In its first DataHouse/HHSAA Softball Division I State Championships appearance since 1999, Roosevelt survived a three-run seventh-inning rally by Sacred Hearts yesterday and held on for a 5-4 quarterfinal victory.

The No. 2 seed and O'ahu Interscholastic Association champ Rough Riders (15-1) will face No. 3 seed and Maui Interscholastic League champ Baldwin (14-0) in today's 5 p.m. semifinal at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

The game will be televised live statewide on OC16.

Roosevelt led 5-1 entering the bottom of the seventh, but Joslyn Eugenio slammed an opposite field, bases-loaded double to left field with two outs to make it 5-4.

Starting pitcher Lianna Bajarin then induced a comebacker to the mound and threw to first to end the game.

"I was good," Bajarin said, when asked if she was a bit nervous with the tying run at second base. "I got (the last batter) out the last two times up. I just had to hold on to the ball and make a good throw to first."

Rough Riders coach Clay Okamura, who opted not to pay a mound visit after Eugenio's double, also had confidence in Bajarin finishing the job.

"She was all right," he said.

Roosevelt took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning on Cierra Kapea's two-out, two-run single to left field, but the Lancers (6-10) made it 2-1 in the third on Laura Abellanida's two-out RBI single to right.

The Rough Riders then stretched the lead to 5-1 in the fifth, after Kamalei Pitoy's two-run single to left and Macy Frank's sacrifice fly.

Sacred Hearts out-hit Roosevelt 8-7, but committed five errors to the Rough Riders' one.

"We lost the game on defense, not on offense," Lancers coach Wade Okamura said. "We gave away too much, and we couldn't make it up."

ROOSEVELT (15-1) 020 030 0—5 7 1

SAC. HEARTS (6-10) 001 000 3—4 8 5

Lianna Bajarin and Lindsay Takekawa. Joslyn Eugenio and Kaicha Brunn. W — Bajarin. L — Eugenio.

Leading hitters — Roosevelt: Charisse Tanabe 2-4; Kamalei Pitoy 2 RBIs. Sacred Hearts: Raecha-Ann Kauahikaua 2 runs; Chelsea Kamai 2-4; Laura Abellanida 2-3; Eugenio double, 3 RBIs.