Leilehua's Alyssa Asuncion drove in five total runs in the Mules' mercy rule win over Mililani Thursday afternoon. Greg Yamamoto | SL

×

_18051110_Asuncion.jpg - Greg Yamamoto | SL

Purchase this image
4x5 5x7 8x10 image download

MANOA — No. 3 Leilehua busted out the bats against its old rival Thursday afternoon.

The Mules rapped out 14 hits, including nine in a nine-run third inning, on their way to a lopsided 13-0 win over ninth-ranked Mililani in the semifinals of the DataHouse Division I Softball State Championships at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium Thursday afternoon.

Leilehua, which finished third in the Oahu Interscholastic Association tournament last month, improved to 14-4 on the season and secured its spot in Friday's state championship game.

The Mules will try for their first state crown in program history when they face off against sixth-ranked Punahou at 7 p.m. at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. It is their first appearance in a state final since 1988.

"It feels amazing. All of this is just so amazing: all the lights and the people, everyone, all the support from the school, it's just amazing," said junior left fielder Alyssa Asuncion, who batted 3 for 3 and drove in five runs in the win.

Asuncion's two-out, two-run single to score Kayla Hale and Gianna Araki in the top of the first inning opened the scoring.

"I saw it coming down and I figured that my job is to get them in, so I hit it out there and that was my job and I got ‘em in," Asuncion said.

The score held until the third inning, when Leilehua sent 14 batters to the plate to break open the flood gates. Kaena Nistal led off the frame with a single before Kamryn Kamakaiwi reached on an error. Asuncion then worked the count full before belting a three-run home run to left center.

"The home run, I was kind of nervous, but I saw the pitch — it was a 3-2 (count) — and then I just went for it and it went out, opposite (field)," Asuncion said. "I feel like I'm trying to keep the momentum up. I've been hitting good lately, so I'm just trying to keep it up."

Asuncion, a 5-foot-2 junior, extended her hitting streak to seven games. She is 7 for 10 with eight RBI and five runs scored in Leilehua's three state-tournament games this week.

"Actually, to tell you the truth, that streak has been going on for quite a bit and I can tell just by looking in her eyes that it hasn't gone to her head, so the ball must freeze in time when she's up there," Leilehua first-year coach Wendell Au said of Asuncion, who raised her batting average to .475 on the season.

"I'm pretty happy for her and happy for the entire team. This is definitely a team win."

Brandi Leong, Nistal and pinch hitter Gwen Maeha each added two-run singles in the inning.

The Mules added single runs in the fourth — on a Araki RBI-ground out — and in the fifth — when Asuncion singled and eventually scored on a wild pitch.

Nistal batted 2 for 3, Leong was 2 for 4 and Lovey Kepaa went 2 for 3 in the win.

One day after lasting just 1 1/3 innings in Wednesday's quarterfinal victory over Maryknoll, Kamakaiwi pitched all five innings Thursday and allowed just two hits with two strikeouts.

"I didn't really take care of my body the day before so (Wednesday) I wasn't really mentally in the game, but then I had to figure it out today and rejuvenate and drink a lot of water and stuff and I felt way better today," said Kamakaiwi, who improved to 8-2 on the season.

Cheyenne Ardona allowed eight runs, four earned, on eight hits with two walks and two strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings of work before giving way to Serenity Jackson, who was charged with five runs on six hits with two walks and a strikeout in 2 2/3 innings. Ardona took the loss to drop to 5-2.

Katie Carlos and Kayla Bello were the lone Trojans to record a hit off of Kamakaiwi.

"We came in today how we came in yesterday. We wanted to keep all the fire from the Maryknoll game and that's how we came into this game. I felt like we were more upbeat, we were all ready. We were ready to come into this tournament all fired up and that's what we did," Asuncion said.

It was the third meeting between the OIA Western Division foes this season. Mililani won the first game by a score of 5-3 back on March 10 and Leilehua took the rematch on Apr. 17, 11-0, in five innings.

"Hats off to Mililani. I mean, they found their way back to the semis and in the West, we know that we're always going to meet up at one point, so I think we were prepared and I think, honestly, we're peaking at the right time, but I think we still can put it together. I mean, we're in the championship, so nothing left, just leave it out there," Au said.

The Trojans, who finished fifth in the Western Division and sixth in the OIA tournament, were seeking their second straight state finals appearance and their fourth in the last five years.