLEI — Despite battling the sniffles, Kayla Pedebone struck out 13 batters in a complete-game pitching effort to lead Kapolei to a 6-3 win over Roosevelt in a first-round game of the Oahu Interscholastic Association Red Division Tournament Wednesday afternoon.

With the win the Hurricanes, who finished fourth in the West, improved to 7-6 and advanced to Thursday's quarterfinal round of the 12-team tournament. They will play the top seed from the East, Moanalua, at 3:30 p.m. at Patsy T. Mink Central Oahu Regional Park with a coveted state-tournament berth on the line.

"This win was major for us because we were coming off a tough loss, but we played as one team, came back and got the big win," said first baseman Makana Meyers, who drove in two runs with her first-inning single.

Kapolei rebounded from a 12-0 loss to Campbell — its worst loss of the season — in its regular-season finale just four days ago.

"We just forget about the past, but we learn from our mistakes and frustrations and we grew out of it and rebounded on the field today," said Pedebone, who struck out five of the first six batters she faced.

A five-run first inning gave Pedebone all the cushion she needed as the Hurricanes sent nine batters to the plate against Roosevelt starter Katie Debysca, who allowed three singles and a double in the inning.

Shaycelynn Hoohuli hit a one-out single and scored on a double to centerfield by Kamryn Kanae for the game's first round. Kanae advanced to third on a ground out and came home on one of two Roosevelt errors in the inning. Pedebone drew a two-out walk and eventually came home on the second error. Sadie Kapaku-You and Amayha Dycus scored on Myers' double down the right field line.

"To start off the game that was boosted out confidence and helped us get over that bump," said Kanae, who batted 2 for 3 and drove in a run with her two-out single in the fourth inning.

Hoohuli went 3 for 4 and scored twice to lead the Hurricanes' offensively just one game after being four-hit in the double-digit loss to Campbell.

"It feels good to score some runs for my team to help us get ahead and to know that there is a next game," Hoohuli said.

Wednesday Hoohuli and Kanae, the second and third batters, respectively, had more hits than Roosevelt's entire lineup.

"I can't say enough about those two," Saffery said. "Back-to-back they're a great combination."

Pedebone coasted through the first five innings, but surrendered back-to-back singles to start the sixth before Destiny Holani hit an RBI-double off the left field fence that plated Tyra Wallrabenstein. A wild pitch allowed Dani Stewart to score from third and Keala Quinlan drove in Holani with a ground ball past the shortstop three batters later.

"I was struggling a little bit, sniffling on the mound," Pedebone said. "I had to suck it up for my teammates behind me, so I had to dig deep and execute."

It was Roosevelt's second consecutive season-ending loss at the hands of Kapolei in the tournament's opening round. The Hurricanes, who have lost in the league title game in each of the past two seasons, beat the Rough Riders, 8-6, to send them packing last year.

"Every time we face them, it's never a cake walk," Kapolei coach Tony Saffery said. "I think they were one or two hits away from doing some damage."

Roosevelt saw its two-game winning streak snapped to end the year with a 4-9 record.

Reach Kalani Takase at [email protected].