Four home runs in three games. Three wins in four days. One dynasty cementing its legacy.
Hinano Bautista couldn't do it all alone, but she came awfully close. The junior southpaw delivered a performance for the ages as the Mililani Trojans defeated Moanalua 9-3 to capture their third consecutive softball state championship—a feat that cements this program among Hawaii's elite.
With this title, Mililani now boasts six state championships overall, five of which have come under head coach Rose Antonio (2009, 2014, 2024, 2025, 2026). After the final out, her team made sure she felt the love—dousing her with a well-earned Gatorade shower.
"They got me. I'm soaked," Antonio laughed. "It was a very tough week for us playing four games. What else could you ask from this team? I'm very proud of them and our coaches who help prepare us."
Bautista, who admitted she'd been battling a hitting slump recently, picked the perfect time to break out. In the championship game, she went 3-for-3 with a home run, three RBIs, and two runs scored. From the circle, she allowed just one earned run and seven hits over five innings before Taylor Adriano closed the door with two scoreless innings of relief.
Her tournament numbers read like a video game stat line: 11 hits in 16 at-bats (.688), four homers, a triple, a double, 12 RBIs, and five runs scored. On the mound, she went 3-0 with a 3.50 ERA, striking out nine over 16 innings. But perhaps most impressively, she thrived under pressure, repeatedly snuffing out Moanalua's comeback attempts.
"It's just knowing that my team has my back through everything, through my ups and downs," Bautista said. "They pick me up."
Shortstop Kahiau Aina anchored another stellar defensive performance for the Trojans, providing the kind of support that championship teams rely on.
"For sure, it feels better each time," Aina said of the three-peat. "I told Hinano, 'All you need is three up, three down.' That's what she did. Everybody doubted us, said we're overrated, this isn't going to happen. We proved them wrong. I'm happy that we did."
The game didn't start smoothly for Bautista. She walked leadoff batter Jolie Ann Mochizuki on four pitches, and Moanalua struck first when Alia Anzai's RBI single gave Na Menehune a 1-0 lead. But Bautista settled in, striking out Ramzy Bumagat and getting Ava Atagi on a groundout to escape the inning.
Mililani answered immediately. After Kamryn Aoki walked with one out, Bautista launched a rocket over left-center field on a 1-0 pitch, giving the Trojans a 2-1 lead they would never relinquish.
"Just trusting myself," Bautista said simply.
For Moanalua coach Kylee Oshiro, the loss stung but didn't diminish the journey. "I'm so proud of them," she said. "Just to get here is an accomplishment. To be the first is a big deal. We'll keep growing and hopefully get back here someday."
For Mililani, the celebration was about more than just another trophy. It was about proving the doubters wrong, about three-peat glory, and about a team that refused to let anything—not a hitting slump, not a slow start, not a determined opponent—stand in its way.