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Trojans' youth movement has served them well this season


With just one senior on its roster, the Mililani softball team is relying heavily on its underclassmen this year.

The youngsters have come through in the Trojans' first five games of the year, including Tuesday's nail-biting 6-5 walk off win over previously-unbeaten Campbell.

Shannon Stanton, a sophomore designated player, led the way offensively by going 3 for 3 at the plate with a double and an RBI.

"She did great today," Mililani coach Rose Antonio said of Stanton. "She had very good discipline today and she hit her pitch and when you hit your pitch great things happen."

Also driving in runs were Maya Yoshiura, a sophomore shortstop, Kristen Ishii, a junior left fielder, Merilis Rivera, a sophomore third baseman, and Markie Okamoto, a sophomore catcher.

Junior Aubree Kim took care of the pitching duties and escaped with the win after allowing five runs — four in one inning alone — on seven hits. She struck out five and walked five.

Mililani (5-0) struggled to find any kind of offense early on against Campbell starter Elisa Favela, who faced just one more batter than the minimum and struck out four after three innings.

However, the Trojans clawed their way back with their signature small-ball approach, getting single runs in the fourth and fifth innings before tying it up with two more runs in the bottom of the sixth.

"It was kind of like our hearts stopped a little bit and were like 'Yeah, we got this, we've just got to come together and stick together,' " said Rivera.

Even after Campbell retook the lead at 5-4 in the top of the seventh, there was little panic from Mililani.

"I figured that we were hitting the ball, so I have confidence in them that we would score at least one or two (runs) to try and get back into the ball game," Antonio said.

The lone senior on the squad — first baseman Kylie Bello — got the rally started in the bottom of the seventh with a one-out single. She then gave way to pinch runner Maya Saneishi, a freshman, who scored the tying run on a double by Ishii.

"I think they were just being aggressive at the plate," Antonio said of her team's approach at the plate in the bottom of the seventh. "Seeing the ball, taking their pitches that they wanted to take and they were swinging. That's really good of them to do that."

Rivera, who her teammates call "Mama," then drove in the winning run in Tracie Okumura, who was pinch running for Ishii, on a double to left field.

"Mama was hitting the ball all game, too, and she clutched up when I told her to slash and shorten her swing and she hit the ball," Antonio said.

It was the Trojans' third down-to-the-wire finish in as many games. They defeated Waipahu, 2-1, in eight innings last Tuesday before going nine innings in an 11-4 win over Kapolei Friday.



Reach Kalani Takase at [email protected].




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