Kamehameha stayed on track in its chase for an Interscholastic League of Honolulu softball championship yesterday, defeating visiting Iolani, 8-2, and sending the Raiders into a deep third-place hole in the process.

Kamehameha improved to 10-1 in the ILH, tied for first with St. Francis. Iolani fell to 8-3 after its second straight loss.

The Raiders threatened to pull the Warriors down into a second-place tie yesterday, taking a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning after an error and Dayna Jandoc's run-scoring squeeze bunt.

But Kamehameha tied it in the third on a two-run homer by Shaleese Javillo and then went up 5-2 in the fifth after a wild pitch and Noe Esperas' two-run single. Consecutive RBI singles by Kaui Tom, Brittany Clark and Dara Pagaduan in the sixth made it 8-2, and Esperas did not allow a runner past first in the final four innings for a complete-game victory.

Esperas, a senior right-hander, allowed six hits and struck out only one but was helped by a defense that made tough catches.

"I was trying to let my defense play the game instead of just me and the catcher," Esperas said. "There's seven other players behind us, and they helped me out a lot today."

The Warriors' defense came up with a huge play to end the second inning, after Iolani had taken a 2-0 lead and had runners at first and third with one out. Esperas induced a ground ball to second, where Charina Sumner fielded it, tagged the runner and threw to first for the double play.

"That's the thing about Kamehameha — they're so athletic and so skilled, it's hard to score runs against them," Iolani coach Chris Shimabukuro said.

Tom, the Warriors' shortstop, snared three dangerous flares just out of the infield in the first, fourth and fifth innings and first baseman Clark caught three consecutive line drives in the sixth.

"I'm so glad it was us and not them on those," Kamehameha coach Ty Sing Chow said. "Iolani is so scrappy — they're not at all big, but they have deceptive power."

While acknowledging yesterday's victory was a big step toward the ILH title, Esperas and Sing Chow said there is much work to be done. The Warriors, who squeaked past Pac-Five, 2-1, on Wednesday, play defending champion Punahou and St. Francis this coming week.

Iolani is mathematically still in the hunt for the title and one of the ILH's two Division I state tournament berths, but it needs to win out and hope Kamehameha and St. Francis get upset by other teams, something Sing Chow said is possible.

"This league is so tough, anybody can beat anybody," Sing Chow said. "We were fortunate to beat Pac-Five, because they had more scoring opportunities than we did."

IOLANI (8-3) 020 000 0 — 2 6 0

KAMEHAMEHA (10-1) 002 033 X — 8 9 1

Chelsey Keola, Kelly Imada (6) and Kai Masutani. Noe Esperas and Kahea Alohikea. W — Esperas. L — Keola.

Leading hitters — Iolani: Kaz Masutani 2-4; Kylie Ahlo 2-3. Kamehameha: Esperas 2-3, double, 2 RBIs; Shaleese Javillo home run, 2 RBIs; Kaui Tom 3-4, RBI; Jasmine Knight double.

St. Francis 6, Punahou 3: St. Francis bunched five of its six hits in the second inning, sending 11 batters to the plate and scoring five runs to maintain a share of the ILH lead.

ST. FRANCIS (10-1) 050 010 0—6 6 3

PUNAHOU (5-6) 000 000 3—3 4 1

Brittney Akana and Ashley Smith. Taila Autele and Taylor Yamauchi. W—Akana. L—Autele.

Leading hitters—St. Francis: Shannon Lum triple; Jovan Hire 2-4. Punahou: Sara Sameshima double.

Reported by Mark Glushenko

PAC-FIVE 1, SACRED HEARTS 0: Jessica Ghazali pitched a two-hitter and Reesene Choy batted 2 for 3 to pace Pac-Five.

SACRED HEARTS (4-7) 000 000 0—0 2 1

PAC-FIVE (4-7) 000 100 X—1 7 1

Corry Abellanida and Chelsea Kamai. Jessica Ghazali and Cara Hasegawa. W—Ghazali. L—Abellanida.

Leading hitters—P5: Leann Lariosa double; Reesene Choy 2-3.

MARYKNOLL 2, MID-PACIFIC 1: Ariel Silva pitched a three-hitter with 10 strikeouts, and Brooke Perriton had two triples and two RBIs to lead Maryknoll.

MID-PACIFIC (2-9) 000 100 0—1 3 0

MARYKNOLL (2-9) 000 101 X—2 7 1

Shelby Drabman, Shari Shobu (3) and Mari Tanaka, Kim Ohiehi (3). Ariel Silva and Kimi Okaneku. W—Silva. L—Shobu.

Leading hitters—Mary: Hilary Uekawa 2-3; Brooke Perriton 2-3, two triples, 2 RBIs.

OIA RED EAST

CASTLE 1, MOANALUA 0: Castle's Sarah Robinson beat Moanalua's Michal Pane'e a duel of one-hitters.

CASTLE (9-0) 000 001 0—1 1 0

MOANALUA (6-4) 000 000 0—0 1 2

Michal Pane'e and Kehau Fung. Sarah Robinson and Shelby Nakachi. W—Pane'e. L—Robinson.

Leading hitters—Cast: Ryanne Dacosin 1-3. Moana: Sissy Hillsberry 1-2.

Reported by Mitch Matsumoto

KAILUA 10, KAIMUKI 0: Krista Dumandan pitched a two-hitter and Brittany Tokunaga had two hits and three RBIs to carry Kailua.

KAIMUKI (6-4) 000 000— 0 2 2

KAILUA (9-2) 002 503—10 10 0

Mindy Hirokawa and Louise Fiamate. Krista Dumandan and Brittany Tokunaga. W—Dumandan. L—Hirokawa.

Leading hitters—Kaim: Malu Bautista 2-2. Kail: Sydney Kaneshiro 2-3, double, RBI; Shyenne Hussey 2-3, double, 2 RBIs; Tokunaga 2-3, double, 3 RBIs; Daneen Williams triple.

Reported by Bernard Victor

ROOSEVELT 6, KAISER 2: No details of the game were available.

OIA RED WEST

PEARL CITY 2, KAPOLEI 0: Corrie Nishikida pitched a two-hitter and Marina Gusman-Brown hit a solo homer to propel Pearl City.

KAPOLEI (6-4) 000 000 0—0 2 3

PEARL CITY (9-2) 001 001 X—2 3 0

Tajia Aceirto and Ashlynn Ashby. Corrie Nishikida and Noelle Hirahara. W—Nishikida. L—Aceirto.

Leading hitters—PC: Marina Gusman-Brown 1-2, 2-runs, homer; Moki Opunui double.

CAMPBELL 7, WAI'ANAE 1: Anuhea Yamaguchi had three hits and three RBIs to lead Campbell.

CAMPBELL (6-4) 030 000 4—7 11 2

WAI'ANAE (1-9) 000 010 0—1 3 4

Breanne Patton, Anita Manuma (6) and Anuhea Yamaguchi, Kai Clark (6). Kalena Hanohano and Kristi Hanohano. W—Patton. L—Hanohano.

Leading hitters—Camp: Yamaguchi 3-3, 3 RBIs; Clark 2-3, triple, double, 3 RBIs; Manuma double; Samantha Palipti double; Vai Confer 2-4; Loreen Egdamin 2-3. Wai: Hanohano double, RBI.

LEILEHUA 8, NANAKULI 1: Kristen Campogan and Chelsea Crawford homered to power Leilehua.

LEILEHUA (4-6) 302 002 1—8 11 3

NANAKULI (1-10) 100 000 0—1 4 3

Tiana Vierra and Ashley Phillips. Ambree Hauhio and Sasha Montez. W—Vierra. L—Hauhio.

Leading hitters—Lei: Nikki Ige 2-3; Kristen Campogan 2-4, homer, 2 RBIs; Chelsea Crawford 2-4, homer; Kaylee Squrie 2-2.

OIA WHITE

KALAHEO 7, KALANI 3: Caira Pires and Malia Samson homered to help Kalaheo remain unbeaten.

KALAHEO (7-0) 210 200 2—7 9 1

KALANI (0-7) 010 002 0—3 5 2

Kakiko Samson and Kaliko Serrao. Tasha Fong and Kathy Kinoshita. W—Samson. L—Fong.

Leading hitters—Kala: Serrao 2 runs; Caira Pires 2-3, homer, 2 runs; Malia Samson homer, 2 RBIs; Lohi Aweau 2-4. Kalan: Fong 2-3; Tia Kobayashi 2 RBIs.

'AIEA 7, WAIPAHU 3: Ashley Scharsch pitched a three-hitter with eight strikeouts. and Rayna Strom-Okimoto batted 4 for 4 to carry 'Aiea.

'AIEA (5-2) 000 330 1—7 10 NA

WAIPAHU (5-2) 100 100 1—3 9 NA

Ashley Scharsch and Sasha Andrade. Elsa Apo and Krissaundra Noga. W—Scharsch. L—Apo.

Leading hitters—Aiea: Rayna Strom-Okimoto 4-4, two doubles; Andrade 3-4, homer, double; Rachel Purcell 1-3, triple; Carissa Nakamura 1-3, triple. Waip: Sina Nuu 3-4; Apo 2-4.

FARRINGTON 13, MCKINLEY 3: Tiana Gonzales batted 4 for 5, including a double and an RBI, to lead Farrington over McKinley.

FARRINGTON (2-5) 321 400 3—13 14 3

MCKINLEY (3-4) 200 000 1— 3 3 8

Stephianne Sanders and Brooke Gascon-Vea. Gloria Hong and Trudy Hong. W—Sanders. L—Hong.

Leading hitters—Farr: Julianda Taylor 2-5, RBI; Jori Keremius 2-3; Tiana Gonzales 4-5, double, RBI.

Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com.