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Maryknoll's run to state softball crown was a long time coming




The Maryknoll softball team was playing for more than just itself during the recently-completed spring sports season.

Not long after the Spartans (12-5) hoisted the state championship trophy following their 5-2 win over defending champ Iolani last Thursday, they were quick to acknowledge those who helped them get there.

"Well, you know what the bottom line to it all was, was that last year we had six seniors, too, and in comparison, the both of them were probably the two best teams I ever had," Maryknoll coach John Uekawa said.

The Spartans put together a 10-2 record during the truncated 2021 season, which culminated with an Interscholastic League of Honolulu title. There was, however, no state tournament last spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It was just real unfortunate that they didn't have a states last year and, you know, that was our goal, was to give back to the seniors that graduated last year and I really believe that they really held true to that," Uekawa added.

Second baseman Carys Murakami, one of seven seniors for Maryknoll this year, pointed out that in addition to the class of 2021, the players wanted to pay tribute to the late-nephew of shortstop Nellian McEnroe-Marinas, who passed away recently.

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"We kind of dedicated it to them and since they couldn't be a part of it, we wanted to go out and win it for them and we're also playing for other people, like Xavier, and especially the people that couldn't make it here," said Murakami, who was one of three Spartans selected to the all-tournament team at last week's DataHouse/HHSAA Division I State Championships at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

McEnroe-Marinas, a junior who has verbally committed to the University of Oklahoma, is grateful for the backing of her teammates.

"It felt great knowing that I had sisters by my side, who were helping me, supporting me through all of this and keeping me in check, while just dedicating the rest of the season to (Xavier); it was just a great feeling knowing that I had their support," she said.

McEnroe-Marinas provided a pair of pivotal insurance runs in Thursday's title game with her two-run home run in the top of the fifth inning. Another underclassman, sophomore Jennalyn Sniffen, played a prominent role in her team's run to the state title.

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Sniffen compiled a 10-2 record in the pitching circle with a 3.11 ERA. She recorded the win in three of Maryknoll's four state tournament games and went the distance in each of them. She struck out a season-high 10 batters in the championship game.

"The first things are first, right, which is, do you have the ability to do it and she wants to end it, so, you know, I could take the ball out of her hand and she would tell me, ‘Give me it back because I can do this,' " Uekawa said of Sniffen, who was tabbed as Gatorade State Player of the Year as a freshman last season.

Murakami further praised Sniffen for her performance against the Raiders.

"I think she did a phenomenal job tonight. She really wanted it and we backed her up as an offense and a defense, so overall she did phenomenal in the circle," Murakami said.

What made Sniffen's outing even more impressive was the fact that she had been dealing with shoulder soreness in the days leading up to the title game.

"She could not throw the ball overhand," Uekawa disclosed.

With the help of a specialist, however, Sniffen was able to gut it out. She held Iolani's potent offense to only two runs on three hits.

"It means a lot to be in this position as just a sophomore and last year, obviously we weren't fortunate enough to have a state tournament, but this year we knew we needed to bring it home just for them," Sniffen said.

In its very first appearance in the state championship game – in Uekawa's 17th season as its head coach – Maryknoll claimed the state's top prize.

"Honestly, it's been one hell of a ride and to top it off with this was something that I wanted throughout all my four years and (we) finally got it. I really wanted this goal real bad and it was a goal since the beginning of the season so to be able to achieve that and top that off and finally close my high school career is really big for me," said Murakami, who will play for CSUN next year.

Playing within themselves was crucial to the Spartans' climb to the top of the proverbial mountain, McEnroe-Marinas said.

"I feel like a key component about today was really just staying in our head, not letting the moment get too big. We knew that the stands were gonna be packed and we just had to stay within ourselves and make adjustments as we go," she explained.

As for how they managed to do so? Leave it to assistant Keiki Carlos, a former state Player of the Year herself during her prep days at Mid-Pacific who went on to play for the University of Hawaii, to offer a solution.

"Well, one of our coaches, coach Keiki, before the game she told us that we were gonna experience this and this big moment, so she told us to look out at the outfield, at the Raising Cane's sign and just think, ‘chicken fingers,' so that's what we did and it worked," McEnroe-Marinas laughed.

Indeed, it did.



Reach Kalani Takase at [email protected].




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