Iolani's Marcee Nakamura throws a pitch to plate against Mid-Pacific. She pitched 3 and 1/3 inning in relief to pick up the win. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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Heads-up base running and timely hitting helped No. 6 Iolani down visiting Mid-Pacific Institute, 9-4, Wednesday in Interscholastic League of Honolulu softball.

Kennedy Lopes batted 2 for 2, including a back-breaking three-run triple that highlighted the Raiders' six-run fourth, when they sent 10 batters to the plate. Ashlyn Okamoto batted 3 for 4 with an RBI double in that big inning.

Starting first baseman Marcee Nakamura came in to pitch 3 1/3 innings of two-hit ball to get credit for the win in relief of starter Marley Dyer, who allowed three runs in three-plus innings. Aleia Agbayani, who started in left field and moved over to first when Nakamura pitched, came in to get the final two outs of the game after walking a batter.

"We're not walking people and our defense is pretty solid and we're going to score runs," Iolani coach Dean Yonamine said. "It comes down to that and the pitchers know that, too. It's still early in the season and we're still trying to work through stuff. That's why we threw Aleia those last two outs becuase she was a little off on Saturday. We're lucky. We got Marcee Nakamura. Anytime we get in a situation, Marcee comes in and throws drops the whole day. She tough to hit and adjust to early on."

Owls' starting pitcher Lea Hanawahine pitched the distance, allowing 10 hits and nine runs, but five were unearned in part to seven errors committed behind her.

"It's a work in progress both offensively and defensively," said Owls first-year coach Aloha Yamaguchi, who last coached at Kamehameha in 2014. "We're still trying to build a new culture around this program."

With the game tied at 3 entering the bottom of the fifth, the Raiders batted around to score six runs. It began when Kawai Scanlan reached on an error and stole second. Lead-off hitter Leila Anoina reached on a bunt single, allowing Scanlan to take third. Anoina saw that second base was not being covered and broke for it. She stayed alive in a rundown long enough to allow Scanlan to score the go-ahead run. 

Then things unraveled for the Owls. Macy Uyehara reached on an error and took seconed when Agbayani singled to shortstop. After the runners advanced on a wild pitch, Kai Barrett walked to load the bases to set up Lopes' bases-clearing triple. Okamoto then doubled home Lopes. Okamoto stole third and an out later scored when Nakamura reached on an error to make it 9-3 before Scanlan popped out to third to end the inning.

"We told the girls we really have good team speed," Yonamine said. "We have girls who are veteran club softball players. We have seven seniors in the lineup and they've seen it all before so we have to be patient and we gave them their shots at it."

Iolani improved to 2-0, but this was MPI's first game after having its season opener last week against Pac-Five twice postponed by rain.

"This was our first game so it's kind of just getting that first game out of the way and under their belt is a thing too, but we'll get better," Yamaguchi said.

Iolani struck in the bottom of the first when Anoina walked, took second on a wild pitch, stole third and scored on Uyehara's sacrifice fly to center. Agbayani then reached on an error and an out later, stole second and scored on the catcher's throwing error to give Iolani a 2-0 lead.

The Owls tied it in the top of the second. Hanawahine led off with a triple to right and Skylar Tanaka walked. After Tanaka took second on a wild pitch, Hanawahine scored on Caitlin Taga's single that moved Taga to third. Taga tried to steal second, but was caught in a rundown that allowed Tanaka to score to tie the game at 2.

MPI took a 3-2 lead in the third on an RBI single by Michaela Fonoti. Iolani tied the game in the bottom of the frame on an unusual play. With the bases loaded and one out, Maddie Ikeda reached on a fielder's choice grounder to second that forced a runner out at the plate. But as catcher Lia Nakamoto checked the runners, she fumbled the ball while transferring the ball from her glove to throwing hand. That allowed Lopes to score to tie the game at 3.

The Owls added a run in the fifth on Hanawahine's second triple of the game.