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WAIPIO-Campbell could do no wrong in defending its Oahu Interscholastic Association Red softball title Friday night.

The Sabers scored the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth inning on a botched squeeze play then watched Kapolei's game-tying home run reversed to an out in the bottom of the frame in a bizarre 4-3 win at Patsy T. Mink Central Oahu Regional Park.

Kapolei (12-3) committed an uncharacteristic five errors, three of them accounting for three of Campbell's four runs. Campbell (11-5), not making leather fashionable either with four errors, made enough big plays to keep the pitchers' duel close.

As league champion, the Sabers will earn one of the first-round byes for the Division I state tournament May 2 to 5 at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium at the University of Hawaii-Manoa.

The dramatics started in the bottom of the seventh. Trailing 3-2 and down to their last out, the Hurricanes tied the game on Mikela Manewa's solo home run to left center off Campbell starter Summer Palipti.

But the Sabers regained the lead in the top of the eighth. Kawehi Kahana led off by hitting a pop up near home plate. But the ball clipped catcher Aimee Aipa's glove in fair territory and deflected into foul ground, allowing Kahana to reach second. Taylor Hoohuli's sacrifice moved Kahana to third. On an 0-1 pitch, Palipti missed a bunt attempt with Kahaha coming down the third base line. The catcher's throw to third was low and bounced into left field, allowing Kahana, who dove back to third, to get up and score to break the deadlock. Pauline eventually struck out Palipti and got Nashlyn Anguay to foul out to third to end the inning.

Kapolei thought lightning had struck twice when Ashalyn Umiamaka drilled a fly to deep center. Campbell center fielder Jessica Arata reached up to make the catch, bringing down the soft-plastic fence. The umpire initially signaled home run, emptying a jubilant Kapolei bench to greet Umiamaka.

But Campbell's first-year coach Michael Hermosura appealed with the umpires that since Arata caught the ball, it should be an out.

"The umpire said when Jessica went back, she had pushed the fence back (with her momentum) and caught it and went over," Hermosura said. "But I said it's a catch and carry thing. I asked for a clarification and the umpires got together and I'm glad they made the right call."

After the umpires conferred, Umiamaka was ruled out, bringing Kapolei coach Tony Saffery out for an explanation.

"He said that (Arata's) foot was on the ground," Saffery said. "She made the catch. But I'm sorry, I disagree. What I saw, from what I've seen, hard fences, they knock the fence over, stand on the fence and make the catch, it's a home run. But this is a soft fence. I believe it sprung back, probably three feet and she was off the ground, sprung back three feet, so I thought it was a home run. He told me her foot was still in the field of play."

Coincidently, the same type of play happened for Campbell in last year's OIA title game against Kailua. Left fielder Daylene Antonio made a similar catch in knocking over the hard plastic fence to rob the Surfriders of a homer; the umpires called the out with no hesitation.

"I was still standing on the field when I fell over," said Arata, adding she remembered Antonio's catch. "I was scared when they (signaled) 'home run.' Oh, gosh."

With one out, Palipti got Kanaiaupuni Smith to pop out to third before Rachel McKean reached on an error. But Elizabeth Tuason grounded out to third to end the game.

It was a heart-breaking loss for the Hurricanes, the Western Division champions who were looking for their first title since 2005. Pauline pitched brilliantly, tossing a three-hitter, one being a popped up bunt single, and striking out 13. Sans the errors, her first-inning two-run homer would have been the difference.

But it wasn't the case.

The Sabers tied the game at 2 in the top of the third playing small ball. Kayce Konohia was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Arata's sacrifice moved Konohia to second, but first baseman Kacee Navarro's throw sailed into right field, allowing both runners to score.

"Uncharacteristic," Saffery said. "We threw away that bunt that scored two runs. We failed on defending that squeeze play."

Kahana broke the tie with her two out, solo homer to left center, only to see the Hurricanes tie it on Manewa's seventh-inning solo shot in the same area.

"We just had to pick ourselves up," Palipti said about giving up the home run. "We just had to come back, keep fighting."

But Palipti battled out of trouble at times. She had runners at second and third with one out when she got McKean to pop out to her for the second out.

"I jammed her inside, (tried) to keep it on the hands," said Palipti, who finished the inning by striking out Tuason.

Similarly, the Sabers made four errors behind Palipti. But unlike Pauline, the Sabers also made good plays to keep them from costing Palipti the game.

*Antonio caught deep fly to left off the bat of Pauline then doubled up Manewa trying to advance from second base on a swipe tag by third baseman Kahana in the third inning.

*Second baseman Sharae Esprecion gunned a runner out at home with second and third with one out in the fourth inning.

*First baseman Hoohuli made a diving stop of a low liner toward the foul line.

*Right fielder Nashlyn Anguay made a long running catch in foul ground in the sixth.

*Arata made the controversial catch in center to prevent a home run.

Kahana was named OC16's Player of the Game for her performance. She scored Campbell's last two runs, the first on her homer and the go-ahead one after she reached on an error. She also made a defensive play that saved a possible extra-base hit. Her diving stop on the third-base line resulted in a single for Umiamaka, who likely would've scored from second or third on Smith's single.

"We made a lot of plays, but we made a lot of mistakes," Hermosura said. "But I tell the kids, let's come out and play, have fun and leave everything we have on the field. Whatever the outcome is, let's just be happy."

It was Campbell's fourth overall OIA title. It entered the tournament as the Western Division's fourth seed, while Kapolei was the division's top seed.