Kapaa Rallies in Seventh Inning to Edge Kauai 10-8 in KIF Softball

Tied at 7-7 with three outs to spare, Kapā'a turned to Liulani Martin, Welina Carvalho-Brede, and Brynn Yamashita in the top of the seventh inning at Isenberg Park on March 25. Each drove in a run, and the Warriors walked away with a 10-8 victory over Kaua'i that captured the wild, back-and-forth nature of a game neither team seemed willing to let go.

Kaua'i drew first blood, plating two runs in the opening frame to grab a 2-0 lead. Kapā'a answered in the second inning to level the score, then seized control with a five-run fifth that looked, momentarily, like a knockout blow. Kaua'i refused to fold. The Red Raiders matched that energy with four runs in their half of the fifth to pull level at seven and reset the game entirely heading into the final innings.

That's where Martin, Carvalho-Brede, and Yamashita took over. Their three-run burst in the seventh gave Kapā'a a 10-7 advantage and left Kaua'i needing four runs with just three outs remaining. Pitcher Kamryn Yates gave the home side a moment of hope with a solo home run, cutting the deficit to two, but Kapā'a's defense held firm to preserve the win.

Warrior pitcher Anabel Capistran-Nakagoshi proved decisive in the closing stretch, working two innings and allowing just a single run during that span. Her performance steadied Kapā'a at a moment when momentum could easily have swung back toward Kaua'i.

The box score reflected an offense-heavy afternoon under a brisk northerly wind. Kapā'a racked up 17 hits but also committed six errors, the kind of line that signals how chaotic and competitive the contest was from first pitch. Kaua'i scored eight runs on seven hits and committed three errors of their own, with defensive miscues on both sides contributing to a combined total that kept the Isenberg Park crowd engaged throughout.

For Kapā'a, the victory adds momentum to a KIF campaign where league standings and postseason seeding remain unsettled. For Kaua'i, the final two innings offer a clear area to address: the Red Raiders were six outs away from a win and outscored 3-1 in that span. Both programs continue KIF play in the weeks ahead with the spring season still offering ample room to shape the postseason picture.