By the time the heavy stuff rolled in, Mid-Pacific’s two-inning torrent had the Owls well on their way to the state tournament semifinals.

The Owls scored nine runs over the third and fourth innings in a 13-1 win over Baldwin yesterday in the quarterfinals of the DataHouse/HHSAA Division I Softball State Championships at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

Just as they were last year, the Owls entered the state tournament as the Interscholastic League of Honolulu champion and the second seed in the field. Unlike that quarterfinal appearance, when MPI lost a nine-inning duel with eventual champion Campbell, the Owls took control early against Baldwin to move on.

The top four hitters in the Owls order had three hits each to pace MPI’s 17-hit attack. That was more than enough support for pitcher Keiki Carlos, who held Baldwin to two hits in a complete-game performance shortened to six innings due to the 10-run rule.

“We just brought our bats today,” said Carlos, who went 3-for-5 with an RBI double. “We knew we had to hit in this tournament. There’s a lot of good teams and our defense played solid too today.”

MPI (15-4) will face upstart Leilehua in today’s 7 p.m. semifinal at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

The Owls led 9-0 before the game was delayed twice by rain. A heavy downpour halted the game for about 20 minutes in the middle of the fifth inning. When the rain let up, the Owls added four more runs in the sixth to end the game early.

Baldwin scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh in Tuesday’s 4-3 win over Mililani. But the Owls afforded the Bears no such opportunity yesterday.

“(The early lead) helps but you still have to plug away,” MPI coach Willie Quinn said. “We saw some comebacks last night (in the first round). … That was in my mind, don’t let it slip away.”

The Owls had a week to prepare for their state tournament opener after edging Punahou for the ILH championship and the league’s seeded berth in the state tournament.

MPI junior Tasi Docktor said the down time gave the Owls, “more reps, momentum, confidence coming into the state tournament.”

“It was good to have rest and think about what we were going to do in the box and come out strong,” said Docktor, who went 3-for-3 with two doubles and three RBIs in the first three innings.

With two out in the second inning, the Owls strung together four consecutive hits in a five-run rally. With runners on second and third, Docktor’s drive into the gap got stuck under the fence for a two-run ground-rule double. Kaydi Kochi singled in Docktor and Carlos’ looper to left fell in for an RBI double. Carlos then scored on a throwing error on Jordan Joy’s grounder to put MPI up 5-0.

The Owls added four more runs in the third with Docktor delivering her second RBI double of the game.

Carlos then weathered the rain delays to hold the Bears to an unearned run in the sixth before the Owls turned their sights toward Leilehua.

“It was hard,” Carlos said. “Since Mid-Pac is in Manoa, it’s always raining too, so we’re a little used to it.”

The Knights took a 5-0 lead then held off a late rally by the Maui Interscholastic League champion Lunas to advance.

Castle leadoff hitter Brittany Hawn set the tone for the Knights by going 3-for-3 and scoring three runs, and Leisha Liilii hit a solo homer in the third inning.

The Lunas started their comeback in the sixth with two runs on RBI singles by Hope Morikawa and Makana Hussey. Maycee Moe releived Liilii and got out of the inning. Lahainaluna closed to within a run on a homer by Haley Ann Nakamura and a fielder’s choice grounder by Morikawa. But Moe got Hussey to fly out to left with runners on first and second to end the game.

Krystin Kubo and Kyla Larson homered and the Mules, the sixth seed from the OIA, advanced to the semifinals.

Leilehua jumped out to a 5-0 lead after two innings and ended the game with a five-run sixth inning to bring the mercy rule into effect.

Kubo’s three-run homer was her second of the tournament and Mules pitcher Maegan Tupinio held the Warriors, the Big Island Interscholastic Federation champion, to three hits in her second win of the week.

Sabers second baseman Sharae Esprecion’s sixth-inning grand slam kept top-seeded Campbell’s hopes of repeating as state champion alive another day and set up a meeting with Castle in today’s first semifinal at 5 p.m.

The teams traded two-run rallies in the first two innings and the Hurricanes broke the 4-4 tie in the bottom of the fifth on Kaity Wills’ RBI groundout to short with the bases loaded.

With two out in the top of the sixth, the bottom three hitters in the Campbell order walked to load the bases for Esprecion, who launched a 1-0 pitch over the center-field fence.

Kapolei’s Briana Tovio-Asato cut into the lead in the bottom of the sixth with her second double of the game. But Campbell pitcher Summer Palipti held off the Hurricanes in the seventh to seal the win.

Kapolei pitcher Winona Pauline struck out 12.

The Surfriders rallied for two runs in the top of the seventh to beat the Trojans in a consolation game.

The Menehunes pulled out a wild one against the Saints.

Waimea scored eight runs in the top of the seventh inning after allowing St. Francis to tie it at 12-12 with a 10-run fifth.

Waimea’s Taylor Ephan batted 4-for-5 with two homers and five RBIs, and Alyssa Jardin went 3-for-4 with a triple, homer and five RBIs.

St. Francis’ Kelsie Hee batted 2-for-3 with two homers and five RBIs.

Tali Viliamu tossed a five-inning no-hitter with 10 strikeouts and the Marauders routed the Wildcats.
Tammy Viliamu, Anji Sakamoto, Kylie Nishino, Annjhanee Miranda and Bre Dikito each scored twice for Waipahu. Harlee Aquino drove in two runs.

Tisi Tualau threw a one-hitter with eight strikeouts and drove in three runs as the Red Raiders beat the Bullodgs.

Sofia Luczak pitched a four-hitter with seven strikeouts, and Alena Hookano and Kamalei Ah New both drove in three runs as the Wolfpack beat the Mustangs. Luczak retired 15 of the first 16 Kalaheo batters.

The Farmers scored all seven runs on seven hits in the third inning in a victory over the Cowgirls in a consolation game. Molokai’s Jasmine Borden tossed a six-hitter with seven strikeouts.

Hailey Paglinawan batted 2-for-3 with a double and five RBIs, and Kawehi Bell-Kaaekuahiwi went 4-for-4 with three RBIs as the Big Island Dragons trounced the Dragons from Maui in a consolation game.