Mililani starter Koa Eastlack allowed one run on five hits with eight strikeouts in six innings of work to earn the victory over Campbell. CJ Caraang | SL

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MILILANI – Strong pitching, clutch hitting and controversy surrounded the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I West baseball season opener Wednesday.

Senior left-hander Koa Eastlack engaged and won a pitchers' duel against sophomore right-hander Nicholas Sampson as host Mililani squeaked past Campbell, 2-1.

Both starters allowed five hits in six innings, but Eastlack, allowed only a run, walked three and struck out eight., but needed help from Justin Ogasawara, who saved the game with a scoreless inning of relief. Campbell's Sampson gave up two runs, walking one and striking out none.

A two-run second inning was the difference thanks to Korrey Siracusa's run-scoring triple followed by Keolu Ramos' RBI single.

The Sabers' only run came in the top of the sixth on an RBI single by Markus Ramos off the glove of third baseman C.J. Ibara.

Then there was the controversial triple play.

With the Trojans nursing their two-run lead in the bottom of the fifth, Siracusa reached on a two-base error on a dropped fly ball by right fielder Todd Takahama. Ramos reached on a fielder's choice sacrifice when Siracusa beat Samson's throw to third base after a bunt between the mound and third base. With runners at the corners with no out, Hunter Kirihara hit a sinking liner to left. Depending on which coach is talking, obviously, the ball was either caught on the slide by left fielder Charles Monell or trapped. The umpire ruled a catch, but the runner from third – depending who saw it – either tagged up or left early. In the confusion, the runner on first tried to return to but was doubled-off. First baseman Roy Clemons threw to third to complete the triple play.

Whether the hit was trapped or caught is a judgment call, especially for a two-umpire crew that is used during the regular season. Mililani coach Mark Hirayama came out to argue that the runner on third tagged up and left for home upon the catch.

"Normally, the home plate umpire is going to make the call on the play; he's got the catch and the tag in front of him," Hirayama explained. "The base (umpire) makes the call…(the home plate umpire) isn't watching it; he's letting Campbell talking him into calling (the runner on third) out. He was out of position or he wasn't watching the play where he was supposed to."

It did not cost the Trojans in the end, but creating interest was that the Sabers scored in the top of the sixth. "That's a two-run swing," Hirayama said.

Not to be overshadowed was Eastack's outing. He entered the top of the seventh having thrown 106 pitches. The Sabers sent up 5-foot-5 pinch hitter Dylan Florentin.  His diminutive strike zone led to a four-pitch walk.

"Watching Koa, it looked like he was trying to aim a little bit, rather than just try to throw and not worry who was up and hit his spots," Hirayama said. "But he was getting up in pitches and we just wanted to changed it up a little bit. They've seen him three time (through the order) and they had the top of the lineup coming up. Justin has the kind of stuff to shut them down."

The right-handed Ogasawara faced Sampson, who sacrificed the runner to second, Ogasawara struck out Shane Shimizu before he walked Takahama. Ogasawara then struck out Kainoa Ganancial to end the game, stranding the tying run on second.

"Koa battled today," Hirayama said. "He probably didn't have his best stuff, but we talk to these guys, ‘You know, you're not always going to have you're best stuff, but you have to learn how to compete.' I mean, how many guys you know are going to throw a no-no (no-hitter)…He did a great job getting us to the seventh."

Although he admittedly wasn't sharp, Eastlack was able mix his pitches well when runner were on base, which was all but the fourth when he retired the side in order.

"My stuff wasn't' really working today," he said. "But I was able to work through it, just find out what would work…My fastball was fine today. My curveball was off and on. Sometimes I had trouble with my mechanics. Changeup, same thing."

Sampson also pitched well for the Sabers. Except for the second inning when he gave up the run on three hits and the fifth when he was saved by the triple play, Sampson was effective with his breaking pitches to contain the Trojans. He managed to frustrate No. 3 hitter Kaimana Paaluhi-Souza, getting the Trojans' slugger to pop to shortstop, lineout softly to second and fly out to center.

"He competes," Campbell coach Rory Pico said of Sampson, one of a number of first-year starters on the team. "He might miss a pitch or two, but he has a tendency to come back and make a good pitch. He throws more than one pitch for strikes. Against a lineup like (Mililani's) you have to have more than one pitch. Throughout the preseason, he was one of the more consistent guys."

Sampson was a good match for the fastball-hitting Trojans. He started off hitters with breaking pitches and spotted a fastball.

"He kept them to two runs," Pico said. "He did a good job."

Unlike last year's Sabers, who had good hitter top down, this edition has to scrap. Campbell stole six bases, including third base twice, and had two caught stealing. Jordan Macias, who batted 2 for 3, had three steals. Ganancial had two steals and courtesy runner Darien Robinson had one.

"We knew coming in it would be tough to score against these guys," Pico said. "They have a solid defense, too. We knew we had to be aggressive. That's why we were over-aggressive on the bases."

Pico added that his team had to steal third because with Mililani's outfield arms "base hit is not guarantee scoring,"

The Trojans did all their scoring in the second. Aris Nakagawa led off with a single, took second on Ryan Kono's sacrifice, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on Siracusa's triple to right-center. Siracusa scored on Keolu Ramos' single. After Ramos was caught stealing second, Kirihara grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sabers scored in the sixth. Macias led off with a single and Justin Fernandez struck out. Macias then stole second and third on successive pitches before Bronson Burr fanned. Markus Ramos' single off the third baseman scored Macias with Campbell's only run before pinch runner Charles Monell was caught stealing to end the frame.