No. 2 Mililani uses late rally to edge Waipahu

Mililani's Kainoa Wilson heads to third base against Waipahu. Wilson was 2-for-2 with a double, 2 runs and 3 RBIs in the win Steve Erler | Special to SL

Mililani narrowly avoided its first loss of the season by scoring three seventh-inning runes to rally past host Waipahu, 7-5, Saturday at the Masa Yonamine Athletic Complex.

The Trojans, who are ranked second in the ScoringLive/OC16 Baseball Power Rankings, improved to 5-0, while the Marauders fell to 2-2 in the Oahu Interscholastic Association's Division I West.

Waipahu held a 5-4 lead after six innings, but Mililani sent seven batters to the plate in the top of the seventh. Kainoa Wilson drew a four-pitch, leadoff walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by teammate Adam Connell. The next two batters — Aris-Shea Nakagawa and Kaimana Souza-Paaluhi — both drew walks to load the bases. Two batters later, Ty DeSa singled to score the tying run in Wilson with two outs. Ryan Kono then lined a double to left field to bring in the go-ahead run in Nakagawa and Souza-Paaluhi.

Mililani scored three runs in the top of the second inning off an RBI single by Justice Nakagawa and a two-run double by Wilson.

Waipahu trailed 4-1 after the top of the fourth inning, but took the lead on a grand slam by Steven De Silva, who also had a double earlier in the game and drove in all five of his team's runs.

Starting pitcher Micah Chinen, who allowed five runs (three earned) on six hits in 6 innings, earned the win and Keolu Ramos, who pitched the seventh, notched the save.

Dustyn Mori pitched the final inning in relief of starter Anu Kaeka and took the loss for Waipahu.