Campbell flexes muscle to power past Mililani, 7-1

Campbell's Summer Palipti throws a pitch to the plate against Mililani. Evan Asato | SL

With 17 days between games, Campbell's softball players hit the weight room.

Then they slugged three home runs to back Summer Palipti's pitching to knock off rival Mililani, 7-1, Wednesday night in the quarterfinals of the DataHouse Division I state softball tournament.

The Sabers (11-5) will make their fourth consecutive semifinal appearance Thursday when they take on Punahou (17-3) in a 5 p.m. semifinal at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. Campbell has won two of its last three semifinals. The Sabers beat Punahou, 5-1, in the 2010 title game and 4-2 in last year's quarterfinals.

Kawehi Kahana, who drilled two homers in the OIA Red championship on April 20, set the pace with a two-run shot to left in the bottom of the second inning to give Campbell a 2-0 lead.

'It felt good off the bat," she said.

Then in a five-run fifth, freshman Caragh Morris smashed a two-run homer to center and later in the inning, senior Jessica Arata ripped a three-run shot to left-center.

"it's not just one player," Kahana added. "We work as a team."

They also worked out as a team.

"After the OIA tournament, we went right back into the weight room," Campbell coach Shag Hermosura said. "They worked hard that first week we were off. I had three days in the weight room and we did a lot of running. That helped the girls, I guess, with the power for the bats.

"I always knew we had power, but it's a matter of timing and putting the barrel on the ball. Hopefully, good things will happen. Tonight, they did."

Kahana, who was 2 for 3, has been on fire at the plate since the postseason, having blasted four home runs.

"My Dad, he would help me," Kahana said of recent success. "We'd go after practice and hit at Todd's place (Battersbox Hawaii)."

Meanwhile, Palipti had her usual stoic look for statewide TV - the game was broadcast on OC 16 (channel 12). She labored at times, but got out of jams with the help of her defense. The Sabers threw out one runner trying to steal, caught another trying to stretch a single into a double and doubled off a runner at first to end the game.

Palipti gave up a run, five hits and four walks with four strikeouts. The run came after Campbell had a 7-0 lead.

Trojans' starter Joen Baker pitched 2 1/3 innings, allowing two runs, four hits and two walks with four strikeouts. Aubree Kim pitched the next 2 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on three hits. Baker returned to pitch one more inning, a scoreless sixth in which she hit two batters.

Mililani, which won the OIA Red West title, swept the regular-season series against Campbell.

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at [email protected].