Nawai Kaupe is all smiles after a solo shot in the top of the eighth inning to score the winning run for the Sabers. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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Nawai Kaupe (left) stands on first base next to brother Branden Kaupe (right) as she flashes a sign to the crowd after driving in two runs in the third inning. Spencer Honda | SL

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MANOA — Maui's state tournament magic lives on.

Just four days after its baseball team captured its first state championship in 35 years, its softball team kept the mojo going.

Nawai Kaupe's solo home run in the top of the eighth inning lifted Maui to a 6-5 win over No. 7 Leilehua in the opening round of the DataHouse/HHSAA Division I State Championships Wednesday afternoon.

The Sabers, who finished second in the Maui Interscholastic League, improved to 11-5 with the win and advanced to Thursday's quarterfinal round, where they will meet top-seeded Mililani at 4:30 p.m.

Kaupe, a University of Washington signee, batted 3 for 3 from the leadoff spot. The 5-foot-4 shortstop drove in three runs, drew a walk and scored twice.

"We're lucky that she comes up when we need her, but I mean, it's the whole team," Maui coach Mark Lau Hee said. "It's a team effort by the kids and the coaches. We've been working hard with these kids all this time."

The Sabers stretched their lead to 5-2 in the top of the sixth when Erin Prieto reached on an error, stole both second and third, before coming home on a wild pitch.

However, the Mules had an answer in the bottom of the sixth. They sent eight batters to the plate and scored three runs on four hits to pull even at 5-all.

Nawai Kaupe (left) stands on first base next to brother Branden Kaupe (right) as she flashes a sign to the crowd after driving in two runs in the third inning. Spencer Honda | SL    Purchase image

Leilehua got the potential winning run to third in the bottom of the seventh, but Maui pitcher Cira Bartolotti got leadoff hitter Brandi Leong to ground out on a come backer for the third out. Bartolotti, a sophomore right-hander, stranded 12 Mules on base, including eight in scoring position.

"It's just about focusing on the batter," Bartolotti said. "I wasn't worrying about the runners on bags. I was just trying to focus on the batter at the plate and just letting my defense work, and they really did. They really helped me out today."

Kaupe led off the top of the eighth and worked from behind in the at bat. She took the first pitch from Leilehua reliever Kaena Nistal for a strike, but got back to 2-1 before cranking the fourth pitch over the fence in left center to put the Sabers ahead for good.

"I honestly didn't know it was going to be gone," Kaupe said. "I thought it was a pop fly, but I just relied on Cira to have my back, so I was just looking for a base hit, not a home run."

Kaupe, who appeared in the state tournament in both her freshman and sophomore seasons with Baldwin, was responsible for Maui's first couple of runs in the game. Her two-run single in the top of the third gave her team its first lead.

"She was a big plus for us this year," Lau Hee said of Kaupe, who sat out her junior season due to league transfer rules. "She comes in clutch every single time. I mean, the game we needed to beat Baldwin to get here, it was the same thing. It came down to the ninth inning and she hit a two-run homer in that one, so she just comes in clutch."

Bartolotti went the distance in the circle to record the win. She scattered 10 hits with six strikeouts and six walks.

"She did awesome," Lau Hee said. "We kind of fine-tuned her a lot by the end of the season and she's kind of getting everything together now, but she did an awesome job. Both teams did an awesome job."

Nistal took over for starter Kamryn Kamakaiwi to start the sixth inning and took the loss. She allowed two runs, one earned, on one hit with four strikeouts and no walks.

Kamakaiwi gave up four runs on five hits in five innings of work. She walked one and struck out four and did not factor into the decision.

Leilehua, the fifth-place team out of the Oahu Interscholastic Association, fell to 11-6 and will face No. 6 Roosevelt in a consolation bracket game at 10 a.m. Thursday at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

Kaupe said the Sabers embraced the role of underdogs.

"Of course. The outer islands are the underdogs on Oahu and, you know, Oahu has amazing teams, but we can't do anything about that," Kaupe said. "This team is an amazing team. We rely on having a bonded team, but this team is family and we're so close. That's how we do what we do."

The Sabers' baseball team also finished as runners-up in the MIL — like their softball counterparts — but it won four games in as many days last week en route to just its second state crown in school history.

"That gave us some inspiration for the kids," Lau Hee said. "Hopefully we can keep it going."