JV softball nears end of season with loss to Sabers
Photo by Daisy Draper
Montana Rae Vaught pitching for KSM at Pasty Mink Field on January 25, 2014.
The Maui High Sabers won, 19-5, against the Kamehameha Maui junior varsity girls softball team at Pasty Mink Field on January 25, 2014.
The Sabers came into the game with three wins, while the Warriors came into the game with one.
“We’ve only played five and I think we’ve won three against Kamehameha and two losses, one against Baldwin and one against Lahaina,” said Coach Andrea Franco, Maui High JV softball coach.
There game lasted only three innings due to the lopsided score, which was 19-0 going into the bottom of the third.
The Warriors rallied, scoring all five points in that half. The first home run was made by Kiana Nemoto-Oshita when Montana Vaught was walked with the bases loaded.
Faith Kekahuna Santos made the second point for the KSM Warriors on a single by Kiera Lyn Viela; then Anela Severson was the third person to come in when the Sabers walked Kortney Russell.
The fourth point for the Lady Warriors came from Vaught when she came in on a single by Ofa-Helotu Koka, and Viela was the fifth and final home run before Nemoto-Oshita struck out, stranding three, and ending the game.
The Kamehameha Schools Maui girls’ JV softball team, which has eleven new girls, has struggled this season (1-7). Their only win was a 31-21 victory over King Kekaulike last week.
“More than half are new and have never played before. We only have like three or four that have even played once in their lifetime,” said Macie Tawata, team manager.
Within the first two innings, there were lots of throwing and catching errors, which allowed all of the runs made by Maui High.
But, some students brought years of experience. Freshman Montana Rae Vaught pitched for the Warriors for the entire game. “I have been playing softball for eight years,” she said. It is her first year pitching for Kamehameha Schools Maui.
Although the Warriors have only one win, they are proud of their no-quit spirit they bring to the team.
“Everybody always comes to practice. Everybody is ready to play. Everybody wants to be here, you know, and we are learning. We are a very young club and they, you know, they are here. They are playing for me, so it’s all about the girls,” said Coach Tony Arrieta, the KSM JV softball coach.
With only one game left in the season, people are starting to wonder about the possible players that will move up to varsity next season.
“Right now, I can’t tell you because we have not had varsity tryouts yet. We look for the majority of these girls. Hopefully most of the sophomores will try out and some of the freshman will try out also. But right now, we don’t have a stated varsity team, so I can’t say names because it will just be guessing,” Coach Arrieta said.
The next and final JV softball game for the Warriors will be next Saturday, Feb. 1, at Pasty Mink Field at 10 a.m.
