Photographs and story by Rick Ogata/Special to Hawaii247.com

Kohala 0  0  0  0  5  0  7
Keaau  0  0  7  1  0  0  0
 

Whoever said that softball isn’t a game of momentum doesn’t know the game at all. The contest between Kohala and Keaau certainly had its share of momentum shifts. For the first two and a half innings the game was a pitchers’ duel, until Keaau pounced on Kohala for seven runs in the bottom of the third and another in the fourth. However, in the fifth inning the Cougars substituted a new pitcher for starter Kristen Balino-Santo and that’s when the momentum shifted in favor of the visiting Cowgirls. Kohala erupted for five hits off Christina Pilago, making the score 5-8 in favor of the host team. After allowing that final run in the fourth inning, Kohala starting pitcher Brooke Kise settled down and did not allow another Cougar player to score. In the top of the seventh inning Kohala had momentum on their side, and with steady hitting and a few untimely errors by Keaau, scored seven more runs to take a 12-8 lead. Keaau was unable to score any runs in the bottom of the seventh.

Brooke Kise went the distance for the Cowgirls and took the win, while Kristen Balino-Santo was tagged with the loss. Kohala was led by Chyler Imai who went two for three. Theresa Quituga went one for one and drove in the first run to start Kohala’s scoring run. Jovy Haunio was two for four for the host Cougars.