Campbell junior pitcher Danielle Cervantes pitched a complete game one-hitter with eight strikeouts and just two walks against Pearl City. CJ Caraang | SL

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EWA BEACH – It's not the news opponents in the Oahu Interscholastic Association Western Division want to hear, but the future is looking bright for the top-ranked Campbell softball team.

Underclassmen set the table in a five-run fifth inning to back the one-hit pitching of junior Danielle Cervantes and the host Sabers beat No. 2 Mililani, 5-0, Tuesday.

It may be early in the season and the two will meet again April 23 at Mililani, but it was still considered a big win for the Sabers (5-0), as the Trojans (4-1) fell a game behind in the West standings.

"This is a big win," Campbell coach Shag Hermosura said. "Knowing what happened last year in the state (tournament), I tell the girls, everybody practices, work hard when they play us. We're not the elite team. We're just the team that did good last year. Throughout the summer, everybody knows each other. They come out to play us. We gotta out-play them. We cannot have the team complacent."

The importance is not lost on Trojans' coach Rose Antonio

"Every game is a big game, especially on the West side," she said.

Cervantes took a no-hitter into the seventh and retired the first two batters she faced. But Tristan Cozo drilled a hanging changeup over the plate for a single to center before Cervantes retired Markie Okamoto on a harmless fly to left to end the game.

"Danielle threw her heart out," Hermosura said. "She wanted this game. A little nervous at the beginning, but I knew she would throw the pitches I was calling, except for that last one. That changeup was supposed to be way outside…She threw a hell of a game today."

Cervantes said she was aware of the no-hitter entering the seventh.

"When he (coach Hermosura) called the change, I just didn't hit my spot," Cervantes said. "Yeah, I knew (of the no-hitter)."

Cervantes, who struck out eight, had four perfect innings. She allowed two walks in the fourth, but worked out of that jam to keep the game scoreless. In the top of the sixth, third baseman Darien Robinson rushed her throw to first that went wild, allowing Brooke Yasuda to reach on a two-base throwing error. Still, Cervantes escaped unscathed. No Mililani runner reached third base.

"She was hitting her spots and executing what her coaches were calling," Antonio said of Cervantes.

Hermosura noted Cervantes' curveballs were especially effective.

Cervantes and Trojans' starter Aubrey Kim were engaged in a scoreless pitching duel for four innings. But in the bottom of the fifth, freshman Trinity Favela beat out a single to shortstop and took second when junior Cieana Curran grounded a single to left.

After Sissy Pantastico popped out to second, the lefty-hitting Cydney Curran doubled to left to score Favela and send her sister to third. Jocelyn Alo walked to load the bases for Trinity's sister, Elisa Favela, who homered twice against Mililani in last year's state title game. The power-hitting Elisa then dropped a textbook bunt about 15 feet up the first base line to squeeze home Cieana to make it 2-0. Elisa, a senior who reached on the single to reload the bases, said it was the first time she had bunted in her high-school career.

Caragh Morris' flare single down the right-field line scored two more to make it 4-0; Elisa went to third and Morris took second on the throw back to the infield. After Sierra Mariano bunted a liner back to the pitcher for the second out, Robinson was hit b a pitch to load the bases. Elisa then scored on a wild pitch before Trinity flied out to center to end the inning.

Losing pitcher Aubree Kim was effective most of the game, but just could not extinguish the fire in the Sabers' five-run fifth. Kim pitched out of a jam in the second when Mariano tripled with one out, but struck out the next two batters to end the threat. Kim was charged with five runs (all earned), eight hits and three walks with six strikeouts in six innings.

The senior Sabers were pleased to see their younger siblings contribute. Campbell lost only three position players to graduation from its state championship team. Kahuku transfer Jocelyn Alo fills the void at catcher left by Kiana Ulufale, but Trinity Favela (right field) and Cieana Curran (center field) replace Ashlyn Yagin and two-time All-Hawaii center fielder Nashlynn Anguay.

"Whether they're young or not, if you can play, you can play," Elisa Favela said of the younger girls in the lineup. "I was proud of them, the young girls."

"I think they're going to good next year," said Cydney Curran, who batted 2 for 3. "They're playing good right now."