Kailua junior centerfield Kalei Machado and Maryknoll junior second baseman Tamia Hirano paced their respective teams to big wins last week. ScoringLive photo illustration

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Male Athlete of the Week: Kalei Machado, Kailua baseball
After a one-year hiatus from the diamond, Kalei Machado is making his presence felt for the Kailua baseball team.

The junior center fielder was a big part of a pair of wins last week for the Surfriders. Machado batted 2 for 3 with a double, drove in three runs and scored another in a 13-9 win over Kalani Wednesday and he followed that up by going 3 for 3 with another double and three runs scored in a 7-3 win over Moanalua Saturday.

"It's been a pleasant surprise," Kailua coach Corey Ishigo said of Machado, who did not play baseball his sophomore year. "I don't know why he didn't come out last year — maybe because we had a loaded outfield — but he missed pretty much all of the preseason this year."

Ishigo said Machado did well as a freshman on the junior varsity squad, which earned him some valuable playing time on the varsity that year.

"He even started a few games as a freshman on the varsity team, so we've seen him do this before," Ishigo said. "Defensively he can patrol the outfield and we know that not too many balls will fall in front of him or go over his head if he's out there and that's been key for us."

What Machado has done this season is become a solid defender in centerfield.

"We needed a defensive center fielder and he was definitely the guy," Ishigo said. "The first day he came out he nailed down the spot defensively in center. We gauged him from the first three games and then we saw that he was hitting the ball well in practice, so we have him a chance to hit."

Ishigo said Machado's defense was somewhat expected, but the offensive production has taken him by surprise.

"It's been exciting to see him hit and produce as an offensive player, because he's fast and we know that, but we've been slowly getting him ready to hit," Ishigo said. "In the first three games he was not ready — because it had been a year since he'd seen live pitching — so we eased him into it and it looks like he's there now."

Machado, who bats eighth in the Surfriders lineup, and No. 9 hitter Keiki Kanahele-Santos have provided a boost at the bottom of the order.

"We always try to have one through nine with a solid lineup, but so far those two guys have been helping each other out," Ishigo said.

Ishigo describes Machado as mainly a "line-drive guy," but has also shown glimpses of power with the bat.

"It's pretty shocking to me, but he's an athlete so he adjusts fast and he learns really quickly," Ishigo said of the 5-foot-11, right-handed Machado, who also plays defensive back on the football team. "

Still, it was no given that Machado would come out for baseball this season.

"We were hoping he was, but we weren't sure and once he showed up at the field our whole team was excited to have him back," Ishigo said.

Off the field, Ishigo said Machado is "super quiet."

"He's mellow and laid back," Ishigo said. "He doesn't say too much on or off the field, but he just shows with his actions. He's matured quite a bit since he was a freshman though."

Machado and the Surfriders, who moved up a spot to fifth in this week's ScoringLive/OC16 Baseball Power Rankings, host Castle Wednesday and Kaiser Saturday.

Female Athlete of the Week: Tamia Hirano, Maryknoll softball
Tamia Hirano hit the Kamehameha girls softball team with a dose of deja vu Wednesday.

The Maryknoll junior second baseman hit a three-run home run over the centerfield fence in a 6-6 tie against the top-ranked Warriors.

"Against Kamehameha she brought back the team life with that three-run homer," Spartans' coach John Uekawa said of Hirano, who stands at 5 feet, 2 inches. "Her stature does not dictate her actual power, because against Kamehameha last year she did the same thing. She hit a home run that put us up 2-1 at the same field in almost the same situation, so she's been pretty clutch."

Hirano kept her hot hitting going in a 7-1 win over Iolani Saturday, when she batted 2 for 3 with a walk and three RBIs.

"She's a streaky hitter, she a very good contact hitter and overall I think she's a very good eye," Uekawa said. "In general she doesn't hit for power, but when she does, it makes it tough for other teams."

For the season, Hirano is batting a healthy .455 (5 of 11), with six RBIs and four runs scored. She has also walked twice and stole two bases.

"She's an overachiever if you look at her stature," Uekawa said. "I believe she's up there with some of the state's best second basemen. She's been hanging up there with them."

Hirano has started since her freshman year, but has changed positions each season. She played third base as a freshman and moved over to shortstop as a sophomore before finding a home at second this year.

"She's very versatile, but to me, I think if he's going to play in college, she's a tailor-made second baseman," Uekawa said. "She has very good arm strength and the second baseman has to be the smartest player on the field. Her knowledge of the game is superior, so that's why we put her there. She needs to cover a lot of ground and two different bases, so that was our thought in bringing her over for that purpose."

Hirano, a year-round softball player, earned Second Team All-Interscholastic League of Honolulu honors at shortstop as a sophomore. Uekawa saw enough in Hirano's mental makeup to designate her as a team captain this year.

"We don't normally have junior captains, but she brings very positive vibes," Uekawa said. "Leadership-wise, she's just getting used to being one of the leaders — it's tough to be a role model plus lead — but I think she's halfway to three-quarters the way there."

Uekawa said Hirano's strong work ethic — and good genes — have been key components to her success.

"Her mom was a very good softball player at Leilehua and her brother is a star shortstop for the Maryknoll baseball team," Uekawa said. "I think ability-wise, there's no more harder worker than her. If everyone takes 100 ground balls, she'll take 200. She works hard in everything and that's why the players respect her."

Hirano has improved offensively since moving from the third batter in the Spartans' lineup to the seventh spot.

"Our number one key thing that she really worked on was pitch selection and her picking her pitch rather than hitting the pitcher's pitch and her batting average has gone up like 30 points, at least," Uekawa said. "She's made tremendous improvements."

Uekawa said Hirano's mom throws batting practice for the team, which is typically 200 to 300 pitches.

"That's all she does. She doesn't talk to the girls or anything," Uekawa said. "It's a good family atmosphere that they bring and they kind of need that. Mom and dad are very stringent and straight forward — I wouldn't say they're hard on her — but they know what's right."

Hirano and the Spartans, who are ranked fifth in this week's ScoringLive/OC16 Softball Power Rankings, will play Saint Francis Wednesday and Sacred Hearts Saturday.

BASEBALL
Ladd Ah Choy, Kamehameha — Struck out two batters, walked none and allowed one hit in four scoreless innings pitched in a win over Punahou

Makana Aiona, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Batted 2 for 3 with a home run and four RBIs in a win over Honokaa

Makoa Andres, Waiakea — Threw a four-inning no-hitter in a win over Hawaii Prep

Chance Arakaki, Kamehameha — Batted 3 for 3 with two doubles, an RBI, three runs scored and a stolen base in a win over Punahou

Kobi Candaroma, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Batted 4 for 4 with two home runs, four RBIs and three runs scored in a win over Honokaa and batted 2 for 4 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored in a win over Kealakehe

Daylen Calicdan, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Struck out three batters, walked one and allowed two hits in 3 2/3 scoreless innings pitched in a win over Kealakehe

Steven De Silva, Waipahu — Batted 2 for 3 with a grand slam, a double and five RBIs in a loss to Mililani

Matt Hanano, Kailua — Batted 2 for 4 with three RBIs in a win over Moanalua

Devin Ide, Iolani — Batted 2 for 3 with two RBIs in a win over Saint Louis

Austin Jim On, Iolani — Batted 3 for 3 with an RBI and two runs scored in a win over Saint Louis

Ian Kahaloa, Campbell — Struck out 13 batters, walked one and allowed one hit in seven scoreless innings pitched in a win over Leilehua

Reece Kakugawa, Kalani — Batted 3 for 3 with two doubles, four RBIs and one walk in a win over Kaimuki

Keiki Kanahele-Santos, Kailua — Batted 3 for 3 with two doubles, two RBIs and two runs scored in a win over Moanalua

Jarred Kaneshiro, Maryknoll — Struck out six batters, walked three and allowed one run on six hits in seven innings pitched in a win over Damien

Kila Kapihe, Campbell — Struck out nine batters, walked two and allowed one run on four hits in seven innings pitched in a win over Pearl City

Ryan Kono, Mililani — Batted 2 for 4 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored in a win over Waipahu

Kaliu Lapera, Kalaheo — Batted 3 for 4 with a home run, double, five RBIs, one run scored and a walk in a win over Farrington

Joshua Muneno, Maryknoll — Struck out one, walked two and allowed three hits in seven scoreless innings pitched in a win over Saint Francis

Trestan Nakamura, Pearl City — Struck out seven batters, walked three and allowed one earned run on four hits in seven innings pitched in a win over Radford

Christian Onomura, Pearl City — Batted 3 for 3 with a run scored in a win over Redford

Ryder Oshiro, Waiakea — Drove in four runs in a win over Hawaii Prep

Malu Peralta, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Struck out eight batters, walked two and allowed three hits in four scoreless innings pitched in a win over Honokaa

Micah Peters-Valdez, Aiea — Batted 5 for 6 with a double, six RBIs and five runs scored in a win over McKinley

Owen Saito, Pac-Five — Batted 2 for 2 with a double, two RBIs, two runs scored and a walk in a win over Damien

Matt Tsutomi, Pearl City — Batted 2 for 2 with two RBIs, a run scored and a walk in a win over Radford

Chase Wago, Mid-Pacific — Struck out two batters, walked one and scattered three hits in three scoreless innings pitched in a win over Saint Louis

Brett Walden, Farrington — Batted 3 for 4 with two RBIs and a run scored in a win over Waialua

Kainoa Wilson, Mililani — Batted 2 for 2 with a double, three RBIs, two stolen bases and a run scored in a win over Waipahu

Casey Wond, Pac-Five — Batted 3 for 4 with three RBIs in a win over Saint Francis

Matthew Yokota, Kamehameha — Batted 2 for 3 with a triple, two RBIs and two runs scored in a win over Punahou

Ekolu Young, Kapolei — Batted 3 for 4 with three RBIs, two runs scored and a walk and struck out 12 batters, walked six and allowed three earned runs on six hits in seven innings pitched in a win over Nanakuli

BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Hezekiah Agiga, Waianae — Had nine kills, five digs and a block in a win over Mililani

Naone Cannon, Kamehameha — Had 11 kills and five digs in a loss to Punahou

Sili Fuiava, Mililani — Had eight kills, three digs and an ace in a loss to Waianae

Jake Lafata, Mililani — Had a match-high 11 digs and an ace in a loss to Waianae

Micah Maa, Punahou — Put down a match-high 15 kills with nine digs in a win over Kamehameha

Kelsey Yogi, Punahou — Had a match-high 10 digs in a  win over Kamehameha

GIRLS WATER POLO
Amber Hamil, Leilehua — Scored five goals in a win over Campbell

Lauren Hamil, Leilehua — Scored five goals in a win over Kalaheo

Nicole Martinez, Leilehua — Scored four goals in a win over Farrington

Dana Okuma, Leilehua — Scored four goals in a win over Kalaheo

Lucy Park, Iolani II — Scored six goals in a win over Kamehameha II

Indie Pyzel, Kahuku — Scored four goals in a win over Moanalua

Chiemi Trias, Pearl City — Scored four goals in a win over Campbell

GOLF
Kyosuke Hara, Moanalua — Shot a two-under par 70 to win the OIA boys' tournament at Pearl Country Club

Shawn Lu, Moanalua — Shot a six-under par 66 to win the OIA boys' tournament at West Loch Golf Course

Miki Manta, Kalani — Shot a one-over par 73 to win the OIA girls' tournament at West Loch Golf Course

Malia Nam, Kaiser — Shot a three-under par 69 to win the OIA girls' tournament at Pearl Country Club

SOFTBALL
Seli Aholelei, Kaiser — Struck out 11 batters, walked one and did not allow a run in a five-inning no-hitter in a win over Kaimuki

Jonnie Cabrales, Farrington — Hit home run and drove in four runs in a win over Waialua

Kaipo Castillo, Farrington — Batted 2 for 3 with a home run, four RBIs and a run scored in a loss to Kalaheo

Tiana Ching-Lake, Kaiser — Batted 2 for 4 with a double, three RBIs and two runs scored in a win over Kaimuki

Katie DeBusca, Roosevelt — Batted 3 for 5 with a home run, double, four RBIs, three runs scored, a stolen base and a walk in a win over McKinley

Andrea Dicion, Waialua — Batted 3 for 3 with a triple and two runs in a loss to Farrington

Kamalani Dung, Kamehameha — Struck out nine batters, walked two and allowed two hits in seven shutout innings in a win over Punahou

Mylee Enos, Maryknoll — Batted 3 for 3 with a triple, double, three RBIs, two runs scored and a walk in a win over Mid-Pacific

Elisa Favela, Campbell — Struck out 10 batters, walked none and did not allow a run on three hits in a complete game win over Pearl City

Kristin Frost, Pearl City — Struck out 11 batters, walked none and allowed one run on three hits in seven innings pitched in a win over Waianae

Tiare Guerrero, Saint Francis — Struck out five batters, walked three and did not allow an earned run and gave up six hits in six innings pitched in a win over Sacred Hearts

Shaycelynn Hoohuli, Kapolei — Batted 3 for 4 in a loss to Waianae

Jenna Kumabe, Mid-Pacific — Batted 4 for 5 with a home run, triple, four RBIs and two runs scored in a win over Iolani

Kamalei Labasan, Maryknoll — Batted 2 for 4 with a double, three RBIs and two runs scored in a win over Mid-Pacific

Shearyna Labasan, Maryknoll — Struck out 10 batters, walked three and allowed two earned runs on four hits in five innings pitched in a win over Mid-Pacific and struck out 10 batters, walked five and allowed one run on six hits in seven innings pitched in a win over Iolani

Rickelle Ladao, Leilehua — Batted 3 for 4 with three RBIs and two runs scored in a win over Waipahu

Robi Lono, Kailua — Batted 3 for 3 with a home run, two runs scored and two walks in a win over Castle

Nicole Lopez, Mid-Pacific — Batted 2 for 4 with a triple, double, two RBIs and three runs scored in a win over Sacred Hearts

Kasey Magdadaro, Maryknoll — Batted 3 for 3 with two home runs, eight RBIs, three runs scored and a walk in a win over Mid-Pacific

Lia Nakamoto, Mid-Pacific — Batted 3 for 4 with a triple, three RBIs and three runs scored in a win over Iolani and batted 2 for 4 with a home run and four RBIs in a win over Sacred Hearts

Nicole Nishizawa, Punahou — Struck out 12 batters, walked four and allowed three runs on five hits in seven innings pitched in a win over Pac-Five

Rachel Ogasawara, Kamehameha — Batted 2 for 3 with a home run and two RBIs in a tie against Maryknoll

Sammie Ofoia, Saint Francis — Batted 3 for 4 with a triple, double, two RBIs, three runs scored and a walk in a win over Sacred Hearts

Kaycie Okada, Farrington — Batted 2 for 3 with a double, three RBIs and two runs scored in a loss to Kalaheo

Taufau Williams, Kailua — Homered, drove in four runs and scored twice in a win over Moanalua

Heaven Wong, Punahou — Batted 2 for 3 with two doubles, an RBI and two runs scored in a win over Pac-Five