Pearl City's Kristin Frost was as cool as it gets as the freshman hurler pitched the Lady Chargers over the Kaimuki Lady Bulldogs 3-0 on Wednesday in the first round of the Oahu Interscholastic Association Red Division Softball Championship Tournament played at Kaimuki High School.
Frost earned her first career OIA playoff victory in going the distance allowing no runs on two hits in seven complete innings.
Ehlen Awaya took the loss for the Lady Bulldogs allowing three runs on six hits in seven complete innings.
Pearl City (6-8) represents the OIA Red Western Division as the sixth seed in the tournament. Kaimuki (9-4) is the third seed out of the OIA Red Eastern Division.
After cruising along with a 1-0 lead over the Lady Bulldogs after six innings, Pearl City's Nat Kang secured the win for the Lady Chargers in the top of the seventh inning with a two-run homerun blast that sailed over the fence in left-center field to give the Lady Chargers a little breathing room with a 3-0 lead.
The homerun shot came after Kang had been called out by the plate umpire on a foul tip that was ruled caught by the Lady Bulldogs catcher for the out. After an appeal on the play by Pearl City Lady Chargers Head Coach Keoke Behic, the plate umpire summoned the two base umps for a ruling. The call was overturned and Kang stepped up to the plate and let her bat do the talking. Kang crushed a pitch by Lady Bulldogs starter Ehlen Awaya that scored Daeysha Resquer-Sagan from first base with no outs. Resquer-Sagan came into the game as a courtesy runner for Naomi Hernandez-Hama who led off the inning with a single to right field.
Taylor Kawakami had a productive day at the plate for the Lady Chargers hitting 2-3 with a double and an RBI. Nat Kang went 2-3 with a HR and two RBI.
Yesterday's upset victory over the Lady Bulldogs advances the Lady Chargers into today's tournament quarterfinals against Campbell who represents the second seed from the West. The Pearl City vs. Campbell quarterfinal match-up is set for 3:30pm at Campbell High School.
Go Lady Chargers!
@ Kaimuki High School
Pearl City (6-8) 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 6 0
Kaimuki (9-4) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1
WP – Kristin Frost
LP – Ehlen Awaya
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Nat Kang launches a two-run homerun to left-center field off of Lady Bulldogs
starter Ehlen Awaya in the top of the seventh inning with no outs and Daeysha
Resquer-Sagan on first base.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Lady Bulldogs center fielder Nikki Vongprachanh crashes through the
left-center field fence attempting to run down Nat Kang's seventh inning
two-run homer.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Nat Kang is congratulated by teammate Daeysha Resquer-Sagan as she
approaches home plate after hitting a two-run homerun in the top of the
seventh inning that also scored Resquer-Sagan from first base.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Hope Casarez picks up a base hit down the third base line in the top of the sixth inning.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Makana Kekaulike strokes a single into center field in the top of the sixth inning.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Hope Casarez gets tagged out at home plate attempting to score on a single by
Taylor Kawakami to center field with two outs in the top of the sixth inning.
Lady Chargers Spotlight – Infield Starters
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Robi Kami at Shortstop. Nat Kang at Third Base.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Hope Casarez at Second Base.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Makana Kekaulike at First Base.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Kristin Frost off the mound.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Taylor Kawakami behind the dish.