Saint Francis took home its second Division II state softball championship crown to finish off a strong year of athletics. With an overall record of 13-3, the Lady Saints were on a mission from the start of their season.
Coming off a devastating loss in last year’s state tournament, the team’s main goal was to come back with a bang. Regardless 0-2 start, losing to both Kamehameha and Maryknoll in the first week, the Lady Saints were able to rally. Getting over the hump and coming back with a five game winning streak. They ended their regular season with a 9-3 record, beating some of the top teams in the ILH.
The Lady Saints entered the State Championships with a single focus, to win. For the first two games the Lady Saints dominated, run-ruling Kohala 10-0 and Moloka’i 13-1.
The Lady Saints were in for a rude awakening semifinal. The top of the 7th inning, Konawaena had the Saints down by three runs, something no one expected. However, the team dug deep. They were able to bring in four runs in the bottom of the 7th, the winning run coming in off of a hit batter.
The winning point sealing the deal for a shot at the championship once again. No one would have predicted the 10-0 win over KS-Hawaii in the championship after the semifinals. A fly out to left ended the game and gave the Lady Saints their second state title since 2005. This closed the Saint Francis athletic year with three state championship titles.
