OIA Softball
Kim rises to occasion, helps Mililani beat Waianae, 6-0


  



Thu, Mar 13, 2014 @ [ 3:30 pm ]


FINAL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Waianae 0 000000031
Mililani 2 0 0400X690

W: Aubree Kim    L: Cranci Kamaka

MIL: Nicole Cox 1-3 run 2 rbi HR; Aubree Kim 7.0 IP 0 ER 12 K
WNAE: Alyssa Salud-Mendoza 1-3; Cranci Kamaka 6.0 IP 4 ER 4 K


MILILANI - Rise and shine.

That is what sophomore softball pitcher Aubree Kim did by firing a three-hitter and striking out a season-high 12 in helping Mililani beat Wai'anae, 6-0, Thursday at the Trojans' diamond.

The battle of undefeated teams left the Trojans (3-0) is sole possession of first in the O'ahu Interscholastic Association Red West, while the Seariders (2-1) fell to second. But it is early in the season and the team will meet again in the second round.

Kim's rise pitch kept the Seariders off-balanced.

"I think it was because my rises were working good," Kim said. "You can't really hit it because it's high. I think that's what helps."

Kim took a no-hitter into the fifth inning, when she struck out the first two batters of the inning for her ninth and 10th strikeouts. She got ahead 0-2 on Willie-Ann Perez, who broke the Seariders' hitting drought with a sharp ground single to left.

"I didn't really think about it," Kim said of losing her no-hitter against one of the better hitting teams in the OIA. "I think if I think about it, it makes me more pressured."

Kim gave up an infield single to Kelcie Toguchi in the sixth and chop single to left to Alyssa Salud-Mendoza, who was the only Searider to reach second base and that was on a passed ball.

"She was hitting her spots," Mililani coach Rose Antonio said. "That's all you ask for from the pitcher, just to hit the spots, keep them off-balanced."

The Trojans staked Kim to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first when they sent eight batters to the plate. The first run scored on a passed ball and the other on a bases-loaded walk to Markie Okamoto from Wai'anae starting pitcher Cranci Kamaka, who also pitched the distance.

Mililani cushioned its lead with four in fourth on a two-run double by Karly Macadangdang and a two-run homer to left by Nicole Cox.

Speedy senior shortstop Jade Yadao-Valdez had four of the Trojans' nine hits. The leadoff hitter reached on four infield singles, stole two bases and scored twice.

"She's very fun to watch," Antonio said. "Even at practice, (she's at) game speed, giving 110 percent. She sets the table for us."

She was called for leaving first base before the pitcher released her pitch after reaching on her fourth hit of the game.

"I don't think she left early," Antonio said. "She just that fast."

The Trojans will take their show to primetime when they meet three-time defending OIA Red champion Campbell 7 p.m. Saturday at Central O'ahu Regional Park. The game will be televised on OC 16 as the second game of a doubleheader. Moanalua will play Kailua at 5 p.m. in an Eastern Division matchup.



Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at [email protected].




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