Kapa‘a secured its second straight HHSAA Division II softball state championship — and third in four years — with a hard-fought 7-5 win over Pearl City. After falling behind early, the Warriors responded with a three-run fifth inning to break a 4-4 tie. Key RBI hits from Jacie Martinez and Naylea Machado pushed the lead to 7-4. Pearl City attempted a late rally, cutting the deficit to two in the seventh, but the game ended on a base-running miscue.
Karlee Rose Keale pitched a complete game for the Warriors, allowing five runs on seven hits. Pearl City’s early lead came from back-to-back home runs by Phoenix Sky Lumabao and Haley Shinjo, but Kapa‘a’s resilience proved too strong.
The title win was part of a potentially historic weekend for Kapa‘a, with both its baseball and boys volleyball teams also reaching their respective championship games…