Baldwin snags state spot with wild win over Kamehameha Maui

KAHULUI — The Baldwin High School softball team clinched a state tournament berth with a wild 17-7, six-inning win over Kamehameha Maui on Thursday night in the Maui Interscholastic League Division I tournament semifinals at Patsy Mink Field.

Baldwin (8-5) piled up 19 hits and advanced to tonight’s MIL tournament final against regular-season champion Lahainaluna. A Bears’ win tonight would force an overall championship game on Tuesday.

Avei Silifaiva, Kayla Tuaoa and Lia Castillo all had three hits for Baldwin.

The Bears broke open a tied game with eight runs in the bottom of the fifth, all of which scored after the first two batters were out.

They took an 8-6 lead when Alyssa Ferreira’s double knocked in Castillo, who reached on a two-out error, and Saree-Ann Kekahuna followed with another double off the center-field wall to score Ferreira.

After two Bears were hit by pitches to load the bases, Aliya Harmon smoked a three-run triple to right field to make it 11-6. Tuaoa followed with an RBI double off the center-field wall to make it 12-6. Jessica Ai knocked in two more runs with a bloop single to right field to make it 14-6.

The Warriors (6-7) got one run back in the sixth on an RBI double by Jerriah Solomon.

The Bears ended the game on the mercy rule with three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning that was highlighted by an RBI double by Silifaiva and an RBI single by Tuaoa.

Kamehameha Maui scored four times in the top of the third inning to take a 4-3 lead. Malie Watanabe drove in the first run on a single to center field, Lauren Almeida followed with a two-run single to the wall in center to tie the game at 3-3, and Solomon’s RBI single gave the Warriors the lead two batters later.

Baldwin took the lead right back in the bottom of the third when Tuaoa singled with two outs, took third on an error and scored on a wild pitch. Ai knocked in the go-ahead run with a double to center, and Castillo followed with an RBI single to left field to push the lead to 6-4.

Kamehameha Maui tied the game with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth when Almeida singled and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Melia Kama, and Kalena Viela was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

The Bears jumped out to a 3-0 lead with two runs in the first and one more in the second. Harmon smacked a sacrifice fly for the first run and Baldwin went up 2-0 on a runscoring error. Baldwin added its third run when Castillo singled and scored on a throw after a single by Ferreira.

The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photos TOP PHOTO: Kamehameha Schools Maui shortstop Lauren Almeida stretches for a throw as Baldwin’s Lia Castillo slides into second with a stolen base during the second inning of the Bears’ 17-7, six-inning win over the Warriors on Thursday night at Patsy Mink Field. BOTTOM PHOTO: The Bears’ Aliya Harmon follows through on a sacrifice fly in the first inning.

The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photos LEFT PHOTO: Kamehameha Maui’s Jerriah Solomon pitches in the second inning Thursday. RIGHT PHOTO: The Warriors’ Jaelyne Navarro slides safely into third as Baldwin shortstop Aliya Harmon covers the base.