Mid-Pacific overpowers Kamehameha, 12-0


Mid-Pacific's Keiki Carlos gets set to make contact on one of her game high four-hits against Kamehameha. Aaliyah Birgado-Ormita | Leilehua HS
When Keiki Carlos and the Mid-Pacific Owls are playing this good, even the wind takes a break to have a better look.

An almost constant wind blowing down the hill at Kamehameha's Kapalama campus paused just long enough to allow Carlos to rip a high fly ball over the fence in left field for a two-run shot that sparked a nine-run outburst in the top of the fifth, as Mid-Pacific routed Kamehameha in five innings, 12-0.

"My concern (in the fifth inning with the 3-0 lead) was to just get a run in after that, and I even gave Keiki a bunt sign with Tasi (Docktor) on first base, cause I just wanted that run to come in and we'd be okay, but she (ended up) just hitting it out." said Willie Quinn, head coach of the Owls.

"I actually had no idea that it was going to go out, I thought it was just a fly out... I was just surprised that it went over, especially because of the wind coming in from the left side. So... I just saw it and hit it and hopefully it went over and it did," said Carlos of her home run.

Carlos' long ball was the highlight play of the Owls' offensive barrage, as the Owls pounded out 13 hits, but Mid-Pacific also put on a clinic on the mound and added some stellar glovework, allowing just one hit and only two Kamehameha runners for the entire game.

"We trust our defense, and we pride ourselves in playing defense. Our shortstop (Lindsey Matoi) to me is one of the best in the state... I think (she made a play on) every ball that was hit to her." added Quinn.

Carlos spoke about how preparing for the Kamehameha infield may have been a factor. "In practice we really tried to concentrate on that (the grass infield) and getting used to the ball bouncing off." she said.

She added, "For me, I think I was just trying to hit my pitch and if they hit it, my (team's) defense... I have confidence in them that they will get the outs and that's what they did today."

Mid-Pacific opened up the scoring in the top of the third inning, ignited by Tasi Docktor's two-out, bloop single off of a half-swing. Docktor would swipe second on the very next pitch, and would come home to score from second on Carlos' double to the gap in right-center.

Catcher Nicole Lopez would single to bring home courtesy runner Jenna Kumabe on the next at-bat, and Alexe Navarro would score the third run of the inning on Gabrielle Hollinger's single to right.

The Owls would send 13 batters to the dish in the fifth, capitalizing on an error, a sacrifice fly and a wild pitch sprinkled between four singles following Carlos' two-run blast, to plate seven more runs in the inning.

Carlos would finish the afternoon with a 4-for-4 performance at the plate, with a double, a home run and four runs batted in. Docktor was 3-for-4 with 3 runs and an RBI, and Nicole Lopez 2-for-3 with 2 RBIs.

Kamehameha dropped to 5-2 in ILH play with the loss, but will get a chance to even the score next week.

"We play them again next week Saturday, and we're going to expect a much closer game. I know Aloha (Kamehameha head coach Aloha Yamaguchi), she'll get her crew ready and they are going to come and battle." added Quinn.


Reach Brien Ing at [email protected].