Four homers power Mules back to D1 title game

After hitting zero home runs in the regular and post season, Leilehua's Kawena Kahana-Travis (left) has now homered three times in the last two games, including a grand slam against Punahou. Greg Yamamoto | SL

MANOA — Good things come in fours for the No. 2 Leilehua Mules softball team.

For the third consecutive game, Leilehua blasted four home runs to pummel second-seeded and No. 6 Punahou, 12-4, Friday night in the semifinals of the DataHouse/HHSAA Division I state tournament.

The No. 2 Mules (12-6) will defend their title against No. 7 Iolani (18-5) in Saturday championship in a battle of league runners-up at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. Game time is 7 p.m.

"We made it to the ‘ship," Leilehua coach Wendell Au said referring to the championship. "That's where it's at."

Where the Mules are at borders on insane. Leilehua sent 11 batters to the plate in an eight-run first inning, which featured a three-run home run by Alana Jarra-Parker, a grand slam by Kawena Kahana-Travis and solo shot by Gianna Araki. Jacelyn Kepaa added a two-run homer in the second that gave the Mules a commanding 10-2 lead.

In Thursday's quarterfinals, Kahana-Travis hit two home runs after hitting none during the Oahu Interscholastic Association regular and postseasons.

"I've been working really hard on my hitting, focusing on my hitting," Kahana-Travis said. "Kapolei game, my hitting wasn't that great. I just wanted to better it."

She went 0 for 3 against the Hurricanes in Wednesday's first-round game. She finished Friday batting 2 for 4 with game-high five RBIs.

Lost in the rain of homers was a strong pitching performance by Mules' starter Alyssa Abe, who contained the Buffanblu to four runs in the complete-game win. She allowed nine hits and issued six walks for the second time this season.

"My approach was I wanted to keep them off-balanced as much as I can," Abe said of the vaunted Punahou lineup. "I want to make sure that I can make the ball playable. I want it so the defense can make the plays."

Center fielder Mikayla Pinera made two nice catches with runners on.

"They made good plays," Punahou coach David "Boy" Eldredge said. "They made a couple plays in center to shut things down. We thought we had things going, maybe get a crooked number on the board an inning here, an inning there. They made some good plays that made it tougher for us."

Punahou starting pitcher Ashanti Martinez pitched 3 2/3 innings in two different segments. She was replaced by Briahni Alejo, who went 2 1/3 innings, before giving the game back to Martinez in the fourth.

Maya Matsubara drove in half her team's runs on a 2-for-4 performance to pace Punahou.

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at [email protected].