Chargers Take Mound In Two-part Matchup With Sabers
By Jack Danilewicz
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At a glance,there can be no doubt that the Pearl City softball schedule - in both preseason and within its OIA Red West format - is unrelenting. But it’s the battles within that have pleased Charger coach Keoki Behic most so far in 2009.
“There are a lot of girls battling for positions, and that makes it fun. There’s a friendly competitiveness. “
Pearl City is in regroup mode this spring with only one senior on its 22-player roster. They have 10 juniors, eight sophomores and three freshmen.While varsity experience is lacking as a whole, there’s no shortage of talent on campus, according to Behic.
“The exciting thing is that a lot of the girls are very, very athletic,” said Behic, who led Pearl City to a state championship in 2006. “We had a bunch come over from the basketball team as soon as their season ended. Right now, they’re try- ing to get the game down.”
For their part, the Chargers also have played one of the toughest schedules around, with games against OIA East powers Kailua and Castle to close out their preseason slate last week. This week, the task is no easier as they begin Red West play with a pair of games versus Campbell. They were to play at the Sabers’home field Tuesday and will host Saturday’s re-match at 11 a.m. The Sabers, who went 14-5 last year en route to finishing second in the OIA and third at the state tournament, have one of Hawaii’s best pitchers in Katie Manuma.
“The key is Katie,” Behic said. “Every year, that (pitcher) is a key position in any championship-caliber team.You only need to surround her with a supporting cast at that point, and you’ll win most of your games.
“They have a good coaching staff over there,” Behic added of Campbell head coach David Perreira and his staff. “Their entire staff is experienced, and they have a lot of great athletes. It (the Campbell series) will be a measuring stick for us.”
Like the Sabers, the Chargers also have a workhorse on the mound in sophomore pitcher Courtney Ahlo, who was Pearl City’s primary pitcher in 2008. Her competitiveness sets the tone for the rest of the team, to hear her coach tell it.“In my eyes, she’s made the biggest improvement from last year to this year. She worked really hard in the off-season to get better. Pitching is always the key. It’s tough to win without it,and she gives us a chance.
“She’s a competitor - she’s always one of the first at practice and one of the last to leave. She’s only a sophomore, so if we can get her to learn to pitch instead of just throw, she’s going to be real good.”
Behind the plate, fellow sophomore Maya Nagata is back for her second season as a starter.One twist since last year will see sophomore Keani Passi move from the outfield to shortstop to help compensate for the loss of projected starter Kalei Adams, who was lost for the season to an ACL injury. “She’ll be important for us,” Behic said of Passi.“She has Division I(-caliber) talent in the outfield, but we had to ask her to move out of her comfort zone.”
On that note, the team’s ability to get out of its own way will also be key, as miscues plagued it last year in a 2-10 season.“The routine balls have to be outs,” Behic said. “If we can do that, we’ll be in the thick of it.”
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