Mililani Maya Saneishi rounds third and heads for home to scoring the tying run in the bottom of the seventh against Campbell. Steve Erler | Special to SL

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MILILANI — Merilis Rivera drove in the game-winning run on a walk off double that scored Tracie Okumura in the bottom of the seventh to lift Mililani to a 6-5 win over Campbell Tuesday afternoon.

The Trojans, who are ranked third in the ScoringLive/OC16 Softball Power Rankings, improved to 5-0 to move into sole possession of first place in the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I West before a home crowd of about 125 fans. The second-ranked Sabers suffered their first loss of the year to fall to 4-1.

Mililani battled back from a 4-0 deficit to tie it in the bottom of the sixth inning only to see Campbell regain the lead in the top of the seventh before it rallied with two runs in the bottom of the frame.

"This was the biggest win for us all season and we're going to keep working hard and keep preparing for upcoming games," said Rivera, a sophomore third baseman.

Shannon Stanton's RBI single in the bottom of sixth got the Trojans within a run of the Sabers. Markie Okamoto followed with a sacrifice fly that plated the tying run in Tristan Cozo.

"That was like second life," said Stanton, who batted 3 for 3 with a double. "I knew my team would come back. Even after (Campbell) scored (in the top of the seventh), I knew we would at least score one and that would bring us back again. I have a lot of confidence in my team."

Campbell went ahead 5-4 in the next half inning when Nikki Corla reached base on an infield single and scored on a Mililani fielding error. However, Aubree Kim got out of the jam with her fifth strikeout of the game to strand a pair of runners.

"Aubree did a heck of a job," Rivera said. "She's been holding it down for us each and every game and so when she struggles we struggle as a team, but then we pick ourselves up and pick Aubree up whenever we can. We've got her back and she's got ours."

After a flyout to start the bottom of the seventh, Kylie Bello singled to center before being replaced by pinch runner Maya Saneishi. Saneishi scored the tying run on a double to the gap in right center by Kristen Ishii, who was 0 for 3 in her first three at-bats.

"She was hitting the ball all game and then she clutched up that one at-bat and really came through for us," Mililani coach Rose Antonio said of Ishii, the cleanup hitter.

Rivera took the first two pitches of her ensuing at-bat for balls before stroking a double to left field that plated Okumura — who was pinch running for Ishii — and ignited the Trojans' celebration.

"It was right there: down the middle," Rivera said of the offering from Sabers' pitcher Elisa Favela. "I was pretty calm, but I just was thinking to myself that I'm going to do it for my team and I'm going to score (Okumura) and I'm going to do my job as a player."

Favela allowed six runs — one of them unearned — on eight hits and struck out six, while walking one.

"We weren't getting that outside pitch like were earlier and we stayed outside and they made adjustments and they capitalized on our adjustments, but Elisa kind of missed a few spots that was kind of critical," Campbell coach Shag Hermosura said. "Just the type of game that we play, if you make one mistake — whether it's pitching, defense — it's going to cost you the game, but the umpire was fair to me. He was calling it both sides and they made adjustments on the outside pitch and hit the ball well."

The Sabers committed four uncharacteristic errors in the game, including a pair by the usually-steady duo of shortstop Chardonnay Pantastico and second Cydney Curran.

"That is a surprise that my middles made those kinds of mistakes, because they normally don't make those kinds of mistakes," Hermosura said. "When there were men on first and second and there was a bunt to our third baseman (in the bottom of the sixth inning) and we didn't get that out, that kind of turned things around at that point, to me."

Pantastico and Favela each paired hits at the plate for Campbell.

Kim went the distance for Mililani and surrendered five runs on seven hits. She struck out five batters and walked five.

Campbell sent nine batters to the plate in the second inning and scored four runs on three hits, including a two-run single by Sierra Mariano.

Mililani scored single runs in the bottom of the fourth and fifth innings to get within 4-2.

"I thought it was going to be a pitching duel," Antonio said. "We were down early and it's hard when you're down 4-0, but our kids never gave up, they kept fighting and it was still early yet, so we tried to get one run at a time."

It was the first time the teams have met since Mililani beat Campbell, 2-1, in last year's Division I state championship game. The teams will play against on Apr. 18 at Patsy T. Mink Central Oahu Regional Park.