Gwen Maeha's pinch-hit, two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth pushed the Mules past the Chargers Saturday night and highlighted a game that featured four lead changes. John Lujan | SL

Purchase image 1 of 1

WAIPIO — A couple of reserves pitched in with some late-inning heroics for the fourth-ranked Leilehua softball team Saturday.

Pinch-hitter Gwen Maeha slugged the go-ahead, two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning and relief pitcher Alyssa Abe got the final four outs to help Leilehua to a thrilling 4-3 win over No. 2 Pearl City before a crowd of about 200 fans on a breezy evening at Patsy T. Mink Central Oahu Regional Park.

The Mules tagged Chargers' starter Tyanna Kaaialii for seven hits to overcome four errors on their part to improve to 6-3 in the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I West standings.

Pearl City fell to 6-2 with its second loss in three games.

The game was, as advertised, a back-and-forth affair with four lead changes throughout.

Abe, a sophomore, and Maeha, a junior, each did not factor into the first five innings of the game, but played huge roles in the final two.

Abe took over for Mules' starter Kaena Nistal, who exited the game with two outs in the top of the sixth due to an apparent knee injury on the play that led to Pearl City scoring the go-ahead run.

With Abe having logged just two innings in only one previous appearance this season, it was a surprising spot for Leilehua coach Stacy Araki to give her the ball — or so it seemed.

"I watch them pitch every day (in practice) and Abe is the best spotter on the team and I figured if I can bring her in, she would keep it low and she could do the job," Araki said.

After Abe got the third out of the inning on a fly ball to right field, Maeha took her turn in the spotlight in the bottom half of the inning.

Two batters after Gianna Araki reached base with a four-pitch, leadoff walk, Maeha crushed the 1-1 offering from Kaaialii well over the fence in left center.

"It was an inside, low fastball," Maeha recalled. "I knew once it hit my bat it was out of here."

Araki has not been one to be shy about going to her bench.

"This whole season whoever wasn't hitting in our lineup we've been replacing them and getting an at-bat for the kids on the bench because we have a good bench," Araki said. "I think our coaching staff has a lot of confidence in all twenty of our girls."

Abe surrendered one hit and a walk in the Pearl City seventh, but stranded both base runners in scoring position to end the game.

Pearl City opened the scoring in the top of the second when Noel Saunders led off the inning with a single before stealing both second and third and finally coming home on a Leilehua throwing error.

The Mules evened the score in the bottom half of the inning. Nistal reached on an error and courtesy runner Alyssa Asuncion eventually came home on a perfectly-executed squeeze play by Staisa Micky.

Brandi Leong's leadoff homer in the bottom of the third gave Leilehua its first lead at 2-1, but the Chargers tied it in the fifth — thanks to a pair of Mules' errors — and pulled ahead in the sixth, when Jaeda McFarland was hit by a pitch, stole second, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on yet another error.

Pearl City was denied a second run in the fifth inning when Taylor Au was called out on a close play at the plate that did not go over well with its coaching staff.

"(The umpire) said her foot didn't touch the plate," Chargers coach Chad Obara said. "I didn't think it even mattered. I think her back foot, her sliding foot, touched the bag before she got tagged, too, so it is what it is and umpires will see what they're going to see and they're going to call what they're going to call and we just have to deal with it and overcome that stuff. There's no instant replay in high school softball."

Pearl City's lead ended up being a short-lived one. Leilehua sent eight batters to the plate in the bottom of the sixth. Araki led off the frame with a four-pitch walk before Maeha's blast two batters later.

"Our game plan was to keep the ball in the yard — because we know they have a lot of power in their lineup — and we didn't keep the ball in the yard and that was basically the game," Obara said. "Other than that I thought we played a decent game."

Kaaialii was charged with the loss and fell to 6-2 on the year. She walked four and struck out seven.

Obara, who calls the pitches for the Chargers, put the loss squarely on his shoulders.

"I really don't know if it was a mistake pitch or not," Obara said of Maeha's homer. "I didn't ask (my players) because (Leilehua) did a good job. They put the barrel on the ball and it went out and sometimes you cannot help that kind of stuff. Blame the pitch-caller," Obara said.

Saunders batted 2 for 3 to lead the Chargers, who managed just four hits off Leilehua pitching.

Leong batted 2 for 4 from the leadoff spot and Alo Salausa was 1 for 2 with a pair of walks in the win.

The Mules avenged a 5-4 nine-inning loss to the Chargers earlier this season.

Both teams next play Thursday. Leilehua will visit fifth-ranked Mililani (7-2), while Pearl City will host No. 10 Kapolei (2-6).