Campbell, Mililani in D-I final

Campbell is back where it wants to be.

The Sabers (16-2) dropped Kamehameha 7-1 Thursday to advance to Friday night’s Division I final of the DataHouse/HHSAA Softball State Championships at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

They also got a rematch with Mililani, which held on to beat Maryknoll, 3-2, in the other semifinal. The Sabers also lost a 4-3 decision to the Trojans, their OIA West rival, in the OIA title game May 8.

“We told the girls to enjoy this win and that they deserve to be back here,” Campbell coach Michael Hermosura said. “We ended on a little bit of a bitter note last year (a loss to Mililani in the final). So, win or lose tomorrow night, the girls got back here and that’s what they wanted.”

Caragh Morris boomed a grand slam high into the net in left field in the second inning to give the Sabers the momentum that they never relinquished.

“I’m just really, really happy,” Morris said. “I haven’t had a (clutch) hit all season, so that feels real good. Last year, we came up short and we don’t want that feeling again.”

Sabers starting pitcher Elisa Favela was not overpowering, but she went the distance despite walking six batters. She gave up three hits and was highly effective with some off-speed stuff.

“She did a good job changing speeds,” Kamehameha coach James Millwood said about Favela. “She even had a three-quarter speed pitch.”

Sierra Mariano and Favela hit RBI singles before Morris’ slam in the second for a quick 6-0 lead.

The Warriors (14-2-1) — coming off a late comeback win over Kaiser on Wednesday night — only hit one ball out of the infield before the fifth inning and Favela had a no-hitter going through four. They started to hit line shots after that, but only mustered the three hits.

“When we started hitting it, it went right to them (Campbell’s fielders),” Millwood said.

Kamalani Dung, the Kamehameha starting pitcher who will play for Fresno State next year, was still smiling after the loss, but her countenance changed to a few tears a bit later when the reality began to set in.

“We’ve been to states all four times since our Class of 2015 started playing,” she said. “I feel lucky to have been a part of it. There were high expectations for us. We were ranked No. 1 for much of the time. I thought we were going to win at least one (state title). We just missed. I expected them (the Sabers) to make solid contact. It was our job to answer back and we haven’t been doing that.” 

Darian Robinson’s run-scoring single in the fifth put the Sabers up 7-0.

Favela was one out away from a two-hit shutout in the bottom of the seventh, when Dallas Millwood, the coach’s daughter, smashed an RBI double to left.

Earlier, in the fifth, Alyssa Cobb-Adams broke up Favela’s no-hitter by beating out a grounder to shortstop. Kaleihoku Kaneshiro had the other Warriors’ hit with a sharp grounder to short in the sixth that took a bad hop over Chardonnay Pantastico’s head.

In the third, Pantastico made a beautiful running catch of a bloop to center. After an early error at second base, teammate Cydney Curran mopped up with three assists and four putouts.

Morris, who wrestles for Campbell in the winter, had some words of praise for her buddy, Favela: “We’ve been playing together since we were 7 years old. Those (six) walks were OK. She was on it tonight. She was happy out there and didn’t get down and we believed in her.”

Hermosura, as is his custom, downplayed the win somewhat. He knows the big one awaits Friday.

“She (Favela) wasn’t as crisp as normal with those six walks, but she did hit her spots (most of the time) and made it hard for them (the Warriors) to hit by adjusting her speeds. (As a team), we’ve got another game, so we’ve got play better.”

Elisa Favela and Kiana Ulufale. Kamalani Dung, Mahina Sauer (7) and Rachel Ogasawara. W—Favela. L—Dung.

Leading hitters—Campbell: Sierra Mariano 2-4, RBI, 2 runs; Favela 2-4, RBI; Caragh Morris HR, 4 RBIs, run; Darien Robinson 2-4, RBI; Ashlyn Yagin 2-3, run. Kamehameha: Dallas Millwood 2b, RBI. 

Mililani 3, Maryknoll 2

Aubree Kim worked out of a bases-loaded no-out predicament in the bottom of the seventh to squeeze out the victory.

After a single and double put the tying and winning runs on base, Kim walked the next batter to fill the bases.

Kim then got Shayna Ige to hit a foul pop out to third and then got Shearyna Labasan to ground into a third-to-first double play.

Kim threw a six-hitter and struck out seven to top Labasan in a pitchers duel.

Mililani broke a 1-all tie by scoring two runs in the top of the sixth inning. 

Maya Yoshiura started the Trojans’ big sixth-inning rally with a single to center and scored on an error to make it 2-1. Tristan Kozo followed with an RBI single to drive in Kristen Ishii with what turned out to be the winning run.

Earlier, Labasan gave the Spartans (16-3-1) a 1-0 lead with an RBI single in the second.

The Trojans (15-2) tied it 1-all on Yoshiura’s homer to left in the fourth.

Mililani will meet Campbell in a rematch of last year’s state final Friday at 7 p.m.

Aubree Kim and Markie Okamoto. Shearyna Labasan and Nohealani Hee. W—Kim. L—Labasan.

Leading hitters—Mililani: Maya Yoshiura 2-4, HR, 2 runs, Tristan Kozo RBI. Maryknoll: Labasan 2-2, RBI; Kamryn Kamakaiwi RBI, Kamalei Labasan 2b.

DIVISION I CONSOLATION

Kapolei 13, Waiakea 2

Sala Pedebone and Alecia Kupihea, Daysha Silva (4). Taylor Ogawa, Alyssa Hara (4) and Kristi Hirata. W—Pedebone. L—Ogawa. 

Leading hitters—Kapolei: Pedebone 2-3, HR, 5 RBIs, 2 runs; Prestyne Kaimi-Montira 2-4, HR, 2b, 4 RBIs, 2 runs; Kamrynmae Kanae 2b, run; Kupihea 3b, RBI. Waiakea: Taylor Nishimura 2b, run; Brandee Chinen 2b; Jasmine Castro 2b, RBI. 

Baldwin 5, Kaiser 2

Crystal Ching-Lake and Tiana Ching-Lake. Sanae Nakoa and Lilyan Bermudez, Lohealani Kamau (5). W—Nakoa. L—C. Ching-Lake. 

Leading hitters—Kaiser: Seli Aholelei 3-3, 2b, 2 RBIs; Kayla Russell 2-3, run. Baldwin: Nawai Kaupe 2-2, 3b, HR, 3 RBIs, 2 runs; Bermudez 2b.

WEDNESDAY’S LATE GAME

Kamehameha 3, Kaiser 2, 10 Inn.

Seli Aholelei and Tiana Ching-Lake. Kamalani Dung and Rachel Ogasawara. W—Dung. L—Aholelei. 

Leading hitters—Kaiser: Aholelei 2-5, run; Marissa Oda 2-3. Kamehameha: Alana Cobb-Adams 2-5, 2 runs; Dallas Millwood 2-5, RBI; Kaleihoku Kaneshiro 2b, run. 

DIVISION I

At Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium

THURSDAY

Semifinals

Campbell 7, Kamehameha 1 

Mililani 3, Maryknoll 2

Consolation

Kapolei 13, Waiakea 2

Baldwin 5, Kaiser 2

FRIDAY

Championship

Campbell vs. Mililani , 7 p.m.

Third place

Kamehameha vs. Maryknoll, 3 p.m.

Fifth place

Kapolei vs. Baldwin, 11 a.m.

Consolation

Pearl City vs. Leilehua, 9 a.m.