CJ Caraang | SL

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It's been a season of ups and downs for both the Kailua and Castle softball teams.

The teams, which are separated by just one-half game in the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I East standings, will meet between the lines when the Surfriders (5-3) visit the Knights (5-4) Saturday.

Kailua is one game behind second-place Roosevelt (6-2) and Castle holds a one-half game lead on fifth-place Moanalua entering the weekend.

Surfriders coach Tamara Kaluau is hoping a win Saturday will give her team some momentum going into its final three games of the regular season against Moanalua, Roosevelt and Kaiser — the same three teams they lost to over spring break.

"We know that from Castle on it's going to be a challenge, but the players are focusing and taking it game by game trying not to make the same mistakes again," Kaluau said.

After winning its first three games, Kailua was outscored by a combined 24 to 10 in its next three games — all losses.

"Trying to keep the kids in that softball mindset during spring break was kind of challenging," Kaluau said. "I think they were a little too relaxed, but the bottom line is the kids need to come and play. Now they're back in school, back in the swing of things and back in their routine and it feels like the team is more intact."

Since then the Surfriders posted a 19-0 win over McKinley and are coming off a 13-3 five-inning win over Kaimuki Thursday.

"Maybe it was good that our losses came during spring break," Kaluau said. "Those were tough losses and the kids know that. In the games that we fell short there was a lot of growing and learning lessons for them so hopefully they come to play hard and intense."

Leading the way for Kailua is a trio of four-year starters in shortstop Robi Lono, third baseman Taufau Williams and first baseman Moani Kupahu, who is coming off of an injury.

"I think the rest of the team feeds off of them, but they'll also sometimes look for them to get us out of crucial situations," Kaluau said. "Our girls are still young and finding their own ways and they probably think that 'these guys can make things happen,' so that gives them some confidence, but the three of them have also been more vocal and letting the rest of the girls know that we all have to do our part."

The Knights know all about growing pains. They count three freshmen and three sophomores among their regular starters.

"There are a lot of first-year players that are getting familiarized with the system and now they're starting to get it," said. Castle coach Jon Berinobis, who has just three returning starters from a season ago. "That's what we've been working on. We've still got some flaws and we still need to work on our game."

Berinobis said his team struggled to find consistency during the first half of the season — when it alternated wins and losses in its first six games — but has shown improvement in that department as of late.

The Knights, who are on a season-best two-game winning streak, have scored 27 runs in their last two games — five-inning wins over Moanalua and McKinley.

"We've worked a lot on our hitting and just trying to fine tune how some of these kids swing and their approach in the box," Berinobis said. "Mostly, it's just ‘swing the bat.' They haven't been swinging the bats and been going too deep into counts. They tend to take more pitches than they should and put themselves in the hole and work from behind. We just want them to feel comfortable getting that bat out and putting bat to ball."

Defense has also improved for Castle since making a few position changes, mostly notably second baseman-turned-centerfielder Kailee Ishii and third baseman-turned-second baseman Jessica Kaupiko.

"She's comfortable out there," Berinobis said of Ishii. "She's not the fastest, but she knows how to position herself to make up for it and Jessica has been making plays for us, too. With those two changes I think now our defense is kind of getting more confident and more comfortable with what they're doing. They're more hungry for the ball and wanting to make plays."

Berinobis said the result has been fewer misplayed balls and consequently less crooked numbers in the early innings for opposing teams.

"We needed to stop kicking ourselves in the foot by spotting other teams runs in the beginning of games and trying to catch up in the end," Berinobis said. "We still make one to two errors (a game), but it hasn't hurt as bad as earlier in the season. The kids are starting to learn that the beginning has a lot to do with how it ends, so we're trying to keep from beating ourselves so we can give ourselves a chance at the end instead of playing catchup."

Kailua sophomore Dyani Cummings-Lani will oppose Castle freshman Mele Turner in the pitching matchup.

First pitch between the Surfriders and Knights is set for 3 p.m.