Moanalua stuns Campbell to reach first semis since 2008


Brian Bautista | SL

KAKAAKO - Left fielder Raean Bumagat snagged Taylor Mendoza's lined drive and fired a strike to third baseman and sister Ramzy Bumagat with the the tying and winning runners in scoring position for a game-ending double play in the bottom of the seventh inning and Moanalua held on for 7-6 win against No. 2 Campbell in  stunner of an Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I softball quarterfinal Wednesday night at McKinley Tiger Softball Stadium.

Na Menehune (9-3), the East's third seed, advances to Thursday's 7 p.m. semifinal against East champion Kaiser (10-1). They split the regular season series. The Moanalua win earned it a state tournament berth, giving the East at least three state representatives since 2005. This will be Moanalua's first semifnal appearance since 2008. This also marks the Sabers' first failure to reach the semifinals since 2009.

"It's been a long time since we've made it this far," Moanalu coach Kylie Oshiro said. "It feels great. The girls deserve it, and the way they played today really showed."

With the game knotted at 6 after five innings, Moanalua scored the go-ahead run in the top of the sixth inning, on Emily Tome's single with runners at second and third. But the Sabers minimized the damage when right fielder Delexy Sanchez threw Kaylah Sato out at third to end the inning. It was looking like a pivotal play when the Sabers threatened in the bottom of the seventh. 

Sanchez led off with a walk against relief pitcher Jolie-Ann Mochizuki. Sanchez took second on Nanea Pantastico's single to left. With Taileen Aso'au at the plate, Sanchez stole third; three pitches later, Pantastico stole second. Aso'ao was called out on strikes to bring up Mendoza with the tying and winning runs in scoring position. Mendoza drilled to the first pitch to left, where left fielder Raean Bumagat drifted to her right to make the catch and fired to her sister at third to double-off Sanchez to end the game.

‘That was a huge play," Oshiro said. "The girls did awesome, doing the routine plays and making the big plays when it counted."

Mochizuki picked up the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief.

Kaienna Fuentes-Arellano was charged with all seven runs in five-plus innings before being picked up by Lily Perreira, who turned in two scoreless innings.

It started off looking like vintage postseason Campbell when it took a  2-0 lead in the bottom of the first on Sanchez's two-run double off Moanalua starter Kaylah Sato.

But Moanalua stormed back with a five-run second, including a grand slam to left by Alia Anzai. Her fly ball barely cleared the fence and was barely fair.

"It felt really good," Anzai said. "I wasn't trying to do much, just something small, but off my bat and I felt it….It felt really good."

Moanalua added an insurance run in the fourth on a solo home run to left by Hunter Jackson to make it 6-2.

But the Sabers haven't been perennial contenders in the postseason for nothing. They tied the game with a four-run fifth on an RBI single by Sophie Alo and three-run double by Pantastico.

But Na Menehune regained the lead in the sixth. Jackson drew a lead-off walk and Sato followed with yet another free pass, the fifth and sixth of the game issued by Fuentes-Arellano, who was pulled for Perreira, who retired Ava Atargi on a sacrifice to put runners at second and third. On a 1-1 count, Tome lined a single to right to score Jackson easily, but Sato was gunned down by Sanchez from right field. Perreira got the next batter to end the inning and kept the game well within reach for the Sabers.

Campbell managed two base runners in the sixth with two out. Fuentes-Arellano re-entered as a pinch hitter and walked on four pitches. Breena Malama smoked a hard grounder off the first baseman for her fourth hit of the game. But Mochizuki struck out Alo'ao snuff the threat.

In the home seventh, the Sabers threatened with runners in scoring position and one out. Mendoza hit a rope to left fielder Raean Bumagat, who doubled off Sanchez at third to end Campbell's 16-year reign of semifinal appearances.

"When I saw that girl break (for home) at third, I threw it at my sister because I knew she had me. Trusting that, I threw it at her."

This marks the first time in 20 years that at least three East teams have secured state berths. Eight times since 2006, there have been five West teams to one East in the state tournament; and nine times there were 4-to-2.

"It's amazing as the underdogs to beat Campbell," Anzai said. "This feels great."

The 5 p.m. semifinals will pit defending OIA and state champion Mililani (10-1) and Kalani 9-2) also at McKinley.

This is the first time since 1999, where the semifinals had three East teams.

The Sabers will host Leilehua and Waianae will visit Kapolei in fifth-place semifinals at 3 p.m. Thursday. The winner meet Friday for fifth place and the OIA's final state berth.



Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at [email protected].