The Punahou Buff n' Blue will take on the Kamehameha Kapalama Warriors at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams are coming into the game red-hot, with Punahou sitting on six straight wins and Kamehameha Kapalama on three.
Punahou is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Hawaii's top teams: Maryknoll, who was ranked sixth at the time (Punahou was ranked second). Punahou never let Maryknoll get on the board and left with a 5-0 victory on Saturday.
Not much got past Paige Brunn, who gave up just five hits to keep Maryknoll off the board. Brunn has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one earned run any time she's pitched this season.
At the plate, Sera Tokumaru was incredible, going 1-for-2 with one home run and three RBI. That home run was her first of the season. Kealoha Cox was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-2.
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 three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, it was close, but on Tuesday Kamehameha Kapalama sidestepped Maryknoll for a 6-5 win. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Warriors have posted against the Spartans since April 15, 2023.
The team relied heavily on Bobbi Cambra, who went 1-for-2 with one home run and five RBI. Another player making a difference was Alexis Ahlo-Garcia, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Kamehameha Kapalama's win bumped their record up to 4-2. As for Punahou, their victory was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 6-0.
Thursday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Punahou hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .436. However, it's not like Kamehameha Kapalama struggles in that department as they've averaged .318. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Punahou took their win against Kamehameha Kapalama in their previous meeting last Tuesday by a conclusive 10-0. Does Punahou have another victory up their sleeve, or will Kamehameha Kapalama turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
