Pac-Five to face Waimea for D-II softball championship
May 5—Kate Iida drove in four runs, including a walk-off two-run single in the bottom of the seventh inning, as Pac-Five rallied for a wild 12-11 win over Nanakuli in the semifinal round of the DataHouse /HHSAA Softball Division II State Championships on Thursday.
Kate Iida drove in four runs, including a walk-off two-run single in the bottom of the seventh inning, as Pac-Five rallied for a wild 12-11 win over Nanakuli in the semifinal round of the DataHouse /HHSAA Softball Division II State Championships on Thursday.
Iida, a freshman first baseman, went 3-for-4. The Wolfpack led 9-3 before Nanakuli rallied for an 11-9 lead going into the bottom of the seventh.
"I was really, really nervous. Coach (Blake Lau ) just said, 'Take one pitch. Just advance the runners.' I was just trying to score one, at least, " Iida said. "I didn't know I brought in that much RBIs."
Pac-Five (14-6 overall ) will play Waimea for the title today at 4 :30 p.m., at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. OIA champion Nanakuli (16-5 ) will play KS-Hawaii today at 3 p.m., at McKinley in the third-place game.
The Wolfpack ousted defending state champion Kapaa 10-9 in the quarterfinals.
Pac-Five won D-II state titles in 2006, '08, '10, '11 and'16.
"Coach told us we got here by ourselves and we did this, " Iida said. "He's really proud of us. I'm proud of all my teammates. We just have to keep working hard because we've come so far."
Waimea 12, KS-Hawaii 5 Taelor Camelo went the distance, allowing two earned runs on seven hits as the Menehunes (16-5-1 overall ) advanced to the Division II state final.
Top-seeded Waimea will play Pac-Five for the title.
After KS-Hawaii rallied to tie it at 5 in the third frame, both pitchers settled in through the middle innings, but Waimea manufactured some offense in the top of the sixth.
Sakai bunted and was safe at first on a throwing error by KS-Hawaii catcher Kaohi Christensen. Olivas followed with a push bunt past the circle, and as Sakai raced to an open third base, KS-Hawaii second baseman Rebekah Sipinga's errant throw sailed to the fence, and Sakai scored for a 6-5 Waimea lead.
With Olivas at third base, Torres laid down a bunt. Hora scooped it and dove toward Olivas racing home. The tag was late and Olivas' run opened the lead to 7-5.
