John F. Kennedy High School Islanders ace Destiny Tangadik struck out 10 batters, and her team complemented the effort with multiple hits and earned runs in every inning as the Green Machine defeated the Okkodo High School Bulldogs 11-1 in six innings Thursday at Okkodo.
Also in the Guam Department of Education Interscholastic Sports Association high school girls softball league Thursday, the George Washington High School Geckos defeated the Southern High School Dolphins 16-6.
At Okkodo, the Islanders came storming out of the gates, scoring three runs highlighted by Amanda Lizama’s RBI double. Lizama went on to finish 3-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored and an impressive steal of home plate in the third inning.
“She’s my base bully,” said Islanders coach Olivia “Liv” Iriarte.
The Islanders jumped all over Bulldogs starter Jaelani Quidachay, who walked a handful of batters throughout the game. She did fall into a groove with catcher Scarlett Naputi from the third inning on, ending Islander threats with strikeouts and popups that left runners stranded.
The Bulldogs committed several costly errors that led to a few unearned runs, but awareness and smart baserunning put JFK over the top. After wins over Tiyan High School and Guam High School, Okkodo took its first loss, said coach Juliana Nelson.
“I think (my team) tried their best and they kept their head up no matter what errors were made or what mistakes were made, and that comes down to playing with heart, and they really played with heart,” she said. “They handled themselves well and they fought til the very end.”
The Islanders improved to 2-2 after losses to GW and Academy of Our Lady of Guam. Their only other win was over Southern High.