WAHIAWA — Leilehua softball coach Stacy Araki had to decide whether to send Kaylen Ynigues or Alex Smith to the mound yesterday against Kaimuki.

Araki decided on Ynigues and she responded with a one-hitter with eight strikeouts.

Smith, who started in center field and batted clean-up, also responded by blasting two homers to account for all the runs in Leilehua's 3-0 victory over Kaimuki in the first round of the O'ahu Interscholastic Association Red Conference tournament at Ka'ala Elementary School field.

"We were kind of debating who was going to pitch today," Araki said.

She added of Ynigues: "She's doing the job. She's held us through the whole season."

Leilehua, the West's No. 4 team, improved to 8-5. The Mules will play at East champion Moanalua today at 3:30 p.m.

Kaimuki, the East's No. 5 team, finished at 6-7.

Ynigues, a sophomore, threw 54 of her 80 pitches for strikes.

"I just tried to keep it outside to most of the girls," she said.

The only hit Ynigues allowed was Lindsey Matsunaga's single to center in the third. She retired the final 14 batters she faced.

"I was pretty strong. I kept it up and I didn't want to let up," Ynigues said.

Smith's first homer was an opposite-field, two-run shot over the right fielder's head in the fourth.

"She threw it outside," said Smith, a junior. "She threw it outside the pitch before so I was just ready for it."

In the sixth, Smith pulled one just beyond the reach of the retreating left fielder.

"She pitched it down the middle, that one, and I just threw my hands out and hoped for the best," Smith said.

Designated hitter Amber McGraw had the other three hits — all singles — for the Mules.

Smith had been "in a slump lately," according to Araki, so she went down to the park and had her uncles pitch to her with tennis balls under-handed.

"I was practicing a lot," Smith said. "I came out extra on the weekends and practiced my hitting."

Smith's performance yesterday was more in line with what she did early in the season.

"The beginning of the season, I was hitting like home runs, one every game, and then I went to like striking out and hitting pop flies," Smith said.

Kaimuki had two runners in scoring position with two outs in the third, but Ynigues got a liner to right fielder Brittany Lani to end the threat.

The Bulldogs also took five called third strikes, including the first three batters of the game.

"The whole season we try to talk to the girls you can't let go a lot of strikes," said Kaimuki coach Lene Tausaga. "Two strikes, you know you got to fight, but there were two or three girls that were looking."

Leilehua originally finished the regular season at 8-4 and in third in the West. However, a day before the tournament, the Mules forfeited a victory over Pearl City because they used an ineligible player (grades).

KAIMUKI (6-7) 000 000 0—0 1 0

LEILEHUA (8-5) 000 201 X—3 5 1

Genesis Teixeira-Fruen and Mikki Morihara. Kaylen Ynigues and Chasea Crawford. W — Ynigues. L — Teixeira-Fruen.

Leading hitters — Leilehua: Alex Smith 2-3, solo homer, two-run homer; Amber McGraw 3-3.

CASTLE 6, PEARL CITY 2

Ryanne Dacosin's three-run homer sparked a five-run bottom of the fourth inning as the Knights (9-4) broke away from a 1-all tie to beat the Chargers and advance to the quarterfinals.

Maycee Moe gave up two runs and five hits in pitching a complete game for Castle.

PEARL CITY (2-11) 000 101 0—2 5 1

CASTLE (9-4) 100 500 X—6 7 3

Lauren Fujisaki, Courtney Ahlo (5) and Maya Nagata. Maycee Moe and Kelsea Berinobis. W — Moe. L — Fujisaki.

Leading hitters — Pearl City: Kalei Adams 2-3. Castle: Ryanne Dacosin 3-run homer; Ashlynn Augustus 2-3; Kaitlynn Wills triple.

Reported by Tasha Berinobis

KAPOLEI 8, KALAHEO 0

Kahana Higa struck out five in four innings and combined with Shavanna Holt on a six-hitter, and Tehani Kaaihue had two hits as the host Hurricanes (9-4) beat the Mustangs (1-12).

KALAHEO (1-12) 000 000—0 6 1

KAPOLEI (9-4) 202 40X—8 8 0

Caira Pires and Hiilei Olson. Kahana Higa, Shavanna Holt (5) and Ashlynn Ashby, Cherece Beyer (5). W — Higa. L — Pires.

Leading hitters — Kalaheo: Theresa Capllonch 2-3, double. Kapolei: Tehani Kaaihue 2-3; Kaili Smith triple.

Reported by Jasmine Dang

WAIPAHU 15, ROOSEVELT 9

Elsa Apo went 3 for 5 and drove in three runs, Sina Nuu had two hits, including a two-run homer to tie the game at 4 in the fourth, Felise-Laa singled, doubled and homered, and Kelcy Villiamu also homered as the visiting Marauders (5-8) outslugged the Rough Riders (7-6).

WAIPAHU (5-8) 112 370 1—15 9 1

ROOSEVELT (7-6) 400 230 0— 9 11 0

Elsa Apo and Titi Felise-Laa. Samantha Murakami and Kamalei Pitoy. W — Apo. L — Murakami.

Leading hitters — Waipahu: Apo 3-5, double, 2 runs, 3 RBIs; Sina Nuu 2-5, double, 2-run homer, 2 runs, 2 RBIs; Felise-Laa 3-5, double, homer, 2 runs; Kelcey Villiamu 2-4, solo homer. Roosevelt: Cierra Kapea 2-4; Lindsay Takekawa 2-4, 2 RBIs; Tiana Sugui 2-3.

Reported by Christina Johnston

OIA WHITE

FARRINGTON 11, RADFORD 7

Felicia Tui struck out 15 and took a shutout into the sixth inning while also driving in three runs, and Kinciana Ngiralmau went 3 for 3 with two RBIs as the host Governors (9-4) held off the Rams (4-8) to advance to the semifinals of the OIA White tournament.

RADFORD (4-8) 000 002 5— 7 6 4

FARRINGTON (9-4) 300 503 X—11 12 5

Erin Laurent and Maryanne Alofaituli. Felicia Tui and Kinciana Ngiralmau. W — Tui. L — Laurent.

Leading hitters — Radford: Melanie Alofaituli 2-4, double; Samantha Sevao 3-3; Briana Tavui double. Farrington: Amber Sales 2-3; Ngiralmau 3-3, double, 2 RBIs; Monique To 2 RBIs; Tui 2-3, 2 doubles, 3 RBIs.

Reported by Glenn Zukeran

WAI'ANAE 8, MCKINLEY 3

Samantha Kuakini pitched a three-hitter, Chaelyn Manuel went 3 for 4, Tifanie Tapeni hit a solo homer and the host Seariders (11-1) scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to break a 3-all tie to defeat the Tigers (4-9).

MCKINLEY (4-9) 001 200 0—3 3 0

WAI'ANAE (11-1) 201 032 X—8 6 3

Rachel Ragus, Trinity Cristobal (5) and Amanda Sakagawa. Samantha Kuakini and Chaelyn Manuel. W — Kuakini. L — Cristobal.

Leading hitters — McKinley: Sakagawa 2-3, double; Trudy Hong 2-run homer. Wai'anae: Manuel 3-4, 2 doubles, 2 runs; Tifanie Tapeni solo homer.

Reported by A. Ainoa

KAISER 4, NANAKULI 0

Kayla Alcoran tossed a four-hitter with six strikeouts, Chelsy Okuma and Caliann Fukuda each had two hits, and the Cougars (10-3) scored four runs in the bottom of the third inning to beat the Golden Hawks (3-9).

NANAKULI (3-9) 000 000 0—0 4 4

KAISER (10-3) 004 000 0—4 7 1

Sheila Argayaso and Ola Suaava. Kayla Alcoran and Chelsy Okuma. W — Alcoran. L — Argayaso.

Leading hitters — Kaiser: Okuma 2-3, double; Caliann Fukuda 2-3, triple.

Reported by Veronica Perreira

WAIALUA 7, KAHUKU 0

Marissa Keao scattered four hits with nine strikeouts and went 3 for 4, Althia Dicion hit a solo homer to spice a four-run bottom of the first inning, and Ashley Carillo, Jessica Temblor and Angela Whittaker each had two hits to lead the host Bulldogs (10-2) past the Red Raiders (5-8).

KAHUKU (5-8) 000 000 0—0 4 2

WAIALUA (10-2) 411 100 X—7 12 0

Shawntei Cabe and Dalys Tapuso. Marissa Keao and Alyssiah Hernandez. W — Keao. L — Cabe.

Leading hitters — Waialua: Althia Dicion 2-3, homer, double, 3 runs; Keao 3-4, RBI; Ashley Carillo 2-3, 2 runs; Jessica Temblor 2-3, 2 RBIs; Angela Whittaker 2-3.

Reported by Rod Dicion