Saint Francis' Ashley Kahapea-Wagner is greeted at home plate by fellow Saints' teammate Kelcie Hee. Sylvia Lee | SL

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Team Titan scored 5 runs in the 7th inning to defeat Team Armada, 9-3 for the 8th annual New City Nissan Softball Classic championship at Central Oahu Regional Park.

The goodwill invitational featured 64 players from the ILH and OIA, split up into four teams headed by various coaches from around both leagues.

John Uekawa, who is New City Nissan's owner and Maryknoll's head softball coach, had a vision to create an all-star game to recognize Hawaii's female athletes.

"Nine years ago, I looked at everything and everything was geared towards young gentlemen: all-star football games and all-star basketball games. In the state of Hawaii, we have just as many good young women as we have good young men so I said let's set up an actual all-star senior event. When it first started, we had 64 applicants and we only took 48. Now we're up to 127 applicants with 64 participants and it's amazing how this event expanded," said Uekawa.

"You really see them in a different light. When you see these kids with a bunch of other kids who can play, it's amazing; you don't even recognize them anymore. Even with coaches Aloha (Yamaguchi) and Stacy (Araki), it's super interesting to work with people who are in the other dugout and having them here was a good time," said Team Titan and Moanalua head coach Kristie Morikawa.

Team Titan got on the scoreboard early with 3 runs in the first inning.

Team Armada's catcher and leadoff hitter, Carolann Toyama (Maryknoll) answered back as she blasted a homerun over the fence. She also added another run in the second inning off of an error.

"It's fun working with different pitchers. It took time getting used to catching her ball and she's a great pitcher," said Toyama of pitcher Joen Baker (Mililani). Toyama will attend St. Martin's University (WA) to play softball.

Team Armada added 2 more runs and tied the game up in the second inning.

Titan's added another run in the third inning off of an RBI off of Punahou's Jaci Young to take a slim, 4-3 lead.

"It was a nice meet new people and you have a chance to know them because you play against them, but you don't have a chance to know them so this was a nice opportunity," said Young who will attend the University of Puget Sound to play softball.

Team Titan erupted offensively in the seventh inning, scoring 5 runs to put the game out of reach to claim the trophy.

"I thought it was really fun and it was neat we went from being enemies to becoming friends," said Titan's first baseman Lindsee Joseph (Waianae), who hit an RBI double in the seventh inning. She still wants to continue playing softball, but is undecided on a college.  

"I saw some old teammates and it was great to play against them because we don't get to play against them during the regular season. I'm used to playing with Jaci from club and knew how some of the other players could hit," said second baseman Shaydon Apela-Moku (Kailua), who plans to go to UNLV to study nursing.

"I liked this opportunity because they get to see who people really are as athletes and as people," added Morikawa.

In the first game of the afternoon, Team Rogue scored 13 runs to rout Team Leaf to claim third place in the 8th annual New City Nissan Goodwill Softball Classic at Central Oahu Regional Park.

Nala Viliamu (Waipahu) and Rachel Carlos (St. Francis) each had homeruns for Team Rogue.

The two became good friends during this event.

"It was very fun and I'm glad I got to meet everybody. I'm glad I got close to Nala because I never knew her before and I was scared of her," said Rachel Carlos, who plans to play softball at Central Arizona.

"Everyone's first impression of me is very mean and aggressive. But once they get to know me they see I'm a teddy bear, I'm really nice. I may look mean on the outside, but I'm very nice on the inside and I was very honored to meet Rachel," said Viliamu with a laugh. She plans to go to a junior college in Nebraska to play softball.

"It's great meeting new people and getting to know each other and it was all about having fun and not worrying," said Kiana Mattos-Felicilda of Moanalua, who hit a 2RBI grounder. She plans to attend UH Manoa for now, but might play for JC school on the Mainland.

"First, some of them never played on TV before, so it's a joy for them. Second, for four years, they competed against some of these girls which they gave snarls and stink eyes and received them back. Then all of a sudden they created a bond and camaraderie and so far I have seen so many girls come back and tell me that, "Hey you know this girl, I'm still in contact with them" and it warms my heart," said Uekawa.

"It's wonderful, the whole point why we're here is gender equity. It's good that we have something like this. The girls you coach against, you get to coach with them. It's about making new friends, the camaraderie with the coaches you coach against during the season. This is their last time they will get to play in high school and on tv," added Team Leaf and St. Francis head coach Randy Langsi.