KAHULUI — It was a scene that the Maui Interscholastic League simply hasn’t seen in nearly three years.

Lakaiya-Braessia Kahahawai-Kekona — simply “L.B.” to those who know her — made the most of it.

In front of a packed house at Patsy Mink Field on Tuesday, the Baldwin High School senior shortstop smacked a triple on the first pitch she saw in the eighth inning to the center-right field gap to drive in Makanani Sonognini with the go-ahead run in a dramatic 9-8 win for the Bears over Maui High.

“I was thinking ‘I have been wanting to hit that gap since we started this game,’ ” Kahahawai-Kekona said. “And with my team cheering for me, and all our supporters, I felt confident.”

The last time Valley Isle softball fans saw Kahahawai-Kekona, she was on her way to first-team MIL All-Star status for a state final four team as a freshman in 2019.

Now, after two full seasons missed due to COVID-19, she is back on the field with another solid Baldwin team as a senior leader who has signed with Dixie State University to continue her softball career.

As the Bears battled back from 4-0, 5-3 and 8-5 deficits — the final time with three runs in the top of the seventh inning — the crowd at Mink Field grew along with the drama.

“It was a lot of fun,” Kahahawai-Kekona said. “We lived in the moment and we just embraced it all.”

The result left the Bears 2-0 in MIL play, while Maui High fell to 1-1. The game was hardly perfect — the Bears committed five errors, the Sabers three — but it was electric.

“Yeah, of course, we expect to be battling with Maui High all year, they are one of the top teams and, yeah, we live for it and we practice for it,” Kahahawai-Kekona said after a 3-for-5 night at the plate that included a run and the game-winning RBI.

Kahahawai-Kekona admitted she had doubts that a night like Tuesday was in store for her again.

“It feels good because we haven’t been on the field in forever and having all our fans over here without any protocols, it feels really good,” she said.

Baldwin coach Sanoe Montilliano Kekahuna got married since the last season she was coaching the Bears and is also grateful to be back in front of crowds like the one on Tuesday night.

“Came out today, played hard, great program Maui High has and they came to play,” Montilliano Kekahuna said. “And, yeah, we came out to play, too. It’s an expected game from both programs and that’s the kind of games that we love to watch, love to coach, and really love to sit back and just let them play.”

Montilliano Kekahuna added, “It’s an awesome feeling to have all of these student-athletes to play. COVID did kill us a bit. We came out, as everyone has, and we’ve been working hard where everyone else has done the same thing, too.

“To be fortunate to come out and have a season, for one, with some restrictions as far as not being able to have everyone here, still it’s a blessing and we’re grateful and thankful for it. We just want do our part as a team so we can continue to have these days and these games for all our families and friends to see.”

Kahahawai-Kekona’s heroics in the top of the eighth made junior pitcher Lauren Otsubo the winner in the circle. She was never worried, even facing three different deficits — Kahahawai-Kekona’s game-winning RBI gave the Bears their first lead of the game.

“Oh no, not at all,” Otsubo said. “I trust my teammates and they were able to perform, so this was their win.”

Otsubo gave up 14 hits, faced 44 batters and threw 138 pitches, 82 for strikes. She struck out eight and walked four.

In the final inning, she gave up a lead-off single, but a stellar double play started by second baseman Tacia Kahalewai proved crucial. Kahalewai snagged a line drive and caught the runner off first base for the first two outs.

Maui High’s Paige Beatty then doubled, but Otsubo got a groundout to end the game immediately after that.

“It was just all excitement, it was a team win, man,” Otsubo said. “Everything is for them. We worked hard in the offseason. I’m happy we were able to come back here. I’m super grateful.”

Breani Kahalehau led the Sabers at the plate with a 4-for-5 day that included a run and an RBI. Beatty was 3-for-4 with two RBIs.

“Definitely a lot of bloopers out of our hands, we will definitely work on those,” Maui High co-head coach Erick Rivera said. “We will get more into basic fundamentals. Those little things just happened, so we’ve just got to go through it. Our practice, coming around we should be better. I think we were a little tight at the beginning, but we get used to that. We have a long season left to go.

“We will be battling Baldwin all year, I believe.”

* Robert Collias is at rcollias@mauinews.com.

Baldwin 003 200 31–9 12 5

Maui High 221 012 00–8 14 3

Lauren Otsubo and Jasmyn Yoshikawa; Jerzee Ragasa and Paige Beatty. W– Otsubo. L–Ragasa. 2B–Bal, Otsubo, Bailey Nagasako, Lahela Painter; MH, Satsuki Dumlao 2, Beatty 2, Breani Kahalehau, Lexiejade Kaalakea, 3B–Bal, L.B. Kahahawai-Kekona; MH, Kaalakea.

Leading hitters–Bal: Yoshikawa 2-5, RBI; Kahahawai-Kekona 3-5, run, RBI; Painter 2-5, run, 2 RBIs; Nagasako 2-4, run, 2 RBIs. MH: Dumlao 2-5, 3 runs, RBI; Kaalakea 2-5, run, 2 RBIs; Kahalehau 4-5, run, RBI; Beatty 3-4, 2 RBIs.

*****

KAMEHAMEHA MAUI 6, LAHAINALUNA 5

9 INNINGS

Lahainaluna 001 200 200–5 8 2

KS Maui 300 010 101–6 12 1

Makenzie Alexander and Kauikeolani Alo-Kaonohi Ah-Loo, Leimamo Arruda (3). Piikea Keahi, Kalaula Keahi (5) and Laieikawai Keahi. 2B–Lah: Liahona Kaniho; KSM: L. Keahi 3, Leimana Purdy 2, P. Keahi, Kawaimaile Apolo. 3B–Lah: Alexander. W–K. Keahi. L–Alexander.

Leading hitters–Lah: Liahona Kaniho 2-5, run, RBI; Alexander 2 RBIs; Chey-Lee Akina 2-4, run; Alo-Kaonohi Ah-Loo 2-3. KSM: L. Keahi 3-5, 3 runs, RBI; K. Keahi 2-5, run, RBI; Aaliyah Kawaiaea 2-4, RBI.