Campbell might wear the crown, but Mililani is always in the mix.
The Trojans visited the Sabers and beat the two-time defending OIA softball champions 6-5 on Tuesday to remain undefeated.
Freshman Aubree Kim took over for starting pitcher Joen Baker in the sixth inning with one out, a runner on third and Campbell’s Summer Palipti, the potential tying run, at the dish.
Kim fell behind Palipti, who hit a home run in her last at-bat and beat Waianae with a walk-off blast in the ninth inning in the season opener, and walked her. The six pitches it took to give Palipti first base were just enough to help her get rid of any nerves she had.
“I was very nervous, actually,” Kim said. “I just wanted to help the team and it felt good to get those two outs.”
Palipti immediately stole second while Kim fell behind Caragh Morris 3-0. Morris took a strike before launching a lazy fly ball into left field. Mililani opted to let the run score and prevent Palipti from carrying the go-ahead run from second to third. It didn’t matter where Palipti stood, Kim was not about to let her score.
Kim fell behind Tori-Anne Baysa 2-0, but came back to strike her out to end the threat.
“(Kim) is going to be a good pitcher,” Campbell coach Michael Hermosura said. “She throws pretty hard and it looks like she has a great rise. She throws it hard for a freshman.”
Kim allowed Kawehi Kahana to lead off the seventh with a double, but settled down to strand her there with a pop to third, a strikeout and a liner to first. Of course, she fell behind all three batters.
“We decided to go with the freshman,” Mililani coach Rose Antonio said. “And she helped us out in the latter innings, but it was a total team effort.”
Tiana Rosario had three of Mililani’s nine hits, and Morris contributed two. The Trojans had two runners thrown out at the plate.
The Trojans blew the game open in the fifth when they turned a slim 2-1 lead into a 6-1 advantage. Mililani chased Palipti, Campbell’s starting pitcher, by getting the first five batters of the inning on base, two of them on walks. Baker had the biggest blow with a two-run single to right.
“Summer wasn’t hitting her spots well,” Hermosura said. “They took the inside away from her and she didn’t adjust well. It’s not her, though; the whole team came out flat.”
Elisa Favela took over and walked in Karly Macadangdang for Mililani’s sixth run. She got Kanani Lanias to pop out to first for the first out of the inning, but Cox followed it with an RBI single to left. By the time Favela got out of the mess, on a fly to center by Justine Fabella, Mililani had batted around.
The Sabers responded with a run in the next half inning on Palipti’s homer and plated three more in the sixth to bring Kim to the circle. That would turn out to be too much for Campbell.
“Mililani is a very tough team,” Hermosura said. “They are very disciplined and have a great coaching staff, but we didn’t execute and I think we could have but we didn’t.”
The Sabers (2-1) visit Waipahu on Thursday, while the Trojans (4-0) host Leilehua the same day in an effort to further show that they are the class of the West.
At Campbell
Mililani (4-0) 100 140 0 — 6 9 2
Campbell (2-1) 001 013 0 — 5 9 2
Joen Baker, Aubree Kim (6) and Kacie Oshiro. Summer Pailpti, Elisa Favela (5) and Kiana Ulufale. Leading hitters—Mil: Jade Yadao-Valdez 2-4, Baker 1-3, 2 RBI; Nicole Cox 2-3. Camp: Tiana Rosario 3-4, 2b, 2 RBI; Palipti 1-2, HR; Caragh Morris 2-3.
Leilehua 2, No. 8 Kapolei 1
The Mules scored on an error in the bottom of the third inning to upset the Hurricanes.
At Leilehua
Kapolei (2-2) 001 000 0 — 1 5 7
Leilehua (1-3) 101 000 x — 2 2 0
Kacee Navarro and Alecia Kupihea. Taezha Cordero and Kasey Auna, Kyla Larson (7). W—Cordero. L—Navarro.
Leading hitters—Kapo: Makana Meyers 2b.
Also
Waipahu 9, Pearl City 4
OIA red east
Castle 3, Roosevelt 1
The Knights scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to defeat the Rough Riders.
Maho Wada hit a home run in the top of the sixth for Roosevelt.
At Castle
Roosevelt (0-3) 000 001 0 — 1 4 3
Castle (1-2) 000 030 0 — 3 9 2
Katie Debusca and Destiny Holani. Brandee Lane and Kawai Hussey.
W—Lane. L—Debusca.
Leading hitters—Roos: Maho Wada HR. Cas: Darrien Dacosin 3-4; Alana Igafo 2-3; Chelsie Aweau 2-3, 2 2bs.
OIA White
Waialua 17, Farrington 2
Kaili Agabin launched a pair of home runs and had six RBIs as the Bulldogs downed the Governors.
Agabin hit a two-run triple in the first inning, a solo homer in the third, an RBI single in the fourth, a two-run homer in the fifth and a single in the sixth.
Amber Alejandro hit a three-run homer in the sixth for Waialua.
At Waialua
Waialua (2-0) 302 237 — 17 13 1
Farrington (0-3) 200 000 — 2 7 1
Sabrina Tolentino and Keahi Pang. Kiana Koh, Precious Peters (6) and Noela Werkmeister. W—Tolentino. L—Koh.
Leading hitters—Wail: Kaili Agabin 5-5, 2 HR, 3b, 6 RBIs; Amber Alejandro 2-4, HR, 4 RBIs. Farr: Leani Haskell Berinobis 2-3, HR.
Kaiser 3, Nanakuli 1
Rainelle Matsuoka went 2-for-3 with a double and triple as the Cougars defeated the Golden Hawks.
At Kaiser
Nanakuli (3-1) 100 000 0 — 1 4 0
Kaiser (4-0) 010 111 x — 3 7 1
Chyanne Koko and Precious Pauol-Meyers. Crystal Ching-Lake and Kyra Hoohuli. W— Ching-Lake. L—Koko.
Leading hitters—Kais: Rainelle Matsuoka 2-3, 2b, 3b, RBI; Marissa Oda 3b, run.
Also
McKinley 8, Radford 7
BASEBALL
ILH division I
No. 1 Mid-Pacific 3,
No. 9 Saint Louis 0
Owls starter Brent Sakurai struck out four batters while giving up four hits and two walks over 51⁄3 innings, teaming up with Deric Valoroso on a shutout of the Crusaders.
Sakurai also went 3-for-3 at the plate.
Mid-Pacific scored runs on a throwing error in the first inning, an RBI triple by Ryne Sakai in the second and a wild pitch in the third.
At Ala Wai Community Park
Mid-Pacific (1-0) 111 000 0 — 3 6 0
Saint Louis (0-1) 000 000 0 — 0 5 2
Brent Sakurai, Deric Valoroso (6) and Marcus Doi. Jordan Yamamoto, Pono Anderson (7) and Kawaii Mook-Garcia. W—Sakurai. L—Yamamoto. S—Valoroso.
Leading hitters—MPI: Sakurai 3-3; Ryne Sakai 3b, RBI.
ILH division II
Pac-Five 15,
St. Francis 4, 5 inn.
The Wolf Pack scored 13 runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to rally for a win over the Saints.
Pac-Five’s Shawn Hampton had two hits, including a triple.
At Central Oahu Regional Park
St. Francis (0-1) 020 20 — 4 6 4
Pac-Five (1-0) 002 (13)x — 15 11 2
T. Apona, Cyrus Murakami (3), Sean Fernandez (5) and Shawn Baptiste. Devyn Uyeki, Caleb Miyasato (5) and Ryllen Abeshima. W—Uyeki. L—Apona.
Leading hitters—P5: Brayden Yabuki 2-4, 2b, 2 runs, 3 RBIs; Shawn•Hampton 2-3, 3b, run, 3 RBIs; Landon•Teramoto 2-2, run, RBI; Schmidt 2b, run; Owen Saito 2-3, 2 runs, 2 RBIs.
