Campbell offense erupts early to smother Kapolei, win OIA championship
By Wes Nakama
The "real" Campbell softball team stood up in a huge way Saturday night, erupting for six runs in the top of the first inning and never looking back for a stunning 19-1 rout of Kapolei for the Sabers' second OIA championship in four years.
A spirited crowd at McKinley and statewide TV audience watched Dalexy Sanchez go 3 for 4 with two home runs -- including a first-inning grand slam -- to lead a 17-hit attack as Campbell improved to 11-5 overall and earned the league's top seed and first-round bye in the DataHouse/HHSAA State Championships set for May 5-8 at the University of Hawai'i's Rainbow Wahine Stadium. Kapolei fell to 9-4 and will begin state tournament play in the first round on May 5.
Campbell finished third in the OIA Western Division, but defeated East runner-up Kalani, 13-6, at Kilauea District Park in Thursday's league quarterfinals, then stunned defending champion Mililani, 6-4, in nine innings at McKinley late Friday night.
"That was definitely a rough start (in the OIA West) for us, (we're) not used to it, but I'm just proud of these girls, with their fight and just the response to the setbacks," said first-year Sabers coach Katie Epenesa. "It wasn't easy, having to show up every day after (losses) ... but the way they responded was just beautiful. These girls work hard on and off the field, but it wasn't showing on the field. So as a coaching staff, we had to figure out how we can reach these girls and meet them halfway. And it worked."
It certainly did Saturday night, as Campbell sent 10 batters to the plate in the top of the first inning, taking a 2-0 lead after a run-scoring single to left by Kaira Sakai and bases loaded walk to Keyra Moses-Fuller. Then Sanchez, a left fielder batting seventh, came to the plate with the bases full and one out.
"Any time there's runners on, I'm just looking gap to gap, nothing big, especially because I'm not usually a home run hitter, so I was just looking to get on or put the ball in play for my team to score," said Sanchez, a senior who bats right. "But I've seen (starter) Maya (Jelf) before, I think this is like my third or fourth time seeing her this season, so I knew what I was looking for already. And she gave me what I was looking for, which was a low inside fastball."
Sanchez drove it high and deep over the field fence, scoring all four runs to give the Sabers a 6-0 lead.
"We ran into a buzzsaw today, you gotta tip your cap to them, they hit the ball, they came to play and outplayed us in basically every aspect of the game," Hurricanes coach Enson Queypo said. "We didn't play the way that we are capable of playing, but on the same token, you cannot take away from what they did. For us, it's a learning experience."
Kapolei closed it to 6-1 in the bottom half of the first after loading the bases and Skyla Saito scoring on an infield error with two outs. But the runners were left stranded later on the same play after a runner was caught between third base and home plate, and tagged out.
Campbell got a run back in the top of the third, on Sanchez's solo home run blast over the same fence in left field to make it 7-1.
Then came the 10-run explosion in the top of the fifth, when the Sabers strung together seven hits, two walks, two hit batters and one error. Taileen Asoau's grand slam was the major blow.
"Once they start passing the bat, it really is contagious," Epenesa said. "Throughout the season, we just couldn't find that. I'm just happy that we're peaking at the right time."
In the bottom of the fifth, Campbell starter Lily Perreira set down the Hurricanes in order with a groundout and two fly balls to complete the four-hitter after five innings due to the 10-run rule.
Despite the impressive run through the OIA playoffs, Epenesa said the Sabers will hit the re-set button once again in preparation for a run at the state championship.
"The job is not done yet," Epenesa said. "I told the girls, 'We have 24 hours to enjoy this win. And after that, we flush it, because everything is zero-zero going into States, it's the best of the best. We just gotta work.' "