Kiani Telles batted 3 for 3, including an RBI single that was part of a three-run sixth inning as the visiting Sabers battled past the Hurricanes to stay unbeaten. CJ Caraang | SL

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KAPOLEI — Campbell softball coach Shag Hermosura had an inclination to insert Kiani Telles into the starting lineup Monday and the move paid off.

Telles, a senior left fielder, batted 3 for 3 at the plate with a triple, RBI and a run scored and Danielle Cervantes struck out six in a complete-game effort to lead top-ranked Campbell to a 4-2 win over fourth-ranked Kapolei at the Hurricanes' home field.

The Sabers improved to 6-0 to remain atop the standings of the Oahu Interscholastic Association's Division I West. Kapolei fell to 4-2.

Campbell took an early 1-0 lead after the first inning then allowed a pair of runs by the Hurricanes in the third before rallying with three runs on four hits in the top of the sixth.

The first two batters in the inning — clean-up hitter Elisa Favela and fifth-hitter Caragh Morris — hit back-to-back singles before a sacrifice bunt by Darien Robinson put both base runners in scoring position for Telles, who laid a bunt down along the first base line on a squeeze play.

"I just wanted to bunt it to first base, because I know it's a harder flip from first to home and they wouldn't expect us to squeeze with runners in scoring position," Telles said.

Pinch runner Chloe Domingo, who was running for Favela, scored on the play to tie it at 2. Two batters later, ninth batter Cieana Curran hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield that allowed Morris to tag up and score from third. Telles ended up coming on Chardonnay Pantastico's two-out RBI infield single.

"We kind of tweaked the lineup today," Hermosura said. "I wanted to try something else, so we moved Elisa back up to the four spot and we didn't start (Sierra) Mariano because Kiani Telles at practice has been coming along well and we just wanted to see her out on the field and she did good. She executed the squeeze — that was great. She's a senior that has been wanting to play and I gave her the opportunity."

The Sabers sent eight batters to the plate in the frame and were aided by one walk and a Kapolei error in the sixth inning.

Telles was making her third start of the season. She has been platooning with Mariano in left field, but did not play in the Sabers' 5-0 win over then-No. 2 Mililani Tuesday.

"This is the first year I'm actually playing a lot," said Telles, who has been on the varsity team since her freshman season. "I've been working hard to show what I've got."

Cervantes was overpowering early on — she struck out the side in the bottom of the first and five of the first seven batters she faced — and settled down nicely after allowed the Hurricanes' only two runs on Sadie Kapaku-You's two-out, bloop single in the third inning.

"She came back," Hermosura said of Cervantes, a junior right-hander. "She was strong, she hit her spots real well. The hits she gave up, to me, weren't mistake pitches, so I liked what she did today."

Cervantes did well to get ahead in the count against Kapolei's hitters. She threw first-pitch strikes to 22 of the 27 batters she faced and retired 12 of the final 14 Hurricanes, including the last seven to end the game.

"We didn't take advantage of it when it was early in the count," Kapolei coach Tony Saffery said. "I think the times when she came in the zone we didn't take advantage of it and all of a sudden we were behind in the court or we started chasing pitches out of the zone."

Cydney Curran and Elisa Favela also paired hits for the defending D1 state champion Sabers. Curran scored the first run of the game on Favela's RBI single past shortstop in the top of the first inning.

Sadie Kapaku-You went the distance in the circle and allowed 10 hits with two walks and one strikeout for the ‘Canes.

"For the most part she did a great job against that bunch because that bunch can swing the bat and they can hurt you so our game plan was to try our best to keep them off the bases," Saffery said.

Hermosura praised Kapaku-You's effort from the opposing dugout.

"Sadie threw a hell of a game," Hermosura said. "She kept our team off balance. Actually we hit the ball where she wanted us to hit the ball. She hit her spots real well, change of speed, but throughout the whole game she kept us really off balanced. You can't take away nothing from Sadie, she's a good pitcher and this Kapolei team is a good team; they always come out and give us a hell of a battle."

The game was originally scheduled for last Friday at Patsy T. Mink/Central Oahu Regional Park, but was postponed due to heavy rains earlier that day that resulted in unplayable field conditions.