Mules Softball Teams Drill On Making Their Hits Count
By Jack Danilewicz
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Del.icio.usThe Leilehua girls softball team won’t have to wait long to assert itself in the OIA Red West race. They begin a crucial four-game stretch Wednesday against Kapolei, with games versus Pearl City, Mililani and Campbell to follow.
“The first win is always good to get, because we know that the competition will get stronger and we’ll be going against tougher pitchers,” coach Stacy Araki said of last Tuesday’s 7-0 win over Aiea in the season opener. “Hopefully, our momentum will carry us.”
While the conference schools play each other twice, there can be no doubt that this week and next will set the tone for the Mules as they will meet some of the top softball programs in the West. Defending OIA champion Mililani has won six titles overall in the last decade. Pearl City won it in 2006. Kapolei won OIA titles in 2004 and 2005, while Campbell is one of this season’s favorites with several standouts back from last year’s state tournament team.
Where the Mules will fit in the ultra-competitive West puzzle remains to be seen, but Araki sees her team’s success tied to offensive output. Leilehua’s seven runs against Aiea was a season high (including preseason encounters), and five Mules - Kaylen Ynigues (3-for-4, double), Alex Smith (home run, two RBI), Ciara Paracuellas (home run), Brittany Lani (2-for-3) and Chasea Crawford (3-for-4, triple, two RBI) - collected at least two hits.
Araki welcomes those kinds of numbers every outing.“Everybody who makes the team can catch and throw. Hitting is what counts. It’s the most important thing. We spend probably 60 percent (of our time) on hitting - either with the machine or with me pitching to them. If you’re not hitting, you’re not generating runs.
“Against Aiea, we were pretty good. Everyone was hitting.Alex has been hitting it hard. She had a couple of home runs in the preseason, and the others picked up as well.”
On the mound,Ynigues will likely get the call in the next four games. Smith is still on the mend from an arm injury. “We’re trying to work Alex back in slowly - we don’t want her to hurt her arm again.”
For her part, sophomore Ynigues was impressive in Leilehua’s opener, scattering five hits over seven innings for a complete-game victory.“Her ball moves naturally when she pitches. Sometimes batters get thrown off by that.”
While they’ve received solid play from their veterans, they remain a young team overall. Building cohesiveness for a team varying in age has been a priority since camp.
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