With his team down to its final few outs, Baldwin coach Craig Okita took advantage of his deep bench.

Junior Kade Fujioka, who got the win on the mound in Wednesday’s quarterfinals, came off the bench to drive in the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth inning and Kadon Antolin came on to record the final out and strand the tying run at second base in Baldwin’s 2-1 victory over Mililani on Thursday at Les Murakami Stadium.

Pinch runners Peyton Bui and Jayson Kahaleanu were summoned off the bench to use their speed to score both runs in the bottom of the sixth inning with the Bears (14-2) down to their final five outs to earn a return trip to the Division I final of the Wally Yonamine Foundation/HHSAA State Baseball Championships.

“We’ve got a bunch of guys that could be starting. We do,” Okita said. “There’s some teams who have a good 10 guys and they drop off and our team maybe doesn’t have the best guys so-to-speak, but the drop off isn’t as severe. Unfortunately there’s only one DH spot.”

That spot belonged to Jaren Pascual, who tied the game with a one-out single to left to drive in Bui, who had immediately stolen second after running for Kuhio Aloy.

Baldwin laid down a bunt to move Kahaleanu, who ran for Pascual, to second before Fujioka entered as a pinch hitter and singled back up the middle to put Baldwin ahead.

“Especially in a situation like the state-tournament semifinal, you’ve always got to be ready to go because it’s win or go home — there’s no tomorrow,” Fujioka said. “I knew my role tonight and I just wanted to be there for my team.”

All three games Mililani (12-7) played in the tournament were decided by a 2-1 score.

Trojans starting left-hander Skye Hyun took a shutout into the sixth inning before giving up both runs. He fell behind 3-0 to Fujioka and battled back with a strike before Fujioka roped one to center for the lead.

“I went in there thinking I was going to be taking,” Fujioka said. “I think he threw me a slider 3-0 and I knew I was going to get a fastball 3-1 and that’s what I got.”

Baldwin starter Bryson Nakamoto, whose only run given up was unearned in the second inning, had Mililani down to its final out when Malosi Mata’afa-Alferos and Cyler Wicklund kept the game alive with consecutive hits.

Wicklund singled between the third baseman and shortstop on Nakamoto’s 112th pitch, forcing Baldwin to go to its bullpen.

Antolin, a junior, needed just two pitches to get the final out and earn the save.

“I’ve been in this situation a couple of times before in last year’s states and I knew I had the best set of boys out there to back me up,” Antolin said. “Coach told me pretty much we’re throwing curveballs for strikes, so going out there with no nerves and all confidence.”

Baldwin, which won the state title the last time the tournament was held on Oahu in 2018, is in the final for the third time in four years.

The Bears lost to Waiakea in last year’s championship game played on their island at Iron Maehara Stadium.

“It feels really good, especially after last year losing in the state championship,” Fujioka said. “It feels good to be in the same situation as last year.”

Wicklund and Kai Hirayama each had two of the six hits by the Trojans, who were 5-5 at one point this season before winning seven of their final nine.

Baldwin was the only team in their last four games to score more than one run against them.

“We came a long way from Day 1. We’ve got a young team and they kind of grew up under fire,” Mililani coach Mark Hirayama said. “Proud of the way they played and the effort they put out. But that’s baseball, anybody can win.”

Nakamoto earned the win for Baldwin with six strikeouts and three walks in 62⁄3 innings.

Aloy finished 2-for-3 to give him five hits in two games.

Division II semifinals

Kauai 2, Waianae 1

Joshua Rego singled up the middle with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning to drive in Aukai Arruda for the walk-off win and send the Red Raiders into the state championship final.

Kauai’s Kapono Sullivan took a three-hit shutout into the top of the seventh inning when the Seariders tied the game without getting a hit.

Austin Jackson-Anderson was hit by a pitch and scored on Nainoa Nagum’s sacrifice bunt to tie the game with one out. The Seariders had the bases loaded with two outs but couldn’t push across another run against Sullivan, who struck out seven in a 109-pitch complete game.

Austin Renaud had three hits for Kauai (14-1) and drove in the first run with an RBI single through the left side of the infield in the third inning.

Shysten Nagasako struck out 11 in 62⁄3 innings for Waianae (12-3).

Kauai, which won Division II state titles in 2008, ’11 and ’17, hasn’t been to the final since that last championship.

Waianae played its first semifinal game in the state tournament since 2014.

Damien 5, Waipahu 4

Monarchs reliever Aaron Rapoza picked off runners at second and first base on consecutive attempts to end the sixth inning and finished off the game with a strikeout to lead the Monarchs (5-11) back into the Division II state final.

Rapoza also drew two of six walks issued by the Marauders (13-2) and Damien survived despite getting only three hits.

The Monarchs turned four walks and one hit into three runs in the first inning and never trailed.

Rapoza earned the save in relief of starter Francis O’Connor, who allowed four runs in 51⁄3 innings with three walks and five strikeouts.

Waipahu outhit Damien 12-3.