ILH Softball
Matoi's 4 RBIs carry No. 1 Mid-Pacific over Maryknoll, 6-2


  



Thu, Apr 24, 2014 @ [ 4:00 pm ]


FINAL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Maryknoll 0 100010280
Mid-Pacific 2 0 0040X652

W: Kaili Ann Akimseu    L: Shearyna Labasan

MPI: Lindsey Matoi 1-2 run 4 rbi trp; Kaili Ann Akimseu 7.0 IP 1 ER 2 K
MS: Kasey Magdadaro 2-2 rbi dbl; Shearyna Labasan 6.0 IP 6 ER 4 K


MANOA - Lindsey Matoi drove in four runs and top-ranked Mid-Pacific Institute beat No. 3 Maryknoll, 6-2, Thursday in a playoff to clinch a Division I state tournament berth and advance to Saturday's Interscholastic League of Honolulu title game at Kamehameha (11-3).

The Owls (12-3) extended their win streak to 10 and have yet to be beaten in eight games this season at Frear Field, their campus diamond. They are a win closer to capturing their first league title - and seeded state tournament berth - since they won their third in as many seasons in 2012.

The Spartans (11-4), though, still have two chances to secure two of three state berths awarded to the ILH. If MPI beats Kamehameha on Saturday, the Spartans will play the Warriors Monday for the second berth. Otherwise, the third berth can be secured in the postseason tournament that involves the top five teams later next week.

The three-team playoff was necessitated when Kamehameha, MPI and Maryknoll finished the regular season with 11-3 records in a tie for first. Defending champion Kamehameha drew the first-round bye because of its 3-1 combined record against Maryknoll (2-0) and MPI (1-1). The Owls drew the home site for Thursday's game because they split their season series against the Warriors and Spartans, or finishing 2-2, while Maryknoll was a combined 1-3 against MPI and Kamehameha.

The Owls executed offensively with Matoi's clutching hitting and defensively in right fielder Sarah Onishi's diving catch of a liner off the bat of Tamia Hirano that likely saved a run when the Owls were up, 2-1, in the top of the fifth.

Maryknoll coach John Uekawa said he wanted to keep the pitch away from the right-handed hitting Matoi, the Owls' cleanup hitter, because "we had a feeling (there would be) less power. But the point behind it all was they executed. They made a great play. I don't think our right fielder - any good right fielder - would've caught that ball. It was a solid hit. You gotta give them a lot of credit. (The Owls) played their hearts out."

Matoi, it turns out, was the perfect protection for No. 3 hitter Nicole Lopez, who was walked three times on a combined 13 pitches. In her third plate appearance, she drew a 3-1 count then was intentionally walked to load the bases to set up Matoi's bases-clearing triple in the Owls' fourth-run fifth.

Lopez entered the game hitting a staggering .654 with six home runs and 23 RBIs, so it was easy to see why the Spartans would take a chance against Matoi.

"First, I have to give credit to all my teammates for getting on base before me," Matoi said. "It finally felt good to get a hit because Nicole's a super-good hitter and they always walk her ahead of me."

"Lot of teams have been walking Nicole and Lindsey hits behind her," MPI coach Alan Inaba said. "She's pretty used to hitting in those pressure situations with runners on base. Glad she came through today."

Matoi also hit a sacrifice fly that scored MPI's second run in the two-run first inning against Maryknoll starting pitcher Shearyna Labasan, who was hampered by four walks and four wild pitches.

Down 2-1, the Spartans threatened in the top of the fifth against MPI starter Kaili Ann Akimseu. Mylee Enos led off with a single, took second on Kasey Magdadaro's sacrifice and went to third on a wild pitch. Shayna Ige tried to squeeze home courtesy runner Paloma Higashi, but the ball died about four feet from home plate, where catcher Taylor Ann Oda picked it up and tagged the runner out. With Ige on first with two down, Hirano smoked a liner toward the right-field foul line, but was robbed on an extra-base hit and RBI when right fielder Onishi made her diving stab to end the inning.

"That was key to our game because that could've put momentum on the other side," Matoi said. "Instead, it gave momentum of us."

Indeed.

Samantha Sakihara led off with a walk and an out later, took second on Oda's single to center. A wild pitch on a 2-1 count to Lopez advanced the runners to third and second. Maryknoll then intentionally walked Lopez to load the bases. Matoi then lined a 2-2 pitch for right to clear the bases to open MPI's lead to 5-1. Matoi then came home on Onishi's sacrifice fly to right to make it 6-1.

With the big lead, all Akimseu had to do was throw strikes, which she did. She faced six batters in the top of the sixth and five hit the ball solidly. After Bree Soma hit a hard grounder to first baseman Kiley Oeda for the first out, Labasan lined a triple to right and her sister Kamalei, the courtesy runner, scored on Bri Ryan's sacrifice fly to right to pull Maryknoll to 6-2. Erica Inagaki laced a double to left-center and took third on Jerae Keli'ikoa's line single to center. But Akimseu escaped further damage when she threw out Enos at first on a bouncer back to the circle.

Maryknoll threatened again in the seventh with three hits, but failed to score.

Winning pitcher Akimseu hurled the complete game for the Owls, allowing two runs, one earned, and eight hits. She had two strikeouts and did not allow a walk.



Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at [email protected].




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