There was no taming Cira Bartolotti once the Kapolei ace got the run support she needed.

Though she gave up one run to No. 1 Campbell (5-2) in each of her first three innings, the No. 4 Hurricanes (5-3) exploded for eight of their own in the third frame en route to an 11-3 statement victory.

“Having runs to cushion you and having a team that comes back with its defense, it gives you a lot of confidence,” she said. “We needed this one to boost our confidence up, just as a team in general.”

Bartolotti had given up a walk and an extra-base hit in each of the first three frames before Kapolei went up to bat in the home half facing a 3-0 deficit. Thirteen hitters went up to the plate in the third inning alone for the Hurricanes, led by Ciena Kauhi’s leadoff double and her single later in the inning. Bartolotti even helped her own cause, scoring Kauhi on a single to right field for the team’s eighth run.

The team was also helped by two Campbell errors, and the Sabers ended up committing five total.

Kapolei coach Keoke Behic was pleased by the way his team stuck to its approach offensively, even as it went scoreless the first time through the lineup. A televised 3-2 loss to Campbell on March 3 led Behic to devise a new game plan when the two teams squared off again.

“Our plan was to put our toes right on the line because they were gonna pitch us away. In the first couple of innings, balls that were right down the middle, we got jammed because we were looking away,” he said. “In that third inning, (Campbell starter Chloe Salas) took away that outside spot, which we were already gearing up for.”

Salas lasted 22⁄3 innings and was pulled in favor of Nadia Delzer, who recorded the last out of the third without any further damage from the Kapolei offense.

The Hurricanes broke the game open in the bottom of the sixth when they scored three more runs to pad their lead. Lili Montira’s single to score Alexys Membrere and Kawena Hussey were the last runs Kapolei put across.

Bartolotti, a recent Hawaii commit, didn’t allow a run after the third, including consecutive perfect innings to end the game. The junior finished with eight strikeouts, three walks and seven hits.

Anastasia Iosia led the way for the Sabers offensively with two hits and an RBI, including a triple.

Campbell coach Michael Hermosura hopes the game serves as a wake-up call for his team, and that defeats like Thursday’s are rarely experienced.

“Whatever game we play, we just need to focus up. This league, this state, you cannot take anybody cheap,” he said. “Regardless of if we’re three-time state champions. We gotta come out and play, and bring our ‘A’ game every game. In this league right now, it’s anybody’s game.”

“They’re back-to-back-to-back state champions. To beat someone like that is definitely a boost to these kids, especially when they come to practice working hard every single day and not really getting the results,” Behic said. “Today was a really, really good boost for them.”