By Wes Nakama
The season-long bottleneck that was the ILH softball title chase finally cleared up late Thursday afternoon at Sand Island, where Maryknoll held off red-hot Punahou, 8-5, to claim the league’s second (and last) state tournament berth and a shot at the overall title against Kamehameha on Monday.
The Spartans improved to 12-5 by winning the ILH double-elimination tournament and will face the regular season champion Warriors (11-5) at 4 p.m. Monday at Kamehameha for the overall title. Punahou, which had won four straight games, ends its season at 12-6.
“Punahou is a good team, and I feel sorry that they didn’t make it (to the state tournament),” Maryknoll coach John Uekawa said. “They won four games in a row, and because of that, they had the momentum. We knew as a fact, we had to play our game (today).”
The Spartans took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning after Shey Iokia singled to center, advanced to second and then scored on an infield error, but the Buff ‘N Blue responded in the top of the third with Lexi Hinahara’s two-run homer over the center field fence.
Maryknoll then took a 5-2 lead in the fourth after Reyni Hiraoka’s RBI single and Kasi Cruz’s three-run triple to right. Iokia hit a solo homer to lead off the bottom of the fifth to extend the lead to 6-2, but Punahou erupted for three runs in the sixth to close it to 6-5 after Austen Kinney’s RBI single to center, Kealoha Cox’s sacrifice fly and Kahiau Aina’s run-scoring single to right.
The Spartans then responded with two runs in the bottom of the sixth on Iokia’s two-run double to left after the first two batters reached on walks.
“We came in (for) the sixth inning, and we talked about believing, and we were one hit away from taking the lead,” Buff ‘N Blue coach Boy Eldredge said. “We never lost belief, even in the last inning. But you put up a crooked number like we did, and then walk two right after that … that’s never good. But it happens.”
Maryknoll senior Jenna Sniffen, a University of Arizona recruit, came in to pitch the seventh inning for her first trip to the circle this season. After a leadoff walk, Sniffen got the first out on a fielder’s choice to second, and then the second out when the runner at first was caught stealing.
After another walk, she then earned the save after an infield grounder for the final out.
Cruz, a junior right-hander, was the winning pitcher after scattering seven hits over six innings.
“It’s very relieving, I feel like we worked super hard to get to this point,” Cruz said. “We all motivate each other, and pick each other up. People stepped up.”
Iokia went 3 for 4 with the home run and three RBIs, Hiraoka went 2 for 3 with an RBI and Cruz went 1 for 3 with the three-run triple. Aina went 2 for 2 with an RBI and Hinahara had the two-run homer to lead Punahou.
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