HONOLULU — After Mililani’s Amber Aniya knocked a three-run homer over the left field wall in the top of the first inning, it looked as though the Trojans would make it an all-OIA West state semifinal with Waianae waiting and a 4-0 lead in hand.

The Kamehameha-Kapālama offense had other plans, scoring 11 unanswered runs after the top of the first to dispatch Mililani in the HHSAA softball state quarterfinals, 11-4.  

Mililani entered the game fresh off of an 11-1 run-rule win in five innings over Hilo in the opening round of the state tournament and picked up right where they had left off yesterday, as the first three batters reached for the Trojans. 

The Trojans handed the ball to top pitcher Makayla Pagampao with a 4-0 lead and confidence that quickly disappeared with KSK’s Mariah Antoque doubling down the left field line and a two-run homer following in the very next at-bat from Neveah Telles.

The Warriors offense would not stop there, using Kezia Lucas’ 10th homer of the year to tie the game, 4-4, with just one out in the bottom of the first. The immediate answer from Kamehameha seemed to stun the Trojans, as two more runs came around to score on an RBI single-E9 from KSK’s Loganne Cambra before the end of the inning. 

Kamehameha-Kapālama starter Kiani-Taylor Soller found better success in the top of the second, sitting down the Trojans in order.

KSK would add another run in the bottom half of the inning with a sacrifice fly to right field before both offenses went cold in the third inning. Both teams would have opportunities to capitalize on miscues from the opposing defense in the fourth, but Mililani would be held off the board in the top half of the inning.

Kamehameha didn’t want to waste their chance to pull away early. 

An error to start the bottom of the fourth turned into an RBI single for Jewels Hanawahine before a second error allowed two more runs to score for the Warriors, who extended their lead to 10-4 through four innings of play.

Both teams were unable to scratch runs across in the fifth inning, and Mililani’s offense continued to be missing in action again in the top half of the sixth. 

Kamehameha added an insurance run in their half of the sixth, tallying a pair of hits in the inning to increase their total to 13 on the evening and make the lead 11-4 as Mililani came to the plate in their last ups. 

The Trojans mustered a two-out double, but Soller got the final batter to ground out to shortstop and send the Warriors into the state semifinals tomorrow night against the Waianae Seariders at 7:00 p.m. HST at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. 

Pagampao went six innings in the loss, giving up 11 runs (8 ER) on 13 hits, walking just one batter and striking out a pair. Aniya led the Trojans’ offense with three runs batted in. Mililani drops into the 5th-place bracket and will take on Baldwin Thursday in the semifinal round at 2:00 p.m. HST at McKinley High School. 

KS-Kapālama’s Soller went seven innings, settling in after a rough first inning to shut down the Trojans’ batters the rest of the way. The right-handed pitcher gave up four runs, five hits and walked two while striking out two while earning her eighth win of the season.

The Warriors move on to the HHSAA Softball state semifinals Thursday when they will take on Waianae with a spot in the state championship on the line. The Seariders clinched their semifinal ticket earlier Wednesday, beating Baldwin, 15-2, in the day’s first quarterfinal game.