Softball and Summer go hand in hand.

Campbell junior pitcher Summer Palipti dominated Castle from both the mound and the plate, giving the visiting Sabers a 9-1 victory in the Oahu Interscholastic Association Red Conference quarterfinals on Wednesday.

Palipti tossed a two-hitter and reached base three times from the No. 5 spot. She was everywhere, and kept the Knights — the Red East’s top seed — from going anywhere. Campbell (9-5), the West’s fourth-place team, advanced to face Kailua in a 6 p.m. semifinal today at Central Oahu Regional Park. The game will be televised on OC 16.

The defending OIA champs from Ewa Beach had quite the commute to get to Kaneohe, but they came to play, starting with a two-run single by Palipti in the first. After Castle cut that lead in half in the bottom of the frame, Campbell tacked on three more runs in the third and never looked back.

“It felt good, ’cause we weren’t going to come over here to lose,” said Palipti, who threw her second complete game of the year, striking out three and walking two.

“We just have to keep playing hard and communicating and keep doing what we’re doing,” she added, thanking her defense behind her.

Palipti had a great defensive play in her own right in the fourth, snagging Bailey Perry’s low-hit comebacker just before it hit the ground, and firing it to first for a double play.

“She has worked hard. She’s like a wild mustang, you gotta pull back the reins now and then,” Campbell coach Michael Hermosura said. “She overplays herself now and then. But when she stays within herself, she’s a better complete player. … the rest of the girls, they build behind her.”

Campbell avenged a loss in the state semifinals last year, when Castle upset the top-seeded Sabers 9-7. Hermosura was undecided on Palipti or Kayce Konohia to pitch today against a third straight East team, and will have both prepared.

The Knights (10-3) — ranked seventh in this week’s Star-Advertiser Top 10 — entered the OIA playoffs on a shaky note, getting outscored a combined 7-5 by Kaimuki in a doubleheader split on April 7 that ended Castle’s seven-game winning streak.

A first-round bye didn’t afford Castle the time it needed to get things together — starter Christin Tesoro and reliever Brittany Hawn were unable to match zeros with Palipti. Now the Knights play Mililani at home today. The winner stays alive in the chase for one the six OIA state berths.

“The West side is always tough. We haven’t seen this kind of pitching,” Castle coach Jon Berinobis said. “(Palipti’s) velocity and stuff, just hard to catch up with. She was hitting her spots, and our girls weren’t used to it, so they couldn’t get the bat on it. She mixed her speeds up good. … We gotta go out and play a lot better defense.”

Hurricanes pitcher Winona Pauline tossed a complete-game one-hitter as the Hurricanes defeated the Mules.

Kapolei advances to today’s semifinal at 4 p.m. at Central Oahu Regional Park field 2.

Leilehua continues in the losers’ bracket today at Moanalua at 3:30 p.m.

Amanda Kaleo drove in three runs as the Surfriders defeated the Trojans.

Kailua advances to today’s semifinal at 6 p.m. against Campbell at Central Oahu Regional Park field 2.

Mililani travels to Castle today at 3:30 p.m.

Nicole Verdadero drove in three runs as the Bulldogs mercy-ruled the Tigers.

Waialua advances to today’s 3:30 p.m. semifinal game at Kalaheo, while McKinley ended its season.