A Waianae runner attempts to get on base safely ahead of a Moanalua baseman. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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Moanalua's Makamae Kaleikini jogs out from home after her second home run of the game against Waianae. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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Waianae batter Cranci Kamaka makes contact with a pitch against Moanalua. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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WAIPIO - Out-slugged, but not outdone.

Despite having five fewer extra-base hits, Wai'anae still overcame an early 6-0 deficit to outlast Moanalua, 12-11, in a wild and controversial O'ahu Interscholastic Association Red tournament semifinal Friday at the Patsy T. Mink Central O'ahu Regional Park.

The No. 9 Seariders (11-3) will meet a very familiar foe when they face No. 5 Mililani approximately 7 p.m. Saturday at CORP for the OIA Red championship. The two shared the Red West title, along with Campbell, when all finished with 9-3 records. The Trojans (11-3) were seeded first because they had beaten the Seariders, who were seeded second, twice during the regular season.

No. 4 Na Menehune (12-2) will host No. 8 Campbell (11-4), 3:30 p.m. Saturday for third place.

The game ended with Moanalua leaving the tying run on first base after scoring two runs in the bottom of the seventh.

"These girls, they never gave up," Wai'anae coach Lincoln Naiwi Jr. said of his players. "But Moanalua, they hit the ball."

Eight of Moanalua's 11 hits went for extra bases. They slugged three home runs: a pair of two-run blasts by Makamae Kaleikini and a monster three-run shot by Leisha Yamauchi. Moanalua also had five doubles: two by Yamauchi and one each from Taylor Takushi, Jadeen Sakauye and Dior Motas.

But one of Yamauchi's doubles should have been a home run. She led off the third with a drive to center. An OC 16 replay showed the ball barely clearing the fence, but the third base umpire, who was closest to the play among the three umpires, decisively ruled a double. The runner ended up stranded there.

"I asked him to check (with the other umpires)," Moanalua coach Kristie Morikawa said. "We always toe that line with staying on good communication with (the umpires). It's hard because we do feel like we were robbed. It's his call. He was farthest out there and all I can do is ask him to get help and he didn't want to ask for help."

Na Menehune lost another run in the sixth inning. Kaleikini led off with a single to left, took second on a misplay by the left fielder and went to third when Takushi grounded out to the pitcher. Cyanne Fernandez lifted a deep fly that was caught by center fielder Alyssa Salud-Mendoza. Kaleikini tagged up and reached home easily, but was called out on appeal for leaving the bag before the ball was caught.

Only three of Wai'anae's 10 hits went for extra bases. Lauren Tauanu'u had four RBIs when she lined a two-run home run to left-center and scorched a two-run double in the same area. Nue Sivia homered to left after Tauaanu's homer.

Despite being whacked around, Wai'anae starting pitcher Cranci Kamaka was allowed to stick it out. She was touched up for 11 runs, 11 hits and four walks, while striking out four.

"I just told her to calm down, relax and play your game out there," Naiwi said.

Moanalua took a 3-0 lead in the first inning on Yamauchi's three-run homer. It added three more in the second on Motas' RBI double and Kaleikini's two-run home run.

The back-to-back homers by Tauanu'u and Sivia highlighted the Seariders' four-run fourth to pull to 6-4. Na Menehune, however, got three back in the fourth on Kaleikini's second homer and a fielder's choice grounder by Chrissi Omalza to make it 9-4.

Wai'anae then sent 11 batters to the plate in its five-run fifth to tie the game at 9.

Two errors in the sixth helped the Seariders score three in the sixth to take lead for the first time in the game, 12-3.

Na Menehune threatened in the seventh. With one out, Yamauchi and Sakauye hit successive doubles for one run and Najae Reed added an RBI pinch-hit single before the last out was made to end the game.

"I'm proud of our team for not giving up," Tauanu'u said. "We knew we had the talent. We just had to believe in ourselves."