Campbell pitcher Summer Palipti throws a pitch in the first inning against Kapolei. Greg Yamamoto | SL

Purchase image 1 of 3

Campbell's Chardonnay Pantastico scored in a wild run down between third and home against Kapolei. Greg Yamamoto | SL

Purchase image 2 of 3

Campbell third baseman Kawehi Kahana connects with a Kapolei pitch for a two-run home run in the second inning. Greg Yamamoto | SL

Purchase image 3 of 3

WAIPIO – Summer Palipti pitched a nearly perfect game and Kawehi Kahana provided all the offense needed to lead Campbell to a 10-0 win over Kapolei in the championship game of the Oahu Interscholastic Association Red Conference Tournament Saturday.

An estimated crowd of 400 spectators at Patsy T. Mink Central Oahu Regional Park saw the Sabers (10-5) capture their third consecutive league crown and fifth in school history.

“For these young girls and this young team, to have the community and administration supporting us all year, it's a great feeling, but we've still got a long way to go,” Campbell coach Shag Hermosura said.

Palipti, a senior right-hander, faced just one more the minimum amount of batters in a game shortened due to the 10-run differential mercy rule. Palipti did not allow a hit and gave up just one walk in five innings of work. She struck out two Kapolei batters and effectively ended the game with her two-out, RBI double in the bottom of the fifth.

“We just had to keep doing what we've been doing and just work hard during practice and in school,” said Palipti, who improved to 7-4 on the year. “During practice, we've worked on all the little things like hitting, fielding, everything and it just worked out in the end.”

Kahana, a junior third baseman, reached base in all three at-bats. She belted a two-run home run in the second inning to get Campbell on the board and broke the game open an inning later with a grand slam.

“Those two girls grew up together and they feed off of each other,” Hermosura said of Palipti and Kahana. “Summer had a no-no and Kawehi backed her up with the home runs that she hit and all the defensive plays she made. They're returnees and they knew what was at stake. They worked together and led this team to victory tonight.”

Kahana said there were no nerves from the Sabers prior to the game.

“These TV games are not pressure anymore, because we've been here before,” said Kahana, who also reached on an error in the fourth inning. “It's just another game."

Kapolei starting pitcher Kacee Navarro allowed nine earned runs on eight hits, but struck out nine Campbell batters.

Navarro struck out the side in the bottom of the first inning, but Nashlynn Anguay reached on an error to leadoff the second. Kahana, the Sabers' fifth batter, followed by belting a 1-2 high fastball well over the left centerfield fence.

Chardonay Pantastico walked to leadoff the Campbell third inning and advanced to second on a single by Tiana Rosario. Palipti then walked on four pitches to load the bases, but after a ball in the dirt to Caragh Morris, Pantastico was caught in a run down between third and home. However, a Kapolei error allowed her to score and put runners on second and third. Morris then singled to short right to again load the bases and Anguay walked to plate Rosario to extend the Sabers' lead to 4-0.

Kahana was the next batter and after three pitches in the dirt, she crushed a 3-0 inside pitch over the fence in left center to make it 8-0.

“The first (home run) was inside, the second was right down the middle,” said Kahana, who hit a solo homer in last year's OIA title game. “It was 3-0 and coach said to take one, but how can you take one when it's right there? We're probably going to have a long talk at practice about that.”

Hermosura said Kahana has battled to break out of a rough stretch.

“Kawehi's been in a slump for a while and we've been working with her, trying to get her to stay inside the ball and get a violent turn on the backside and just keep her head down,” Hermosura said.

In the Campbell fifth inning, Morris hit a two-out single to short centerfield, advanced to second on a wild pitch and came around to score following back-to-back fielding errors by Kapolei.

Palipti sealed the win an inning later with her RBI double that plated Cydney Curran, who tripled to leadoff the bottom fifth.

“Every game, she just duels out there and it's not only for her, but she does it for her school and the team,” Kahana said of Palipti.

The teams split two regular-season meetings earlier this year. Kapolei beat Campbell, 6-3, back on March 14, but Campbell avenged the loss with a 9-4 win two weeks ago. The game was a rematch of last year's OIA Red title game, which Campbell won by a score of 4-3.

The Sabers were the West's No. 2 seed and after an opening-round bye, beat Pearl City, 6-3, in a quarterfinal game Thursday and topped Waipahu by the same score in Friday's semifinal round.

Kapolei (9-7), the fifth seed out of the West, saw its three-game win streak snapped. The Hurricanes beat Roosevelt, 8-6, in a first-round game Wednesday, then held off Mililani, 6-3, in Thursday's quarterfinal round before besting Leilehua, 6-3, in a semifinal game Friday. Kapolei was seeking its third OIA championship and first since 2005.

The Hawaii High School Athletic Association/DataHouse Division I Softball State Championships will be held May 7-10 at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.