KS-Hawai`i Receives #3 Seed in State DII Softball Tourney

Three Big Island Interscholastic Federation teams will converge on Maui for the Datahouse / Hawai`i High School Athletic Association Division II Softball Tournament, beginning Tuesday at Patsy Mink Field.

Kamehameha-Hawai`i defeated Konawaena 17-3 in a five-inning mercy rule victory to earn the league’s top spot in the state tournament. The Warriors finished the season with a 16-0 overall mark in the BIIF. The winner of Tuesday’s opening round game between Kauai and McKinley will tangle with Kamehameha-Hawai`i at 1:00 p.m. Wednesday.

Konawaena and Kohala will join the Warriors in the 12-team field. Konawaena finished the 2013 season with a 10-7 record and will face Aiea, the Oahu Interscholastic Association’s third-place team, at 3:00 p.m. Wednesday. Aiea went 9-5 in OIA play this year, and scored an average of 10 runs per game this season, including games where they scored 28, 26 and 15 runs in wins.

The Cowgirls won Saturday’s third-place game over Honoka`a to get the league’s final state berth. Thanks to their 11-10 victory, Kohala clinched a date with Hana, the Maui Interscholastic League’s second place contestant, who finished the season with a 6-4 mark. Kohala enters the state tournament following a 7-10 season. They meet at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday.

Click to view the 2013 state softball bracket. Courtesy: Hawai`i High School Athletic Association

The tournament’s top seed is Kauai Interscholastic Federation champion Waimea High School. The Menehune defeated Nanakuli, seeded second in this year’s tournament, by a score of 12-4 to win their first state championship since 1990.

MIL champion Molokai received the fourth seed after finishing regular season play with a 7-3 record.

The Division II tournament has never left Oahu since the divisional split took place in 2004. This is the first time that a state softball tournament, regardless of division, has left Oahu since Wong Stadium hosted the tournament in 1986. Maui is playing host for the first time since Maui Memorial Field hosted the tournament in 1981.

Datahouse / HHSAA Division II Softball Tournament schedule (all games at Patsy Mink Field)

Tuesday

Kauai (7-5) vs. McKinley (9-6) – 1:00 p.m.

Konawaena (10-7) vs. Aiea (9-5) – 3:00 p.m.

St. Francis (6-10) vs. Kaiser (13-1) – 5:00 p.m.

Hana (6-4) vs. Kohala (7-10) – 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday

Konawaena/Aiea loser vs. St. Francis/Kaiser loser – 11:00 a.m.

Kauai/McKinley winner vs. #3 Kamehameha-Hawai`i (16-1) – 1:00 p.m.

Konawaena/Aiea winner vs. #1 Waimea (11-1) – 3:00 p.m.

Hana/Kohala winner vs. #2 Nanakuli (12-1) – 5:00 p.m.

Saint Francis/Kaiser winner vs. #4 Molokai (7-3) – 7:00 p.m.

Thursday

Hana/Kohala loser vs. Kauai/McKinley loser – 11:00 a.m.

Fifth place semifinals – 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

Semifinals – 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Friday

Consolation championship – 12:00 p.m.

Fifth place game – 2:00 p.m.

Third place game – 4:00 p.m.

Championship game – 6:00 p.m.