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Brandon Ching | ScoringLiveApril 28, 2024, 6:35am
Sat, Apr 27, 2024 @ [ 4:00 pm ]
W: Taja Souza L: Kyralee-Marie Cordeiro
AIEA: Nylove Peneueta 3-4 2 runs rbi dbl; Taja Souza 7.0 IP 1 ER 3 KRAD: Kyralee-Marie Cordeiro 1-3 run / 6.0 IP 7 ER 4 K
For the first time in seven years, the OIA crown is going back to A-Town.
Aiea jumped out to an early lead and created further separation in the fifth to roll past Radford, 7-1, in the OIA Division II championship game at McKinley's Tiger Softball Stadium.
Na Alii's only loss came to the Rams on Mar. 5 and closed out the OIA season on a 13-game winning streak to finish with a 15-1 overall record.
"It's amazing, its truly an honor to be a part of this team. There were some great girls, they play hard on and off the field and its amazing to be a part of it," pitcher Taja Souza said.
"Anytime any group can win something, it's a feather in the cap. Anytime any group any award, it's gratification for their part and understanding that hard work pays off," said Aiea coach Alan Higuchi, who won OIA titles in 2015 and 2017.
"We had to work with our chemistry and we had to work for progress so we played every game as if it were a championship game," first baseman CJ Peneueta added.
The Rams saw its five game winning streak come to an end to finish 13-3 overall, but topped its best finish (10-5) in 2016.
Both teams clinched spots in the DataHouse Softball State Championships starting on May 14. Kailua (12-4 overall) and Kalaheo (7-9 overall) playoff for seeding on Monday but clinched the final berths into the state tournament.
"I think we need to work harder and have more improvement and we'll be fine at states," CJ Peneueta said.
Nylove Peneueta led the way going 3 for 4 at the plate and sister CJ Peneueta went 2 for 3 to drive in four runs.
Souza (10-0) batted 2 for 3 and pitched her third seven inning game to surrender three hits and one run with three strikeouts and issuing one walk.
"It was my drop curve and change up mostly working and the fast ball inside," Souza said. "I felt more comfortable. I had more trust in my teammates and my catcher and my pitches."
"Awesome. It was unexpected to be honest with you. Her pitches were crisp, she was hitting her spots, making the pitches we called. It was awesome. I think the last couple games she picked up the pace. It was something that was consistent throughout the year. Her last two or three starts, she started showing signs of that," Higuchi said of Souza.
Kiki Chong singled past short and Ny Peneueta added a grounder to right. Each took a bag on a wild pitch and Chong beat the throw off another wild pitch at home for the first run. Souza walked, stole second and CJ Peneueta worked a full count and drove in her sister and Souza with a hit that just landed inches away from the right foul line for a 3-0 lead.
"Anytime you can compete against teams that are competitive it's great to come out ahead. Anytime we get ahead that's a comfort zone. There's room to play if things don't work out, your'e still ahead. Especially in a game like this, you get a lead, it's comforting and it can calm down the nerves," Higuchi said.
Kyralee Cordeiro broke up Souza's no-hit bid as her single dropped in left field. Olena Umetsu brought Cordeiro in for Radford's only run with a base hit to shallow center in the third inning to trail, 3-1.
After crushing Kailua, 17-2 in four innings to reach the title game, Aiea held the Rams to its lowest hitting output (3) for the second time this season.
"Our bats weren't connecting at this time. It was the batting, definitely," Radford coach Filamaua Baughn said.
Aiea got two base hits from Cayleigh Naito and Souza and each got in scoring position but were stranded as CJ Peneueta lined out to Cordeiro and Alina Faufata struck out looking.
Radford had an opportunity to get a runner in scoring position as Audrey Hoffman reached on the Peneueta's throwing error but Chong rifled a throw to Faufata to get her out at third.
"The defensive part we try to bring every game and it's something we can control. As far as the hitting, we worked individually on the hitting and it's a matter of the right people being there at the right time to get the crucial hit that they get at the time," Higuchi said.
Ny Peneueta hit a deep single to right to lead off the fifth inning and moved on Souza's bunt single. CJ Peneueta drove in both base runners with a liner up the middle. Taylor Gates moved a base on Faufata's sacrifice bunt and scored off Madison Misaki's triple to right to make it, 6-1. Aubryanna Benjamin threw it to Hoffman, who got it to Emily Anderson as she applied the tag on Misaki before she reached home plate.
"I really like the adrenaline rush and letting my teammates count on me," CJ Peneueta said.
Chong singled, stole second then scored her second run off Ny Peneueta's double to right field for the final run of the game.
Cordeiro was tagged with 13 hits, her highest total of the season, and all seven Na Alii runs were earned in the loss. She struck out four and walked two to finish the OIA season 9-2 in the circle.
"I thought Kyralee did her job. Sometimes we got deep in the count, deeper than we wanted. Overall, Kyra pulls through," Baughn said.
Na Alii rolled past Kalaheo, 22-1 in four innings, with 22 runs on 17 hits in the semifinals.
Aiea's lost 10-8 to Radford on Mar. 5 but Na Alii returned the favor to win, 9-8 on Mar. 30.
"The first time we challenged them, it was a mental battle and I feel like we let them get to us. Now we had more practice and more chemistry as a team and I feel this time around, we had more confidence and more trust in our teammates and ourselves," CJ Peneueta said.
Radford was seeking its first-ever OIA title in school history.
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