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Maryknoll softball coach John Uekawa determined to go together with a special pregame routine at this 12 months’s state match and it seems to be having a constructive impact on his crew.
Jenna Sniffen pitched a three-hitter and Carys Murakami and Nellian McEnroe-Marinas every drove in three runs as Maryknoll beat No. 2 seed Kapolei 9-2 within the semifinals of the Datahouse/HHSAA Softball State Championships on Wednesday at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
Maryknoll will face ‘Iolani for the title at 7 tonight at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
The Spartans’ earlier greatest end within the state match was fourth place in 2015.
“It’s very surreal because we haven’t really been here before,” stated Murakami, a senior who batted 3-for-4 with a house run and 4 runs scored. “I’m so proud of this team because we’ve been working hard these past few weeks.”
As far because the Spartans’ pregame preparation it now begins 4 hours earlier than sport time with batting apply at both HNL Ballpark or HAWAIIANHARDBALL batting cages, consuming collectively and catching the bus to the stadium.
“The strategy was to keep them together and keep them focused ahead of the game,” Uekawa stated.
Previously, he stated the crew would hand around in a confined space and the gamers would “lay down, watch TV and get lazy” previous to its typically late-starting state match video games.
Maryknoll, ranked No. 2 within the state, got here out scorching towards Kapolei, scoring in every of the primary 5 innings.
Sniffen, who has began all three of the Spartans’ match video games, was in management on the mound till tiring within the last inning. The sophomore walked 5 and struck out 5.
“She has so much guts. She’s thrown over 300 pitches already,” Uekawa stated. “I was planning to only pitch her two or three innings, but it’s kind of hard to (take her out).”
Sniffen allowed just one runner to achieve second base over the primary six innings. She successfully modified speeds to maintain the Kapolei hitters off-balance.
“The change-up is a really big part of my pitch sequence and I was able to get ground balls to my defense so they could help me out,” Sniffen stated.
Eight of the 9 hitters in Maryknoll’s lineup had at the least one hit. McEnroe-Marinas went 2-for-4 with a house run.
“We all have one strategy, one philosophy, one style, so if there is any difference we can adjust,” stated Uekawa of the crew’s hitting strategy.
Maryknoll (11-5) scored within the first on Breli Agbayani-Shibao’s RBI single off Jerzie Liana, which scored Murakami.
The Spartans made it 3-0 within the second on Murakami’s single to proper, which scored Chloe Chun from third. Kayla Whaley scored from second after the ball was mishandled by the precise fielder.
Maryknoll tacked on a run within the third on a lead-off homer by McEnroe-Marinas, which reached the tennis courts past the wall.
The Spartans took a 7-0 lead within the fourth on two hits and three errors. McEnroe-Marinas’ floor ball with the bases-loaded obtained previous the second baseman, which allowed Haylee Cathcart and Murakami to attain. McEnroe-Marinas was credited with an RBI on the play. She got here round to attain on a single by Sniffen.
Murakami’s homer to right-center within the fifth and McEnroe-Marinas’ RBI single within the seventh made it 9-0.
Kapolei (12-3) scored two within the seventh on RBI doubles by Alewa Ewa and Liana.
“We showed heart and we showed grit,” stated Kapolei interim coach Enson Queypo. “You can’t take away the fact we were OIA champions. They battled all the way to the end. I’m proud of them.”
The Hurricanes, ranked No. 4, dedicated 5 errors and three of the runs they allowed have been unearned.
“All season long we played stellar defense and tonight it just wasn’t there for our pitcher,” Queypo stated. “It was the wrong time to have a bad game.”
