Ori Mailo swatted three homers, driving in five runs, as No. 2 Mililani overpowered No. 9 Kalani 15-2 in five innings on Thursday at Tiger Softball Stadium.
Mililani (25-1-1 overall), the top seed from the West, will play Moanalua for the OIA championship tonight.
Mailo finished 3-for-3 with four runs scored and a walk in addition to her long-ball barrage.
“Being patient throughout the season was one of the hardest things I had to learn. Now, knowing how to adapt and wait for the pitches I want to hit, I’m taking advantage of it,” Mailo said.
Aubri Nakashima was one of several Trojans who had strong nights at the plate. Batting eighth in the lineup, she was 2-for-3 with a three-run double in the first inning and an RBI double in the second. The Trojans finished with 15 hits off two Kalani pitchers.
Sophomore pitcher Hinano Bautista went four innings and permitted one run on three hits with three strikeouts and two walks. She yielded to classmate Taylor Adriano, who pitched the final inning of the mercy-rule, 10-run TKO win.
“They pitched (to) Ori,” Mililani coach Rose Antonio said. “We swung the bat well today.”
It was some of the best pitching of the season by Bautista, a southpaw who was the Star-Advertiser Pitcher of the Year as a freshman. Antonio credited Bautista and pitching coach Walter Kaaihili Jr.
“She’s getting better as we go along. She keeps working with Coach Walter,” Antonio said.
Bautista did not allow a base-runner until the fourth inning.
“I feel great. Very happy, very excited for tomorrow. I’m very happy for what our team accomplished today,” she said.
Five OIA teams qualify for the upcoming state tournament. Kalani (16-6-2 overall) will play Kaiser for third place on Friday.
The teams met on Feb. 15 at the Trojan Classic, a close 9-7 win by Mililani. They also scrimmaged in early April.
“We learned that we have to be disciplined at the plate,” Antonio said. “What I wanted to see today was defense. Pitch well, but play our defense.
Mililani had a flawless defensive performance with no errors.
“It’s hard to get to the championship. It’s hard,” she said.
The Trojans unleashed their offensive prowess from the start, tagging Kalani starting pitcher Kadie Carpio with five runs in the bottom of the first inning. Kahiau Aina led off with a single, advanced to third base on a sacrifice bunt by Kamryn Aoki, then scored on a wild pitch.
Makanalei Watkins-Villegas and Emma Parker singled to load the bases with one out. Carpio then walked Lana Nakayama to force in Watkins-Villegas from third base to give Mililani a 2-0 lead.
Nakashima then sent a line drive to center field, where Naomi Stremick converged on the ball, dove and missed. Nakashima’s double cleared the bases to open the Trojans’ lead to 5-0.
After Carpio walked Kodie Ancheta and Aina to re-load the bases, she was replaced by another southpaw, Stremick. Aoki grounded back to Stremick to end the inning.
Mailo struck with a rocket launch over the center-field fence on Stremick’s first pitch of the second inning. Watkins-Villegas followed with a single and advanced to second base on a wild pitch. She moved to third base on a groundout by Bautista. With two outs, Nakayama walked and Nakashima delivered a bloop single just over third base, scoring Watkins-Villegas for a 7-0 Trojans lead.
While Bautista mowed the Falcons down with 1-2-3 innings through three frames, her teammates were relentless at the plate. After Aina doubled and scored on a single by Aoki, Mailo belted her second homer, a two-run shot to right, as Mililani extended the lead to 10-0.
Stremick retired the next two batters before Emma Parker clubbed a line-drive home run to center, opening the margin to 11 runs.
Kalani cracked its goose egg in the top of the fourth. With two outs, Stremick reached on an infield single and Haley Ching walked. Shya Morinaga singled to center, scoring Stremick on a close play at home plate. Kyra Yamaguchi singled to load the bases, but Kyla Castro grounded to third, ending the inning.
An error in the bottom of the fourth inning set the stage for Mailo’s third homer. With two outs, Aina walked and Aoki’s direct line drive to third baseman Morinaga glanced off her glove. Mailo then cranked a three-run shot to left.
Watkins-Villegas followed with a solo home run to center, and Mililani led 15-1.
Stremick’s double scored Layna Farias in the top of the fifth to account for Kalani’s final run.
Moanalua 12, No. 6 Kaiser 10
Moanalua (15-7-1 overall) is now in position to win its first OIA softball title.
Freshman Kaylah Sato retired the first two batters in the bottom of the seventh. Senior Elyse Yoshioka kept Kaiser’s hopes alive with a single, and Yamasaki walked on four pitches. After Audrey Higa singled, the bases were loaded.
Lia Hamamura sent a blooper down the left field line, where Raean Bumagat made a tough catch to end the game.
Sato pitched the final 32⁄3 innings for the wild semifinal win. Moanalua will meet defending OIA and state champion Mililani in today’s final at Tiger Softball Stadium. The teams met at the Trojan Classic on Feb. 11, a 13-1 victory for Mililani.
Moanalua and Kaiser met twice during the regular season, splitting the games. On Mar. 11, Moanalua beat Kaiser 8-5. On Apr. 12, Kaiser beat Moanalua 10-4. Both battles were at Tiger Softball Stadium.
Kaiser (15-8-1) will host Kalani in a third-place game today.
On Thursday, Moanalua took a quick 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Kaiser tied it with three runs in the bottom of the second.
Moanalua led 8-5 entering the bottom of the fourth when Kaiser rallied again to tie it at 8.
In the top of the fifth, Hunter Jackson’s double to center brought Kenani Kido home to give Moanalua the lead again. Sato followed with a single to center, plating Jolie Mochizuki and Alia Anzai for an 11-8 lead.
Again, Kaiser rallied. Rylee Yamasaki’s two-run homer cut the lead to 11-10 in the bottom of the fifth.
Moanalua added an insurance run in the top of the seventh. Sato’s sacrifice fly to left brought Mochizuki home from third base. For a 12-10 lead.
