Starting fresh after an up-and-down regular season, Leilehua opened the O'ahu Interscholastic Association softball playoffs yesterday with a 7-1 first-round victory over Moanalua at Kaimuki High School field.

The Mules, seeded No. 5 in the OIA Red Conference Western Division, improved to 5-8 in league play and will visit West No. 1 seed Mililani (11-1) in a 3:30 p.m. quarterfinal today.

A small gathering at Kaimuki yesterday watched Leilehua methodically defeat East No. 4 Moanalua (5-8) behind the pitching of right-handed junior Kaylen Ynigues, who tossed a one-hitter with seven strikeouts and two walks.

She also induced nine flyouts.

"I was hitting my spots," Ynigues said. "I was working the outside pitches."

She set down the first seven batters before Leticia Colon got aboard on a clean single to right field with one out in the bottom of the third inning.

By that time, the Mules already had a 2-0 lead after Ciara Paracuellas' RBI single in the first and her dash home on a wild pitch in the top of the third.

Leilehua made it 5-0 in the fourth after Jasmine Villegas' run-scoring single to right, a sacrifice fly to left by Paracuellas and Brittney Lani's RBI single to left.

Na Menehune scored its only run in the bottom of the fourth, after Vanessa Villa led off with a walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch, to third on Kylee Oshiro's flyout to right and scored on another wild pitch.

But the Mules tacked on single runs in the fifth and sixth, on Ynigues' run-scoring single to center and Leonora Villafania's sacrifice fly to center, respectively.

LEILEHUA (5-8) 101 311 0 — 7 12 2

MOANALUA (5-8) 000 100 0 — 1 1 0

Kaylen Ynigues, Alex Smith (7) and Ciara Paracuelles; Stephanie Putman, Vanessa Villa (3), Jade Salaz (6) and Dori Ann Sugai. W — Ynigues. L — Putman.

Leading hitters — Leilehua: Ynigues 2-3, 2 RBIs; Paracuellas 2 RBIs; Mindy DeCastro 2-2. Moanalua: Sissy Hillsbery 1-3.

Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2456. Read his blog on high school sports at www.preptalk.honadvblogs.com

KAPOLEI 5, FARRINGTON 1

Shavanna Holt-Santiago pitched a five-hitter with six strikeouts as the host Hurricanes (West No. 3) beat the Governors (East No. 6).

FARRINGTON (3-10) 000 000 1—1 5 3

KAPOLEI (10-3) 002 300 X—5 6 2

Felicia Tui and Kinciana Ngiralmau. Shavanna Holt-Santiago and Cherece Beyer. W — Holt-Santiago. L — Tui.

Leading hitters — Farrington: Victoria Tagovailoa double; Mary Florendo 2-3. Kapolei: Dorian Acierto 2-3, triple; Kai Clark triple; Beyer double; Aimee Aipa triple.

Reported by Jasmine Dang.

WAI'ANAE 6, KAIMUKI 2

Cheani Manuel pitched a five-hitter and struck out four as the host Seariders (West No. 4) beat the Bulldogs (East No. 5).

KAIMUKI (4-9) 000 110 0—2 5 4

WAI'ANAE (7-6) 112 110 X—6 5 3

Dejah Faasoa and Mikki Morihara. Cheani Manuel and Jasmine Sarini. W — Manuel. L — Faasoa.

Leading hitters — Kaimuki: Morihara 2-3. Wai'anae: Samantha Kuakini 2-4.

Reported by Lincoln Naiwi.

CASTLE 9, WAIPAHU 5

Chandelle Dacosin, Kaitlynn Wills, Alyssa Cipriano, Maycee Moe and Brittany Hawn each had two hits as the Knights (East No. 3) beat the visiting Marauders (West No. 6).

WAIPAHU (3-10) 200 000 3—5 10 5

CASTLE (10-3) 000 414 X—9 12 4

Dara Aiwohi-Dutro and Angi Sakamoto. Chandelle Dacosin, Maycee Moe (7) and Kaisha Dacosin. W — C. Dacosin L — Aiwohi-Dutro.

Leading hitters — Waipahu: Sakamoto 2-3; Alyssa Torres 2-4; Apa'au Fuataga 2-2. Castle: C. Dacosin 2-3; Brooke-Lee Ka'ulula'au triple; Kaitlynn Wills 2-3, triple; Alyssa Cipriano 2-4; Moe 2-4; Brittany Hawn 2-3.

Reported by Tasha Berinobis.

ILH

'IOLANI 1, KAMEHAMEHA 0

Brittney Guro pitched a one-hitter with 13 strikeouts and Shanna Tashiro drove in the game's only run in the first inning for the Raiders at Ala Wai Field.

Tashiro's two-out single to left scored Lahela Usui.

KAMEHAMEHA (3-10) 000 000 0—0 1 0

'IOLANI (12-1) 100 000 0—1 4 0

Briana Sauer and Mai Kalakau. Brittney Guro and Kelli Ann Lum. W — Guro. L — Sauer.

Leading hitters — 'Iolani: Lahela Usui double; Amanda McCaskill triple; Shanna Tashiro RBI.

Reported by Lance Watanabe.

MID-PACIFIC 2, PUNAHOU 0

Keiki Carlos pitched a one-hitter with six strikeouts, and Kaydi Kochi and Mari Tanaka drove in runs for the visiting Owls.

MID-PACIFIC (10-3) 000 101 0—2 5 1

PUNAHOU (6-7) 000 000 0—0 1 2

Keiki Carlos and Kaydi Kochi. Jasmine Ioane and Taylor Yamauchi. W — Carlos. L — Ioane.

Leading hitters — Mid-Pacific: Carlos 2-3, double; Kristin Yama double; Kochi RBI; Mari Tanaka RBI.

Reported by Asia Botelho.

SACRED HEARTS 7, MARYKNOLL 2

Joslyn Eugenio pitched a five-hitter with nine strikeouts at the Lancers beat the Spartans at Crane park. Eugenio also batted 3 for 4 with two RBIs

MARYKNOLL (4-9) 000 101 0—2 5 5

SAC. HEARTS (5-8) 301 120 X—7 10 1

Ariel Silva and Kori Nishitomi. Joslyn Eugenio and Keicha Brunn. W — Eugenio. L — Silva.

Leading hitters — Maryknoll: Nishitomi double; Jessica Guillermo 2-3, double. Sacred Hearts: Eugenio 3-4, double, triple, 2 RBIs; Meleina Fraga 2-3, triple; Chelsea Kamai 2-4.

Reported by Jan Fraga.