Campbell rallied past Maryknoll on Tuesday in a first-round matchup involving a rain delay and the past two state champions.
Malu Morris’ two-run homer capped a five-run fifth inning as Campbell beat Maryknoll 8-6 in the DataHouse/HHSAA Division I Softball Championship at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium after trailing 6-2.
“I’m very proud, especially with the women coaches, they’ve come a long way and being former players like myself, they were teaching the girls how to win and come back,” Campbell coach Michael Hermosura said.
Campbell will face No. 4 seed Kealakehe in today’s quarterfinals at 2 p.m. at RWSS.
“We’re not taking anybody lightly,” Hermosura said. “Every day is a new day and anybody can win. We need to come out and play.”
In the Sabers fifth, Quinn Waiki had a run-scoring single off Kasi Cruz, two runs came in when Joy Freitas’ grounder was booted by the shortstop and Morris blasted a homer to left to make it 7-6. Four of the runs scored with two outs and four were unearned.
“All I remember is “all or nothing,” Morris said. “Everything was out there on the field and my team was already picking it up, they were on the bases and I just know I need to step up for them. I was there.”
The Sabers, the OIA’s fourth-place team, added an insurance run in the sixth when Sophia Alo’s grounder was misplayed by the third baseman, which allowed Jaeda Abcede to score.
The Spartans had two on and two out in the sixth, but Sabers starter Kaienna Fuentes-Arellano got a pair of popouts to end the threat.
In the seventh, Maryknoll had the tying run at the plate, but Fuentes-Arellano got a strikeout and groundout to end it.
“She had a lot of guts today,” Hermosura said. “She wanted the ball, so we gave her the ball.”
The Sabers improved to 12-4, while the Spartans fell to 12-7.
Maryknoll beat ‘Iolani in the 2022 title game, and Campbell defeated Kamehameha for last year’s crown.
“Being here all the time and trying to compete year after year makes us real comfortable,” Hermosura said.
Campbell scored in the top of the first on Alo’s double off Cruz, which scored Kayla Whaley.
Maryknoll went ahead 5-1 in the bottom half on Cruz’s two-run homer on the eighth pitch of the at-bat and Briana Lynn Sarae’s three-run blast on the seventh. The three base runners that scored all walked.
There was a 35-minute rain delay in the bottom of the second.
“I thought that was a big difference in the game,” Maryknoll coach John Uekawa said. “We were motivated and ready to go and the rain just killed the momentum. Kudos to Campbell. They had to play in the rain like how we did and they came back.”
Maryknoll, the ILH runner-up, scored in the inning on Cruz’s single to left, which drove in Jenna Sniffen to make it 6-1.
The Sabers got within four in the fourth on Waiki’s double to right, which scored Whaley.
Campbell had another opportunity to score in the bottom half, but a failed squeeze attempt led to a runner being tagged out near the plate.
Kapolei 10, Waianae 0, 5 inn.
The Hurricanes picked up a lopsided victory over the Seariders on Tuesday after recording a pair of one-run wins over them during the OIA West season.
Kandi Malama-Ahlo pitched a two-hitter with two walks and five strikeouts, and River Hawn batted 2-for-2 with a homer and five RBIs for Kapolei.
Kendalyn Cordeiro-Felise went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, two runs and two RBIs, and Kayara Tuiloma homered and scored twice for the Hurricanes, who will play No. 3 Baldwin in today’s quarterfinals at 11:30 a.m.
The Hurricanes beat the Seariders 8-7 on March 16, and 5-4 on April 11.
Leilehua 14, Waiakea 1, 5 inn.
Breeann Leong and Trinity Cabana-Rodrigues combined on a one-hitter, and Cabana-Rodrigues batted 4-for-4 with a double, three runs and two RBIs as the Mules beat the Warriors.
Ciara Fortuno went 2-for-2 with three runs and three RBIs, and Leong and Shazlynn Ancheta each drove in two runs for Leilehua. Arria Vierra and Jessica Liu each scored twice.
Leong, who worked three innings, and Cabana-Rodrigues combined to strike out five for the Mules, who turned a triple play in the first.
Madisen Kodani singled in the second for Waiakea’s only hit.
Leilehua will play No. 2 Kamehameha in a quarterfinal game today at 4:30 p.m.
Kalani 19, Maui High 3, 5 inn.
Haley Ching batted 3-for-3 with a double, a homer and five RBIs, and Ashlyn Sera went 2-for-2 with four RBIs as the Falcons defeated the Sabers.
Kylie Tanimura, Naomi Stremick and Jayslin Simpliciano each scored three runs for Kalani, which had a nine-run first and an eight-run second.
Kalani will play No. 1 Mililani in a quarterfinal game today at 7 p.m.
Division II
Kohala 10, Kalaheo 4
Mahea Pang batted 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs, and Savannah Kupukaa homered, scored twice and drove in two runs as the Cowboys beat the Mustangs.
Sydney Marquez and Kalia Marquez each scored two runs for Kohala, which will play No. 1. Kapaa in a quarterfinal game at 7 tonight at McKinley.
Kalia Marquez allowed four unearned runs in a complete-game performance.
Waimea 21, Kailua 1, 5 inn.
Taelor Camelo pitched a three-hitter with eight strikeouts, and Kaelyn Banquel homered, scored twice and drove in five runs as the Menehunes routed the Surfriders.
Nakeisha Olivas batted 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs, Laulea Durant doubled and drove in three runs and Tavina Harris scored three times for Waimea, which will play No. 3 Kamehameha-Hawaii in a quarterfinal game today at 2:15 p.m.
Radford 15, Lanai 1, 5 inn.
Olena Umetsu had two hits and four RBIs, Niueni Elisara drove in three and Kyralee-Marie Cordeiro paired hits and scored three runs for the Rams, who scored in all four innings, including a nine-run fourth.
The Rams will play Pac-Five in a quarterfinal at 4:30 p.m. today at McKinley.
Molokai 16, Konawaena 6, 6 inn.
The Lady Farmers defeated the Wildcats and will face Aiea in a quarterfinal at noon today at McKinley.
