Kailua High School senior Alisha Vegas learned something about life's second chances yesterday.

Vegas' bases-clearing triple in the top of the first inning sparked the Surfriders to a 4-2 victory over defending state champion Mililani, advancing Kailua to tomorrow's O'ahu Interscholastic Association championship game.

The Surfriders (12-2) will play the winner of today's semifinal between Leilehua and either Moanalua or Pearl City. Moanalua and Pearl City will make up a quarterfinal game at noon after yesterday's rainout.

Whoever the opponent is, Kailua is grateful to be back in the title game for the first time since the championship year of 2003. And no one is happier than Vegas, who was at the center of an extra-inning breakdown against Mililani in last year's semifinals.

The Trojans won that game, 7-3, in 10 innings after it was tied 2-2 after nine.

Vegas erased the disappointment of that memory in the first inning yesterday, lining a hard grounder with two outs that skipped past the right fielder, bringing home three runs.

"It felt good, it felt awesome," Vegas said. "I knew I had to do something."

The Surfriders added an insurance run in the fourth on Ashley Hopfe's single.

The Trojans (12-2) got two runs back in the bottom half on Charity Senas' one-out single to center. But sophomore pitcher Krista Dumandan shut out Mililani the rest of the way for a complete-game victory.

On Wednesday, fellow sophomore Hopfe pitched a two-hitter to help the Surfriders defeat defending league champ Kapolei, 1-0.

Courtney Kessell, a four-time Advertiser All-State first-team pitcher who now plays for Hawai'i Pacific University, had started almost all of Kailua's postseason games since 2002.

"The two (Hopfe and Dumandan) have been holding up, so we'll stick with them," longtime Surfriders coach Bernard Victor said. "Both have been doing good jobs."

Kailua blessed its lush, sparkling field on Sunday and has had good fortune ever since.

The Surfriders were the only home team that actually got to play on its own field on Wednesday after rain forced Mililani to travel to Campbell, Moanalua to go to Nanakuli and Roosevelt and Leilehua to play at Waipahu.

Yesterday's Kailua-Mililani game was originally scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at Central O'ahu Regional Park in Waipi'o, just a couple miles from the Trojans' campus. But the fields at CORP were under water, so the game was moved to 3:30 p.m. at Kailua.

The Mililani players did not get notice until about 10 a.m., and the Trojans hopped on the bus at 2 p.m. for the long trek to Kailua. Mililani coach Rose Antonio said the last-minute change in plans likely had an effect on the Trojans' mental preparation, but she stopped short of blaming it for their slow start.

"It was tough to have to come here, and this is (the Surfriders') home field," Antonio said. "But this was the only field available, so we can't blame anything. The ball bounced on their side, but they came to play."

The Western Division champion Trojans did get to bat in the bottom half as the higher seed, but even when the they hit the ball hard, either the wind or the East runner-up Surfriders would get in the way.

In the sixth inning, Kailua shortstop Sydney Kaneshiro made a backhanded stab of a hard one-out liner that seemed destined for a base hit to left, with Mililani's leadoff batter coming up next.

"That was a key play right there," Victor said. "Mililani is a good team and they were hacking away a little bit (at the lead), but our defense shut them down."

In the seventh, the Trojans' Kim Goo launched a deep two-out fly ball to left, but the wind kept it from leaving the park and Jarrish Mauhili-Kaneakua caught it to end the game.

KAILUA (12-2) 300 100 0 — 4 8 0

MILILANI (12-2) 000 200 X — 2 7 0

Krista Dumandan and Brittany Tokunaga; Makani Duhaylonsod and Skye Virtudes. W — Dumandan. L — Duhaylonsod.

Leading hitters — Kai: Alisha Vegas 2-3, triple, 3 RBIs; Sydney Kaneshiro 2-4; Shyenne Hussey 2-4. Mili: Chasity Senas 3-3, triple, 2 RBIs; Casey Sugihara 2-3, double.

LEILEHUA 4, CASTLE 2: Tiana Vierra hit a two-run homer in the top of the seventh inning to lift the Mules to an upset of the Eastern Division champion Knights in quarterfinal action.

Nikki Ige, Alex Smith and Ashley Phillips each added two hits for Leilehua, which will play a semifinal game today at 3:30 p.m. against the winner of the noon quarterfinal between Moanalua and Pearl City.

Kelly Nishitomi went 2 for 4 for Castle.

LEILEHUA (8-6) 020 000 2 — 4 12 1

CASTLE (11-2) 100 100 0 — 2 7 1

Alex Smith and Ashley Phillips. Michal Pane'e and Tiffany Farias. W — Smith. L — Pane'e.

Leading hitters — Lei: Nikki Ige 2-4, Smith 2-2, Tiana Vierra 1-4, 2-run homer, Phillips 2-2. Castle: Kelly Nishitomi 2-4.

KAPOLEI 6, CAMPBELL 2: Tajia Acierto pitched a complete game and went 2 for 3 with a double, triple and five RBIs to lead the Hurricanes to a consolation bracket victory over the Sabers.

CAMPBELL (7-8) 000 020 0—2 7 2

KAPOLEI (9-6) 000 303 X—6 8 1

Anita Manuma and Channel Baligaui. Taija Acierto and Ashlyn Ashby. W — Acierto. L — Manuma.

Leading hitters—Camp: Manuma 2-4; Kai Clark double, 2 RBIs. Kap: Jasmin Yoro 2-3; Champagne Paris 2-2; Acierto 2-3, double, triple, 5 RBIs.

Reported by Linda Naone

WHITE CONFERENCE

Kalaheo 15, McKinley 1: Jasmine Napiha'a, Caira Pires, Malia Samson, Lili Cabral and Kealohi Aweau each had three hits to carry Kalaheo into the OIA White final.

MCKINLEY 000 01— 1 2 0

KALAHEO 921 3X—15 20 2

Gloria Hong and Trudy Hong. Kaliko Kepa, Kaliko Serrao (4) and Kealohi Aweau. W — Kepa. L — G. Hong.

Leading hitters—Kalah: Jasmine Napihaa 3-3; Caira Pires 3-4, double; Malia Samson 3-4, triple; Kepa 2-3; Lili Cabral 3-4, double; Aweau 3-4; Brianne Villarosa 2-2.

Reported by Al Cofran

'aiea 10, waipahu 4: Rayna Strom-Okimoto had two hits and three RBIs as 'Aiea advanced to play Kalaheo.

'AIEA (7-2) 207 100 0—10 5 2

WAIPAHU (6-3) 002 000 2— 4 9 2

Ashley Scharsch and Sasha Andrade; Sina Nu'u, Elsa Apo (4) and Mercedes Kaleikini. W — Scharsch. L — Nu'u.

Leading hitters—'Aiea: Tasha Johnson 2 runs, Pi'ilani Boner-Lee 2 runs; Rayna Strom-Okimoto 2-4, triple, 3 RBIs; Rachel Purcell 2-4, double; Andrade 3 sb. Wai: Apo 2-4; Michelle Sanson 2-4.

Reported by Tracie Koide

Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com.