The second-seeded Hurricanes (13-1) will play Punahou (13-3) in today's first semifinal at 6 p.m. No 1. seed Kamehameha (14-0-1) faces defending state champion Kailua (13-1-1) in the other semifinal at 8.

For Kapolei, a school in its fourth year of existence, it represents the first state semifinal in a marquee team sport. The Hurricanes won their first O'ahu Interscholastic Association softball title last week — the school's first league championship in a team sport.

"We want to make more history," said Kapolei pitcher Tajia Acierto, who tossed a four-hitter last night. "For the school, and especially for softball, we want to be in the first championship."

To get to today's semifinal, the Hurricanes had to overcome a tough Knights team which took fifth in the OIA. Acierto and Castle starter Lia Pedrina were locked in a 1-1 pitchers' duel for five innings, until Kapolei scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI single by Austi Paris, a run-scoring double by Malamaisaua Manuma and an RBI groundout by Valana Manuma.

Anita, a third Manuma sister, started the rally with a one-out triple to center field.

"Kapolei has got a good lineup; it was tough to keep them off the bases," Knights coach Jon Berinobis said.

The Hurricanes took a 1-0 lead in the first inning after leadoff batter Chaz Ebalaroza reached on an error, stole second, took third on a groundout and scored on another error with two outs.

Castle (12-3) tied it in the second inning when Stephanie Pane'e reached on an error to lead off, advanced to second on Stacy Yamada's sacrifice, took third on a wild pitch and scored on Audrey Ako's groundout.

But Acierto kept the Knights hitless until the fifth, and did not allow a Castle runner to reach third base until the seventh, when the Knights had runners on the corners with two out. But Acierto got a strikeout to end the game.

"That kind of team really forces you to earn it," Kapolei coach Tony Saffrey said of Castle. "Lia is one of those pitchers on the (OIA) East side that I have a lot of respect for, and she kept our batters in knots for five innings. And their hitters really made our defense work."

• CASTLE (12-3) 010 000 0 — 1 4 2
• KAPOLEI (13-1) 100 003 X — 4 4 1

Lia Pedrina and Tiani Mattos; Tajia Acierto and Jasmin Yoro. W — Acierto. L — Pedrina.

Leading hitters: Castle — Stacy Yamada 2-2. Kapolei — Anita Manuma triple; Malamaisaua Manuma double.

• KAMEHAMEHA 8, MILILANI 0: Brandi Peiler pitched a three-hitter with 10 strikeouts and no walks and went 3 for 4 with an RBI, and Kaulana Gould, Liane Horiuchi and Nicole Kalakau each had two hits to lead the Warriors to a quarterfinal win over the Trojans.

The Warriors took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on Peiler's run-scoring single and Kate Robinson's sacrifice fly, then made it 5-0 in the fourth on Emi Snow's RBI double and Horiuchi's two-run double. Kamehameha made it 8-0 in the sixth on Gould's run-scoring single and two Mililani errors.

• KAMEHAMEHA (14-0-1) 200 303 0 — 8 11 3
• MILILANI (12-3) 000 000 0 — 0 3 3

Brandi Peiler and Kaulana Gould; Dana Lee and Stacy Sakata. W — Peiler. L — Lee.

Leading hitters: Kamehameha — Peiler 3-4, RBI; Gould 2-4, RBI; Liane Horiuchi 2-5, double, 2 RBIs; Nicole Kalakau 2-4.

• Kailua 6, WaiAkea 0: Courtney Kessell pitched a no-hitter for the second straight game, striking out 14 and walking two, and Shyenne Hussey went 2-for-3 with a double and three RBIs to lead the Surfriders past the Warriors in a quarterfinal game.

Kailua took a 2-0 lead in the first inning after a Waiakea error and Alisha Vegas' run-scoring single. The Surfriders added a run in the fifth on Kessell's RBI single, then made it 6-0 an inning later after Hussey's bases-clearing double off the right field fence.

• WAIAKEA (9-2) 000 000 0 — 0 0 1
• KAILUA (13-1-1) 200 013 X — 6 (12) 0

Elise DuPonte and Dayne Wong; Courtney Kessell and Erin Guerrero, Natasha Fabinal-Duarte (7). W — Kessell. L — DuPonte.

Leading hitters: Kailua — Shyenne Hussey 2-4, double, 3 RBIs; Rusty Ann Borges 2-3.

• Punahou 13, Lahainaluna 0: Sarah Weisskopf and Taila Autele combined on a one-hitter and Gail Matsushima batted 4 for 4 with a double and four RBIs to lead the Buffanblu over the Lunas.

Lahainaluna's only hit was a single to right field by Audrey Chihara with one out in the third inning.

• PUNAHOU (13-3) 040 230 4 — 13 12 3
• LAHAINALUNA (16-2) 000 000 0 — 0 1 2

Sarah Weisskopf, Taila Autele (6) and Kaha Weir; Tiffany Nava, Desiree Sumajit (5), Nava (5) and Tasha Pagdilao. W — Weisskopf. L — Nava.

Leading hitters: Punahou — Gail Matsushima 4-4, double, 4 RBIs; Cristen Aona 2-4, triple, 4 RBIs; Weir 2-4, RBI; Adrienne Tanaka double, RBI.

• Pearl City 3, Kea'au 1: Corrie Nishikida pitched a one-hitter with five strikeouts and Marina Guzman went 2 for 3 with a triple to lead the Chargers past the Cougars in a consolation bracket game.

• KEA'AU (7-4) 100 000 0 — 1 1 0
• PEARL CITY (10-4-1) 000 102 X — 3 6 1

Ku'uipo Nihipali and Shayna Adviento; Corrie Nishikida and Noelle Hirahara. W — Nishikida. L — Nihipali.

Leading hitters: Kea'au — Adviento triple, RBI. Pearl City — Marina Guzman 2-3, triple, 2 RBIs; Corrie Nishikida 2-3.

• Baldwin 7, Waimea 1: Megan Tokeshi pitched a three-hitter and June Ann Lusk, Cheyna Tallant and Kai Sarmiento each had two hits to lead the Bears past the Menehunes in a consolation bracket game.

• BALDWIN (15-4) 320 020 0 — 7 10 4
• WAIMEA (11-2) 000 100 0 — 1 3 0

Megan Tokeshi and Sanoe Kekahuna; Lynette Perreira and Kodi Oyama. W — Tokeshi. L — Perreira.