Mililani coach Mark Hirayama has been there through the playoff wars many times before.
“It’s better,” he said on Friday, “to be lucky than good.”
The Trojans made plenty of their own luck to rally from a two-run deficit in the sixth inning, then were on the receiving end of two wild pitches and a passed ball on Saturday.
JR Suehisa scored on a wild pitch with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning as Mililani edged Campbell 3-2 to capture the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I baseball championship at Les Murakami Stadium.
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“With two outs, we were just kind of looking for something that we could take advantage of. Fortunately, we had a ball in the dirt and JR was able to score,” Hirayama said. “JR is a good baserunner. He’s quick and gets good reads. That’s lucky for us that he was there.”
Mililani (17-6 overall) won its second title in a row and the third in school history. Campbell (18-3-1) led 2-0 going into the bottom of the sixth inning as southpaw Varen Sabino was cruising along with a one-hitter. However, the Trojans eked out two runs in the sixth to tie the game.
“It’s a tough loss. It’s a really tough loss, but you know what, they played their best,” Sabers coach Glenn Flores said. “That’s all I can ask of them. They came up short, but hey, that’s how it goes sometimes.”
In the seventh, Suehisa lined an opposite-field single with one out, and after Vance Oshiro flied out, advanced to second base on a wild pitch. After Ethan Thomas was issued an intentional walk, the runners advanced on a passed ball. Sabino intentionally walked Kaiwi Winchester, loading the bases.
The count was 1-1 to Hunter Faildo when Sabino’s curveball landed in the dirt and Suehisa took off like a rocket.
“I went on my own. It’s all reaction. You can’t hesitate,” said Suehisa, who scored the winning run easily. “It’s all reaction. Every pitch, I was waiting for the ball in the dirt like Coach said.”
Winchester, who started the game as a designated hitter, picked up his second win in three days. He tossed the final two innings, allowing just one hit, getting out of a jam in the sixth.
“Coach asked me before the game, ‘How’s your arm?’ I was honest. I was ready for today,” Winchester said.
The Sabers got on the scoreboard in the top of the third against Mililani starter Jason Shiigi.
Logan Carvalho and Shayden Sabangan walked, and Devin Gallano’s sacrifice bunt turned into a throwing error by Shiigi as he tried to throw to third base. With the bases loaded, Ikaika Ganancial followed with a single to center, scoring Carvalho for a 1-0 Campbell lead.
Bryden Malama then grounded to shortstop for a forceout at second, but his head-first slide at first prevented an inning-ending double play. That allowed Sabangan to score from third base, and the Sabers had a two-run lead.
Sabino was sailing by after five innings with a one-hitter, but the Trojans reached him for two runs in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game. Kaiwi Winchester singled with one out, and after Sabino whiffed Hunter Faildo, Jayton Pang doubled into the left-field corner. Waika Fukuda grounded to second, but beat out the throw and Sabangan’s throw to first was wide. Winchester and Pang scored on the play.
Sabino then struck out pinch hitter Cole Akamu to end the inning.
Winchester took over on the mound for Mililani. Shiigi went six innings, allowing one earned run on two hits with five strikeouts and three walks.
Pinch hitter Cody Ranit led off the top of the seventh with a double to the left-field corner off Mililani’s second pitcher, Winchester. Pinch runner Aaron Doldolea advanced to third on a stolen base, but was stranded there after Carvalho, Sabangan and Gallano grounded out.
