Campbell players rejoice after recording the final out to extend their season. The Sabers advance to the quarterfinal round to play fourth seed and BIIF champion Kealakehe on Wednesday. Brandon Ching | SL

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MANOA—The Sabers won't relinquish their crown just yet.

The defending Division I state champions overcame first inning adversity and rallied with a five-run fifth inning to knock out No. 3 Maryknoll, 8-6, in the opening round of the DataHouse/HHSAA Division I State Softball Championships at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

The seventh-ranked Sabers (12-4 overall), who played in the opening round for the first time since 2022, advance to the quarterfinals to face fourth seed and BIIF champion Kealakehe at 2 p.m.

"We're not taking anybody lightly. Everyday is a new day and anybody can win. We need to come out and play," Campbell coach Shag Hermosura said.

After the cancellation of the consolation bracket due to adverse weather later in the week, Maryknoll's season ends at 12-7 overall.

Kaienna Fuentes-Arrellano improved to 10-3 on the season in the circle. She struck out four and issued seven walks.

Eight different Sabers in the lineup card registered a hit led by Waiki and Alo, who had a pair of hits to drive in two runs. Cailey Morris had a two RBI home run to give Campbell the lead and never looked back.

"My first year here, I wasn't really out of the field so it was a boost and since I'm on the field, I'm going to show them what I got. It was awesome, I loved it," Morris said.

Kayla Whaley led off with a double and Sophia Alo followed up with a two-out double to score the Sabers' first run.

Sniffen drew a lead off walk and scored off Kasi Cruz's home run shot to left center field for a 2-1 lead. Cruz went 3 for 4 with a run scored and three RBI.

The Spartans padded their lead as Sarae hit a two-out, 3 RBI home run over the right field fence to make it, 5-1.

The game was delayed for 35 minutes due to rain and play resumed at 8:15 p.m.

"We came out with a whole new ball game and thought of it as a different game," Morris said.

Quinn Waiki worked a 3-2 count and laced a double to center field that drove in Whaley in the top third and got to third on a wild pitch. Alo walked but both runners were stranded at the corners following a flyout.

Sarae (2-for-4) came up clutch with a two-out triple that squeezed the left foul line with two outs in the bottom third.

The Sabers chipped away and eventually took the lead in the fifth inning. China Pantastico doubled to the left field and moved to third on a wild pitch.

Waiki drilled a single to left field to score Pantastico to trail 6-3 and Alo moved her over on a base hit to shallow left. Maryknoll committed three errors on the night and Sheyzhelle Iokia's error plated the baserunners as Campbell got within a run.

Campbell took the lead, 7-6, on Morris' two-run home run shot to the left field netting. 

"All I remember was all or nothing. Everything was out there on the field. My teammates were picking it up, they were on the bases. All I need to do was to step up for them and I was there," Morris said.

Prior to that, she had two hits and this was her first career home run.

"She was struggling for a while. Kinda change her at bat. It's little adjustments and she did it," Hermosura noted. 

"Being eager to hit the ball and overswinging my swings. The moment I realized it was all in my head, that's when I started making adjustments," Morris said of overcoming her hitting struggles.

The Sabers completed a 1-2-3 fifth and in the sixth added their last run as Jaeda Abcede doubled to left field and moved to third on a wild pitch. Maryknoll made a pitching change from Cruz to Sniffen as she induced the next two outs. Waiki was intentionally walked and Alo reached on an error that brought in Abcede.

Dylan Neves lined out to Alo and Sniffen and Bailey Chee walked. Waiki covered a lot of ground from short to foul territory to snag the second out and Palehua Silva popped out to Keyra Moses-Fuller.

The Spartans kept the Sabers scoreless in the seventh. Down to their final three outs, Iokia grounded out to second. Amber Rayray was beaned but Fuentes-Arrellano bounced back to strike out Sarae. Ciana Kamisato grounded out to Alo to end the game.

Cruz (4-2) took the loss with 4 2/3 innings pitched, surrendered nine Saber hits, of the eight runs, three were earned as she struck out four and walked three.

Sniffen finished with two innings pitched with a pair of strikeouts and a walk.

The Sabers and Spartans played each other in the state tournament for the first time since the 2017 quarterfinal round.