WAIPI'O — Kailua High School's storied softball program has been favored to win the O'ahu Interscholastic Association championship countless times. This year wasn't one of them.

But the Surfriders won the title, blanking upstart Leilehua, 6-0, last night to capture their first crown since 2003 at Central O'ahu Regional Park.

Kailua (13-2) earned the OIA's top seed in next week's state tournament, in addition to a first-round bye. Leilehua (9-7) will be the league's No. 2 seed and starts tournament play Wednesday.

The Mules had entered the game having won six straight, including upsets last week over OIA East champion Castle and West runner-up Pearl City. But the Surfriders squashed Leilehua's bid for its first league crown by jumping to a 3-0 lead in the first inning, killing the Mules' bases-loaded rally in the top of the fifth and then adding three more runs in the bottom half.

Senior Shyenne Hussey slammed a three-run homer over the center-field fence in the first inning to give Kailua its early lead.

"I think that gave us confidence," Hussey said. "I was just trying to get a base hit."

It proved to be enough run support for sophomores Ashley Hopfe and Krista Dumandan, who combined on a two-hitter.

Leilehua threatened in the fifth, loading the bases with one out. But Dumandan came on in relief and got a strikeout and fly to left to escape the jam.

"I think we broke their back a bit," Surfriders coach Bernard Victor said. "It's hard chasing three runs."

Mules coach Stacy Araki said her girls never gave up, but even hard shots seemed to find Kailua gloves.

"(The Surfriders) played great defense," Araki said. "Even down three runs, we could have been right there if some of those balls we hit dropped in. We just couldn't bunch things up when we needed to."

By contrast, everything seemed to come together for Kailua, which lost twice early in the regular season but has played championship softball since. The Surfriders were predicted to have a dropoff this year after four-time Advertiser All-State pitcher Courtney Kessell graduated.

"I didn't expect us to get this far," said Victor, who has coached Kailua for more than 15 years. "I think those (early) losses woke us up, and we've been playing good ball lately."

In the OIA at least, they've played the best.

LEILEHUA (9-7) 000 000 0—0 2 0

KAILUA (13-2) 300 030 X—6 10 1

Alex Smith and Ashley Phillips. Ashley Hopfe, Krista Dumandan (5) and Brittany Tokunaga. W—Hopfe. L—Smith. S—Dumandan.

Leading hitters—Kail: Shyenne Hussey 3-run homer; Jarrish Mauhili-Kaneakua 2-3, double, 2 RBIs; Brittany Tokunaga 2-2, RBI; Sydney Kaneshiro 2-4, double; Dumandan 2-3.

THIRD PLACE

Winning pitcher Marina Gusman-Brown had two hits and Sanoe Aina homered as Pearl City beat Mililani, 9-5, to finish third in the OIA Tournament.

PEARL CITY (12-3) 320 010 3—9 7 2

MILILANI (12-3 020 100 2—5 7 0

Marina Gusman-Brown, Corrie Nishikida (5) and Noelle Hirahara. Kishti Kamaka, Sarah Fukumoto (3) and Casey Sugihara. W—Gusman-Brown. L— Kamaka.

Leading hitters: Pearl City—Gusman-Brown 2-4, double; Sanoe Aina homer; Kanani Numata double. Mililani—Sugihara 3-4; Dana Lee double; Makani Duhaylonsod 2-4; Celina Garces double; Jamie Aiwohi 2 RBIs.

Reported by Joe Lee

FIFTH PLACE

Sarah Robinson pitched a five-hitter, Traci Yoshikawa had three hits and Shelby Nakachi drove in two runs as Moanalua beat Kapolei, 3-1, to finish fifth in the OIA Tournament.

KAPOLEI (9-7) 000 100 0—1 5 3

MOANALUA (11-6) 002 001 X—3 5 1

Tajia Acierto, Cierra Acierto (3) and Ashlynn Ashby. Sarah Robinson and Shelby Nakachi. W—Robinson. L— Cierra Acierto.

Leading hitters: Kapolei— Kaili Smith 2-3, double, 1 RBI. Moanalua—Traci Yoshikawa 3-3; Nakachi 1-3, double, 2 RBIs.

Reported by Mitch Matsumoto

SEVENTH PLACE

Kai Clark hit a two-run triple to spark a five-run seventh inning as Campbell beat Castle, 6-2, to finish seventh in the OIA Tournament.

CAMPBELL (8-8) 100 000 5—6 6 0

CASTLE (11-4) 000 101 0—2 6 0

Lenna Kalua, Anita Manuma (4) and Chanel Bali-gaui. Michal Pane'e and Kelsea Berinobis. W—Manuma. L—Pane'e.

Leading hitters: Campbell—Manuma triple; Kai Clark 2-4, triple, 2 RBIs. Castle—Kelly Nishitomi 2-4; Cheynah Farley triple; Jenna Kon triple; Tiffany Farias 2-2, 2 RBIs.

Reported by Jon Berinobis

Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com.