Softball Game Preview: 'Iolani Raiders vs. Punahou Buff n' Blue

The 'Iolani Raiders will challenge the Punahou Buff n' Blue at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. 'Iolani has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the contest with five straight losses, while Punahou will come in with seven straight victories.

'Iolani is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Hawaii's top teams: Maryknoll, who was ranked eighth at the time ('Iolani was ranked 14th). 'Iolani fell 11-7 to Maryknoll on Thursday. Surprisingly, this marked the fifth straight game that the away team has come away the victor.

Meanwhile, Punahou posted their closest win since April 30, 2024 on Thursday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past Kamehameha Kapalama 4-2. The four-run effort marked the Buff n' Blue's lowest-scoring match of the season, but in the end it didn't matter.

Paige Brunn tossed a big game, tossing six innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits. She also put up five walks, which were her first of the season.

On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Taryn Ho, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4. Another player making a difference was Sydney Capello, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base and two RBI.

Punahou hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now struck out at most one strikeouts in four consecutive games.

Punahou pushed their record up to 7-0 with the win, which was their tenth straight at home dating back to last season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.0 runs over those games. As for 'Iolani, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-5.

'Iolani might still be hurting after the 12-1 loss they got from Punahou when the teams last played on March 12th. Will 'Iolani have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.