When they needed her most, the Mililani Trojans got the best from their Mama.
Merilis “Mama” Rivera blasted a three-run home run and added a key RBI single as Mililani held on for a 5-4 win over Campbell on Thursday afternoon at the Trojans’ field.
Mililani improved to 9-2 in the Oahu Interscholastic Association West softball standings, knocking two-time state champion Campbell to 8-3. Pearl City (8-2) entered Thursday’s action in a three-way tie with its fellow West powerhouses.
“You know, actually, I’m speechless right now. The kids are the ones playing the game and they made a great effort,” Mililani coach Rose Antonio said.
The Trojans beat Pearl City 6-1 on March 21 and will travel to meet the Chargers in the regular-season finale on Saturday. Looking ahead, Antonio wasn’t overly excited after her team’s thrilling victory on Thursday.
“I don’t want to comment on that yet,” she said.
Pitcher Misha Carreira went the distance, allowing three earned runs and seven hits. It was a gutty performance for the slender senior, who struck out four and walked seven. Four of the walks were issued to Campbell’s powerful Jocelyn Alo. In her past two games — the Sabers lost a 1-0 heartbreaker to Pearl City on Tuesday — Alo batted leadoff and drew eight walks without taking a single strike.
The strategy worked most of the time. The visiting Sabers left four runners on base in the first two innings, including a bases-loaded setup that ended with a line-out to shortstop by Nikki Corla.
In the bottom of the third, Jerae Keliikoa and Maya Saneishi singled, and Tarah Aniya walked to load the bases. Keliikoa hustled home to score on a groundout by Maya Yoshiura for the game’s first run.
Rivera stepped into the box and went after the first pitch from Dani Cervantes, sending the ball deep over the center-field fence for a three-run homer.
“One mistake pitch hurt us,” Campbell coach Michael “Shag” Hermosura said. “But we’ve still got to hit better.”
“I’ve got to give it up to Dani,” Rivera said. “She always puts up a fight.”
The Sabers responded with a one-out double by Caisha Nunes in the top of the fourth, but she was stranded there. While Carreira regained her momentum, her offense started to wake up in the fifth frame.
Alo and Trinity Favela walked with one out, and Cieana Curran sent a slow roller toward first base. First baseman Shannon Pascua-Stanton scooped it up and lobbed the ball to Yoshiura, the second baseman, covering first. Curran beat the throw and Yoshiura dropped the ball, allowing Alo to race home with Campbell’s first run.
Zoie Recolan followed with a groundout to second, scoring Favela from third, and the Sabers were within 4-2.
In the bottom of the fifth, Rivera came through with what turned out to be the deciding run. Aniya drew a one-out walk, and with two outs, Rivera went to the opposite field with a single, scoring Aniya from second base for a three-run cushion.
In the sixth, Campbell struck for two more runs. Dyllan Sanay and pinch hitter Jade Behic singled. Corla then ripped a two-run triple to the fence in left, cutting the score to 5-4. Carreira walked Alo before Mililani right fielder Tracie Okamura made the defensive play of the game.
Favela sent a fly ball to right, where Okamura made the catch and rifled a throw home on the fly, where catcher Markie Okamoto made the tag on Corla for a double play. That denied the Sabers a chance to tie the game.
“It’s no surprise,” Antonio said. “We work on it every day.”
The Trojans loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth and came up empty.
In the top of the seventh, Recolan singled with one out and Chloe Domingo walked on four pitches. Nunes then smacked a shot toward Aniya at shortstop. Aniya made the stop on one bounce, lobbed to Yoshiura at second, and Yoshiura managed to palm the ball before making the difficult turn to complete the 6-4-3 double play, ending the game.
ILH BASEBALL DIV. II TOURNAMENT
St. Francis 3, Pac-Five 2
At CORP
Pac-Five (8-9) 100 100 0 — 2 6 1
St. Francis (14-4) 002 010 x — 3 6 1
Brooks Horton, Austin Teixeira (3) and Jared Miyasato. James Yamasaki, Jared Yara (5) and Makana Poole.
W—Yara. L—Teixeira.
Leading Hitters—P5: Goss 2-3. St.F: Bubba Akana 2-3.
OIA BASEBALL DIVISION I PLAYOFFS
No. 2 Campbell 4, Kaiser 2
at Campbell
Kaiser (8-6) 200 000 0 — 2 4 1
Campbell (13-0) 300 001 x — 4 4 2
Tyler Dyball and Kainoa Torres. Markus Ramos, Ayzek Silva (6) and TJ Takahama.
W—Ramos. L—Dyball. S—Silva.
Leading Hitters—Kais: Lincoln Lima HR, 2 RBI. Camp: Dylan Ramon 2-3, double, 3 RBI.
No. 8 Kalani 6, Kapolei 5, 9 inn.
at Kaimuki
Kapolei (8-6) 300 010 101 — 6 6 1
Kalani (9-4) 032 000 000 — 5 7 2
Garrett Wong, Dionisio Tapat (1), Zachary Collins (7) and Landon Kuroda. Harrison Moy, Micah Kawano (8) and Bronson Matsumoto.
W—Kawano. L—Collins.
Leading Hitters—Kap: Andrei Stoyanow 2-3; Adam Berg 2-4; Kyler Nakashima 2 RBIs. Kaln: Kohl Suehiro 2-3, 3 runs; Chad Kagawa 2 RBIs; Matsumoto 2 RBIs.
Mililani 3, Moanalua 2, 8 inn.
At Mililani
Moanalua (8-6) 001 010 00 — 2 5 1
Mililani (7-6) 020 000 01 — 3 4 3
Christian Capinia, Tyler Nakata (2), Ryne Oshiro (8), Zak Tachino (8), Cody Isa (8) and Andrew Oasay. Shane Griffin, Cole Mayeshiro (6) and Thomas Nakatsukasa.
W—Mayeshiro. L—Nakata.
Leading Hitters—Mil: Bryce Yonemori 2-3, run, RBI.
No. 6 Kailua 3, Pearl City 2, 10 inn.
At Kailua
Pearl City (6-8) 000 011 000 0 — 2 6 1
Kailua (11-2) 000 000 200 1 — 3 10 3
Jansen Shigeta, Marcus Boyles (5), Dillin Hasegawa (6), Kulia Neal (10) and Kaleb Nishijo. Joey Cantillo, Ryan Inouye (8) and Kalua Neves.
W—Inouye. L—Neal.
Leading hitters—PC: Carter Hirano 2-4, SB; Sam Prentice RBI; Jensen Kaya SB. Kail: Matthew Kaleiohi SB; Cody Riturban 2-4, 2B; Cantillo 2 RBIs; Jalen Ah Yat 3-4, RBI; Aj Nakashima SAC; Dakota Kadooka SB.
OIA BASEBALL DIV. II PLAYOFFS
Farrington 13, Kahuku 3
at Desa Field
Kahuku (3-8) 003 00 — 3 9 1
Farrington (9-2) 341 32 — 13 14 1
Andrew Kohlert, Moon Pilanca-Parkin (5) and Elvis Vakapuna. Chasen Castilliano, Reese Shioji (3) and Treven Isobe.
Leading Hitters—Kah: Moewaa Graycochea 2-3; Vakapuna 2-3, HR, 3 RBIs. Farr: Shioji 3-3, 2 RBIS, 3 runs; Castilliano 2-4, 2 runs, 3 RBIs; Bishop Rapoza 2-2, 2 RBIs; Trey Kaawa 3-3; Dindo Venzon 2-3, 2 runs.
OIA EAST SOFTBALL
No. 10 Roosevelt 11, Farrington 2
at Roosevelt
Farrington (3-8) 011 000 0 — 2 7 1
Roosevelt (9-2) 510 221 x — 11 16 1
Kelia Miller and Kaycie Okada. Jaeda Cabunoc and Hayley Uetake.
W—Cabunoc. L—Miller.
Leading hitters—Farr: Okada 2b; Christine Tablason 3b. Roos: Maya Nakamura 2-4, 3 runs; Kylie Kawamura 3-4, 2b, 2 runs, 3 RBIs; Mika Emoto 2-4, 2b, 2 runs; Danica Stewart 3-4, 2 2bs, 3b, 3 RBIs; Cabunoc 2 RBIs; Uetake 3b; Megan Taguchi 3-4; Mari Foster 2b.
Kailua 10, Kalaheo 0, 5 inn.
at Kailua
Kalaheo (2-9) 000 00 — 0 1 2
Kalani (9-1) 015 31 — 10 9 1
Skyla Bain, Michelle Sasaki (3) and Shaley Salis. Dyani Cummings and Denise Nagayama.
W—Cummings. L—Bain.
Leading Hitters—Kail: Harley Texiera 2-2, 3 runs; Leilei Makua 2-3, 2 RBIs.
OIA WEST SOFTBALL
Mililani 5,
No. 1 Campbell 4
At Mililani
Campbell (8-3) 000 022 0 — 4 6 0
Mililani (9-2) 004 010 x — 5 6 4
Danielle Cervantes and Jocelyn Alo. Misha Carreira and Markie Okamoto.
W—Carreira. L—Cervantes.
Leading Hitters—Camp: Cienna Curran 2-4. Mil: Merilis Rivera 2-3, 4 RBIs, HR.
No. 6 Leilehua at Nanakuli
Postponed due to rain
No. 3 Pearl City at Waianae
Postponed due to rain
OIA DIVISION II SOFTBALL
Radford 21, Waialua 9, 5 inn.
at Waialua
Radford (6-3) 0(11)8 20 — 21 20 1
Waialua (2-7) 004 32 — 9 9 6
Abigail Wilson, Baileigh Susak (5) and Alden Steyaert. Honey Jose-Woods and Lea’a Puleiala. W—Wilson. L—Jose-Woods.
Leading hitters—Rad: Ciera Farias 4-4, HR, 2 runs, 6 RBIs; Selina Tavarez 2-3, HR, 2 runs, 2 RBIs; Mahea Hetrick 2-3, 2b, 3 runs; Wilson 3-4, 2b, 3 runs; Brittany Lukins 2-3, 2 runs; Susak 2-4, 2b, 2 runs; Tabitha Trigler 2-4, 3 runs; Punipuao Seei 3-4, 3 runs. Wail: Andrea Dicion 2-3, 3b, HR, 3 RBIs; Nova Rivera 2-3, HR, 2 runs, 2 RBIs; Hanna Gibo 2b, 2 runs.
MIL Baseball tournament
Baldwin 4, King Kekaulike 3
