Aiea's Kailie Alama celebrates after hitting a two-run home run in the fifth inning in Na Alii's win over Waimea. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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MANOA — Aiea scored early and often en route to a 12-2 thrashing of Waimea in a semifinal game of the DataHouse/Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division II Softball State Championships at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium Thursday afternoon.

Kailie Alama batted 3 for 3 and drove in five runs to lead Na Alii (13-2) to their 10th consecutive win and into Friday's 5 p.m. state final, where they will play unseeded Nanakuli, an 11-2 winner over Kamehameha-Hawaii in the other semifinal.

Aiea, the third seed in the 12-team tournament and Oahu Interscholastic Association champion, will be seeking its first softball state title in school history.

"Anytime you can get to the championship game, it's a big reward for the players for putting in all their hard work and efforts throughout the season, so we're looking for a dogfight out there, but I think for our players, I'm real proud of them and happy that they have this opportunity," Na Alii coach Alan Higuchi said.

Na Alii, who had a first-round bye Tuesday and were coming off a 9-3 win over Saint Francis in Wednesday's quarterfinal round, scored in all but one inning Thursday. They scored three runs in the first inning, two in the second, four in the third and three more in the fifth. The game was called after Poamai's Tuli's two-out double in the bottom of the fifth induced the 10-run mercy rule.

"I think anytime you can score early in the game, it's a good confidence-builder as far as getting momentum on your side, so I think anytime you can jump ahead it's great," Higuchi said.

Kayla Higuchi got the Aiea offense going in the first inning with an RBI double to score the game's first run in Vesi Liilii. Two batters later, Tess Tavale drove in Riley Tagawa with a sacrifice fly and Marie Patacsil scored on a pass ball. Higuchi batted 3 for 4 and scored twice, while Liilii went 2 for 3 at the plate and also scored twice.

Alama singled to drive in a pair of runs in the bottom of the second and also drove in a run in the third, one of four in the inning for Aiea. Liilii also had an RBI double in the frame, which saw nine players come to the plate.

"Me personally, I didn't really know much about (Waimea), but we just came and brought our ‘A' game, because we knew they could hit and we just needed to do our thing," said Alama, a senior catcher. "I just relaxed and I just gained confidence with myself and I just knew that it was a big game today and we just needed this."

Alama delivered another big hit in the form of a two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth.

"It feels good," Alama said. "We worked hard honestly in practices and with our coaches. Everyone has been committed to playing softball and doing anything and everything to back up our pitcher, which is Poamai Tuli, and it's just been a success because we've been working hard every day. It's been one hell of a ride."

Tuli, a sophomore right-hander allowed two runs on two hits. She struck out four and walked two in the win.

"Like what we expected, she fired strikes — hopefully our defense could make the plays — she hit her spots, so basically it was the same game plan for her," Higuchi said of Tuli.

Starlynn Ripley doubled and drove in one of Waimea's two runs in the game. Kiana Kamakea was the losing pitcher after allowing five runs on five hits in two innings of work. Deannalynn Tafiti threw the final 2 2/3 innings and allowed seven runs on eight hits.

Waimea, the No. 2 seed and Kauai Interscholastic Federation champion, saw its 11-game win streak snapped and will play Kamehameha-Hawaii in the 1 p.m. third-place game Friday.

Na Alii will next face a familiar foe in reigning two-time state champion Nanakuli, who they defeated 10-8 in eight innings just six days ago in the OIA title game.

"It's the same thing again: We've just got to come, bring our ‘A' game on offense and defense and we just need to hit and believe in ourselves that we can do it," Alama said.