The Kaua'i softball team has made steady progress the past few years, and this year the Red Raiders are on the verge of their first state title.

Kaua'i scored five runs in the fifth inning to rally past Maryknoll, 6-4, yesterday in a semifinal of the DataHouse State Division II Championship at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

"This is a big win. We never expected to come this far, and I'm just so proud of the girls," said first-year Kaua'i head coach Darrell Borrero.

Kaua'i, the tournament's No. 2 seed, will play top-seeded Sacred Hearts for the title tonight at 6. Sacred Hearts beat Kamehameha-Hawai'i, 5-0, yesterday at Central O'ahu Regional Park.

In the 2005 Division I tournament, Kaua'i lost both games. Last year, the Red Raiders finished fifth in the DII tournament.

"It is wonderful," said winner pitcher Wailana Borrero. "We've been working so hard as a team. This is like the third year in a row and every year we've been progressing and getting better."

Kaua'i, the Kaua'i Interscholastic Federation champion, will attempt to become the second team from the Garden Isle to win a state softball title (Waimea in 1990).

Maryknoll, the Interscholastic League of Honolulu runner-up, took a 4-0 lead by scoring an unearned run in the first inning and three more in the fourth.

The Spartans could have had more, but they stranded eight runners over the first four innings, including six in scoring position.

Kaua'i's bats finally came alive in the five-run fifth when the Red Raiders sent eight batters to the plate and collected four hits against Ariel Silva.

Jori-Ann Jasper led off with a single to center and was sacrificed to second by Alyssa Carvalho.

Pinch-hitter Nicole Larue plated the Red Raiders' first run with an opposite-field triple to right.

Larue normally starts in center field, but Borrero decided to start Shereen Doi, who batted ninth.

"She has been our clutch hitter all year," said Borrero, who was a Red Raiders assistant the previous three seasons. "I gave my second-string outfielder a chance to play this game. She deserved it. I told (Larue) all game just be ready with the bat, and she came through."

Larue said: "Once the ball came, I let everything go and hit the ball."

Wailana Borrero, the coach's daughter, doubled in two runs, and scored the tying run on a throwing error by the catcher.

Clean-up hitter Samantha Koga squeezed in Jessica Iwata for the go-ahead run.

The Red Raiders (9-6) added a run in the seventh on a run-scoring single by Iwata.

"Hats off to Kaua'i," said Maryknoll coach John Uekawa. "They played a fabulous game ... kept on driving, kept on believing in themselves. I'm very happy for them."

Wailana Borrero pitched a six-hitter with four walks and one strikeout.

She said she used a fastball, curve, change-up, screwball and drop to keep the Spartans (7-11) off-balance.

Borrero, the coach, said he told his pitcher: "We're on O'ahu. You cannot dominate by throwing hard. You have to mix your pitches. The catcher (Koga) called a great game."

KAUA'I (9-6) 000 050 1 — 6 7 4

MARYKNOLL (7-11) 100 300 0 — 4 6 1

Wailana Borrero and Samantha Koga. Ariel Silva and Kimberly Okaneku. W — Borrero. L — Silva.

Leading hitters — Kaua'i: Randi Oketani 2 runs; Borrero double, 2 RBIs; Jessica Iwata 2-4; Krystal Ijima double; Nicole Larue triple. Maryknoll: Hillary Uekawa 2-3; Okaneku 2-4; Korie Higa 2-3.

Sacred Hearts 5, Kamehameha-Hawai'i 0: Joslyn Eugenio pitched a three-hitter and batted 3 for 4 with an RBI for the top-seeded Lancers at Central O'ahu Regional Park.

SACRED HEARTS (8-8) 210 200 0 — 5 7 2

KS-HAWAI'I (10-4) 000 000 0 — 0 3 4

Joslyn Eugenio and Chelsea Kamai. Angel Mahaulu, Courtney Poai (2) and Kozy Toriano. W — Eugenio. L — Mahaulu.

Leading hitters — Sacred Hearts: Kiane Dalit 2-5; Eugenio 3-4, RBI. KS-Hawai'i: Tabitha Eseroma 2-3.

QUARTERFINALS

Kamehameha-Hawai'i 7, Moloka'i 1: Courtney Poai pitched a complete game, and Angel Mahaulu homered and drove in two runs for the Warriors at Central O'ahu Regional Park.

(Note: Total hits and errors not available)

KS-HAWAI'I (10-3) 023 110 0 — 7

MOLOKA'I (7-9) 000 000 1 — 1

Courtney Poai and Kozy Toriano. Kristan Forsberg and Shardae Maliu-Calairo. W — Poai. L — Forsbert.

Leading hitters — KS-Hawai'i: Sierra Gacayan double, stolen base, 2 runs; Angel Mahaulu home run, 2 RBIs; Toriano 2 singles; Tabitha Eseroma 2 singles; Kehau Comilla 2 runs; Alyssa Manoha single, double, RBI. Moloka'i: Tawney Fernandez 2 singles, 2 stolen bases.

Kaua'i 14, Pahoa 7: Wailana Borrero pitched a complete game and Krystal Ijima went 2 for 5 for the Red Raiders at Central O'ahu Regional Park.

PAHOA (6-7) 012 400 0 — 7 9 4

KAUA'I (8-6) 123 620 X — 14 8 5

Noel Filoteo, Shyla Wong (5) and Megan Bruce. Wailana Borrero and Samantha Koga. W — Borrero. L — Filoteo.

Leading hitters — Pahoa: Filoteo 2-3, double, triple, 2 RBIs; Faalupega Enos 2-4, 2 RBIs; Bruce 3-4. Kaua'i: Krystal Ijima 2-5; Amanda Mayer double.

Maryknoll 13, Kahuku 3: Ariel Silva pitched a three-hitter, and Heather Uekawa, Silva, Shelcie Rapozo-Delacruz and Brooke Perriton drove in two runs apiece for the Spartans at Central O'ahu Regional Park.

KAHUKU (12-2) 003 000 0 — 3 3 5

MARYKNOLL (7-10) 401 710 X — 13 10 2

Saleia Mata'afa, Shawntei Cabe (1) and Brenda Capillan. Ariel Silva and Kimberly Okaneku. W — Mata'afa. L — Silva.

Leading hitters — Kahuku: Tatiana Vaimou RBI. Maryknoll: Heather Uekawa 2-2, 2 RBIs; Silva double, 2 RBIs; Okaneku 2-3; Shelcie Rapozo-Delacruz 2-3, 2 RBIs; Brooke Perriton 2-3, double, 2 RBIs.

CONSOLATION SEMIFINALS

Moloka'i 8, Lana'i 4: Danna-Lynn Hooper-Juario, Shardae Maliu-Calairo and Deisha Pico each drove in two runs for the Farmers at Central O'ahu Regional Park.

LANA'I (4-13) 103 00 — 4 6 1

MOLOKA'I (8-9) 102 50 — 8 11 0

Kaila Daniels and Leinani Zablan. Joreen Kepa and Shardae Maliu-Calairo. W — Kepa. L — Daniels.

Leading hitters — Lana'i: Daniels 2-3; Zablan 2 RBIs. Moloka'i: Danna-Lynn Hooper-Juario 2-3, 2 RBIs; Tawney Fernandez RBI; Maliu-Calairo double, 2 RBIs; Deisha Pico 2 doubles, 2 RBIs; Terah-Lynn Garces-Reyes double, RBI; Lacey Santiago 4 stolen bases.

Pahoa 5, Kahuku 0: Noel Filoteo pitched a four-hitter and Faalupega Enos batted 2 for 3 with two doubles for the Daggers at Central O'ahu Regional Park.

PAHOA (7-7) 023 000 0 — 5 7 0

KAHUKU (12-3) 000 000 0 — 0 4 2

Noel Filoteo and Megan Bruce. Saleia Mata'afa, Shawntei Cabe (4) and Brenda Capillan. W — Filoteo. L — Mata'afa.

Leading hitters — Pahoa: Faalupega Enos 2-3, 2 doubles; Chelsea Cohen RBI; Bruce 2-3, triple, RBI; Pelemina Kusto RBI. Kahuku: Capillan double.

CONSOLATION FINAL

KOHALA 5, FARRINGTON 1: Tiana Lo had a triple and a double, and drove in two runs to lead the Cowgirls of the BIIF over the Governors of the OIA.

FARRINGTON (11-6) 000 001 — 1 7 0

KOHALA (11-4) 301 010 — 5 5 2

Moea Sexton and Kinci Ngiralmau. Lavinia Holschuh and Sara Lo. W — Holschuh. L — Sexton.

Leading hitters — Farrington: Monique To 3-3. Kohala: Lo double; Holschuh RBI; Tiana Lo triple, double, 2 RBIs; Pua Tayan-Smith 2-3, RBI.

FIFTH PLACE

MOLOKA'I 9, PAHOA 8: Shardae Maliu-Calairo and Deisha Pico each hit homers and drove in two runs apiece, and the Farmers of the MIL rallied with two runs in the bottom of sixth and last inning to beat the Daggers of the BIIF.

PAHOA (7-8) 301 211 — 8 11 2

MOLOKA'I (9-9) 201 042 — 9 14 6

Noel Filoteo and Megan Bruce. Joreen Kepa and Shardae Maliu-Calairo. W — Kepa. L — Filoteo.

Leading hitters — Pahoa: Tumama Enos 2-4, RBI; Filoteo 3-4, double, homer, 3 RBIs; Faalupega Enos 2-4, double, 2 RBIs; Chelsea Cohen RBI; Bruce 2-3. Moloka'i: Danna-Lynn Hooper-Juario 2-3; Tawney Fernandez 2-4, double; Maliu-Calairo 2-3, homer, 2 RBIs; Deisha Pico 3-3, homer, 2 RBIs; Kepa 2-3, RBI.

Reach Kyle Sakamoto at ksakamoto@honoluluadvertiser.com.