The Spartans celebrate after defeating Kamehameha for the ILH D1 softball championship. Leighland Tagawa | Special to SL

Purchase image 1 of 1

KAPALAMA HEIGHTS — In a championship game that featured 10 total home runs, Kanoe Tanigawa made the biggest defensive stop to help No. 5 Maryknoll topple defending league champion No. 3 Kamehameha, 12-10, for the school's first-ever Interscholastic League of Honolulu title at the Warriors' field on Friday.

The Spartans (11-5), who dropped three-straight in the fourth week of March, managed to win seven of their last eight games—including the postseason tournament game against Kamehameha earlier on Monday, April 24 to reach the tournament final. The Spartans then dispatched Mid-Pacific to set up Friday's game for all the marbles and came away with a seeded state berth.

"This is well deserved. This is our first-ever and I think they were getting too excited, now they understand how to win. Now it's a matter of just doing it," said Maryknoll coach John Uekawa.

The Warriors (10-3-1) did what they could with what it had and played without Dallas Millwood and Rayla Jacobs-Kea due to injuries.

"She (Dallas) tweaked her ankle against them. She's probably at 80 percent and we didn't want to push it and make it worse. Rayla hasn't been healthy since the second week," said Kamehameha coach James Millwood.

The Spartans took a five run lead to enter the bottom of the seventh inning, but the Warriors found a way to chip at the deficit. Alana Cobb-Adams lead-off with a walk then moved to second on Kyler Stephens' single. Laa Bertulfo's sacrifice fly scored a run to make it, 12-8. Kaili Castillo reached on error Kahilu McNicoll consecutively walked Shaylee Alani and Maiah Motta to load the bases. Kamehameha left 13 runners on base and had their opportunities to regain the lead.

"I told them this is the loosest I've seen them. We had the tying run at second and winning run at first with only one out. They made a couple good defensive plays at the end," said James Millwood.

"I knew I was struggling on the mound. But my team kept coming to me to the mound, giving me confidence that I could finish the game," said McNicoll, who walked 10 for the game.

Mo Hasegawa drove in another run, but Keelie Pak hit it short to McNicoll, who threw it home for the second out. Tausani Tavale grounded to Tanigawa, who fielded it and tagged second base for the third and final out. The time of the final out was recorded at 6:44 p.m. with some sunlight to spare.

"I knew I had to see the ball in and my team was working so hard and we needed to end the game," said Tanigawa, on the final out.

"How fitting," said Uekawa, on Tanigawa coming through.

"I knew Kanoe had it. I already knew she had it and I had so much confidence in the defense," said McNicoll.

The Spartans hit 23 home runs this season and are second in the state in hits. Seven of Maryknoll's home runs came off of 12 hits. Tanigawa was the only player to record two home runs today while five different batters each added home runs.

"We maybe small, but we're one of the stronger hitting teams out there," said McNicoll.

"We just see the ball and hit the ball. We want to practice that harder than anybody else," said Tanigawa.

The Spartans surged ahead to a 5-0 lead after three home runs by Kamalei Labasan, McNicoll and Kiana Arcayena. Alyssa Mahoe, who started in the circle, was pulled for Reese Mokuao after 1 2/3 innings. Mokuao pitched the remainder of the game to allow nine hits and seven earned runs.

"We spotted them five runs off the bat. Reese, the second pitcher, she has the most innings for us this year. We didn't see her since last Saturday, she came to practice for the first time yesterday for the first time and she was sick. We went with Alyssa (Mahoe), she struggled and fell behind and they were able to sit on stuff," said James Millwood.

Cobb-Adams led off with a walk, Stephens doubled again and Bertulfo crushed a towering home run to close the gap to one run, 6-5.

"I was expecting them to hit big too, they have big hitters," said McNicoll.

The Warriors wouldn't go away after Motta hit a solo home run to right field. Hasegawa walked and Bryana De Aguiar, who came in to pinch run for Hasegawa, scored off of Cobb-Adams' double that was just inches inside the right foul line. Kamehameha held up defensively for the next two innings to allow a Maryknoll hit.

Tanigawa, who went 3 for 4 against the Owls on Wednesday, hit a solo home run in the second inning and her three RBI home run in the fourth to create some breathing room.

Maryknoll led by two runs heading into the top of the seventh. Nohea Hee led off with a walk and Kaylah Santos followed up with a home run and Arcayena added a single. Baylie Kahele lined out to Castillo, who threw it to first for the second out. Sydney Kamakaiwi, who went 0 for 4 against Mid-Pacific, redeemed herself to finish 3 for 4 and hit the team's tenth home run. Tanigawa grounded out to Mokuao, but Maryknoll created a make-or-break situation for the Warriors heading to the bottom of the seventh.