Mililani fights off late Campbell charge, 6-5

Mililani's Joen Baker throws a pitch to the plate against Campbell. Stacy Kaneshiro | SL

'EWA BEACH - Mililani pitcher Joen Baker helped her cause with a two-run single in a four-run fifth inning, but she needed relief from Aubree Kim to hold off Campbell, 6-5, Tuesday at the Sabers' softball field.

The Trojans (4-0) remained on top the O'ahu Interscholastic Association Red West while the Sabers (2-1) fell from the unbeaten ranks.

The battle of division contenders pitted the teams' aces in Mililani's Baker and Campbell's Summer Palipti. Both ended up needing aid from the bullpen. Baker, cruising along until the Sabers scored three in the bottom of the sixth to pull to 6-5 with the tying run second, pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing five runs (four earned), eight hits and three walks with five strikeouts. She was pulled after Tiana Rosario's two-run double closed Campbell's deficit to 6-4. Rosario had taken third on the play on an outfield error.

Kim was summoned and walked Palipti, who stole second before Carah Morris' sacrifice foul fly to left scored Rosario to make it 6-5. But Kim struck out Nashlynn Anguay to strand the tying run on second.

"it was pretty scary," Kim said of the situation she faced. "My heart was beating. But it was OK."

Baker said she wasn't tiring.

"Usually I can just push through it," Baker said. "But they were just hitting me. They're a good team."

The Sabers threatened in the bottom of the seventh when Kawehi Kahana led off with a double to left. But Kim retired the next three batters to end the game and notch the save.

The Trojans staked Baker to a 1-0 lead in the first when Justine Fabella led off the game with a single, took second and third on passed balls and scored when Jade Yadao-Valdez reached on an error.

Campbell tied it in the third. Rosario, who was 3 for 4, singled, went to second on Palipti's sacrifice and took third on Morris' infield single to short. Rosario scored when Anguay reached on an error.

Mililani regained the lead, 2-1, in the fourth on Nicole Cox's RBI single.

The Trojans cushioned their lead when Palipti failed to retire the first five batters she faced in the Trojans' fifth. Fabella led with with a single and took third on Yadao-Valdez's double. Catcher Kacie Oshiro walked to load the bases and was pulled for courtesy runner Kylyn Sasaki. Baker's two-run single put runners at the corners; she was lifted for courtesy runner Jordan Schmerbauch, who stole second. After Kylie Bello walked to load the bases, Palipti was lifted for Elisa Favela. But Karly Macadangdang drew a walk after nine pitches to force home a run. After Kanani Lania fouled out to third, Cox drilled her second RBI single to make it 6-1 before Favela got the next two Trojans out to leave the bases loaded.

Palipti went four-plus innings, allowing six runs (five earned), six hits and three walks with no strikeouts. She did homer in the bottom of the fifth to pull Campbell to 6-2. It was her third homer in as many games.

"Summer never found her rhythm," Campbell coach Shag Hermosura said. "She'll get there; it's early in the season."

But the young Sabers, who had four freshmen on the field when Favela went in to pitch, started to chip away agains Trojans' starter Baker. Curran, a freshman, led off with a single and stole second before Chardonay Pantastico, another freshman, walked. Both advanced on Jessica Arata's sacrifice and scored on Rosario's double that pulled Campbell to 6-4 to chase Baker.

"Mililani's a good ball club," Hermosura said. "They've always have been tough. It's hard to push them on the side. They'll be coming at you all the time. They have a good hitting approach and they're well coached. They'll be a team to reckon with and I can see good things happening to them. But we'll come back and try our best. We should be up there (contending)."

It was a big road win for the Trojans, who host the Sabers March 28.

"We could be better," Trojans' coach Rose Antonio said. "We had the timely hits at least."

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at [email protected].