Home runs and history were the two themes for the Mililani softball team, which repeated as the HHSAA Division I softball champion with a 10-7 win over Maryknoll on Friday at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
The Trojans won their fifth title in school history and had never repeated as state champions until Friday.
"It's very emotional," head coach Rose Antonio said. "We made history. We never did a repeat, back-to-back champs. It feels so good. I'm so very proud of our team and my coaches."
The Trojans broke the game open with five runs on four hits in the third inning. A reverberating solo home run from Oklahoma commit Jerrell "Ori" Mailo helped the Trojans gain separation, while a grand slam from Kodie Ancheta broke the game open.
"We're disciplined at the plate, and that's what you ask of them," Antonio said. "Look for their ball to hit, and that's what they did. They practiced that."
"It's just a proud feeling for everybody, and just being able to trust everybody and what they could do, and just taking in the moment that this is my last ride with all of them," added Mailo, a high school junior who is set to enroll early at Oklahoma next spring.
Mililani, which finished the year 15-1 overall, had to defeat a trio of ILH teams in Kamehameha, Punahou and Maryknoll in consecutive days to win it all.
"You gotta play the best to be the best," Antonio said. "ILH is a tough league. You gotta take what's given to you. Every game, they're all tough games, and it's hard. State tournament is a tough competition. You gotta play your very best. At times you get some blunders, but then, hey, you know what? They dug deep, they persevered and fought and they accomplished what they did today."
In the Division II championship game, Kapa‘a held on to defeat Pearl City 7-5.
The Warriors fell behind 3-0 in the third inning but rallied to take home their second state title in a row and third in four years.
"Happy for this group of girls," Kapa‘a head coach Blair Yamashita said after the game. "We tried to make it a point that last year's team was last year's team. This team has its own identity, and nothing's going to be given to us. No one's gonna just roll over for us, and we're gonna have to battle each time we go out on the field, everyone's gonna give us their best shot, which Pearl City did tonight. We're happy that we came out on top."
Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
