Campbell senior designated player Elisa Favela looks on after hitting a booming 2-run homer to give the Sabers the go-ahead score. Michael Lasquero | SL

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Campbell senior second baseman Cydney Curran makes a throw to first base. Michael Lasquero | SL

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For the first 15 innings of Campbell's state tournament run, Danielle Cervantes did not allow a run by the opposition.

When the Sabers' ace ran into some trouble in the middle innings of Thursday night's semifinal against Mililani, her teammates were there to pick her up.

Facing a 2-1 deficit after the Trojans plated the go-ahead run in the top of the fifth inning, Campbell answered with four runs over the next two innings with mostly seniors leading the way.

The Sabers catapulted back ahead on Elisa Favela's soaring two-run home run that bounced off the top of a pole (about 30 feet high) in the bottom of the fifth. Scoring on the play was Jocelyn Alo, who doubled to the opposite field on the sixth pitch she saw from Mililani pitcher Aubree Kim in her at-bat.

"Elisa had to get into the plate and wait for that pitch," Campbell coach Shag Hermosura said. "That was a shot, but honestly, I think she didn't know. I think she just hit the ball. I asked her, 'How did it feel?' She said, 'It felt like I didn't even touch the ball.' I told her, 'You hit the top of the pole, so good for you.' "

Favela hit a towering grand slam off of Kim in last year's state title game, which Campbell won by a score of 16-4. She had been Campbell's ace pitcher each of the past two seasons, but has seen limited innings this year behind Cervantes, who struck out nine and walked none in another complete-game effort Thursday. Hermosura said he was happy to see Favela, a First Team All-Hawaii selection last year, continue to contribute for the Sabers — albeit in a somewhat different role.

"Before the game I talked to her and I know she was a disappointed and I think she still wants the ball (Friday) night, but she's a competitor and she just wants to help the team win in any way she can," Hermosura said.

The Sabers added to their lead in the sixth inning on another long ball. This time it was senior second baseman Cydney Curran who lined a two-run homer just over the right field fence and scored her younger sister Cieana.

"Cyd's was on an inside pitch," Hermosura said. "They were feeding her outside and then she knew they had to come inside to change her eyes and she was disciplined enough to put the ball on the ball and just so happens it went out."

Campbell scored a run in the first inning on Favela's RBI ground out, but left the bases loaded.

It did little to deter them.

"We were kind of down, but we knew that we had a lot more game to go and we had to just push hard until the end," said Curran, who will play for Cal State Bakersfield next year.

Cervantes, a junior, certainly did her part. She struck out nine Trojans and walked none in her third complete-game effort in as many nights. She had just one three-ball count all night Thursday.

"Dani did great; She did a helluva job," Favela said. "Whether they hit off of her or not, we backed her up and she did good."

Now the Sabers (17-1) will get a crack at a second straight Division I state title — a feat that hasn't been achieved since Mid-Pacific won back-to-back crowns in 2011 and 2012 — when they face rival Kapolei Friday night.

"It's an amazing feeling, especially how it's my senior year with all my other girls," Favela said. "It's our senior year and it's just a great feeling because it's our last year at our high school and we just want to come out strong."

First pitch between Campbell and Kapolei is set for 7 p.m. Friday at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.