DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM The Kailua baseball team celebrated its 6-3 win over Moanalua last night in the OIA championship game.

Kailua back atop
OIA baseball

Kevin Matsumoto scattered four hits and his teammates came through with clutch swings at the plate as Kailua outlasted Moanalua 6-3 to win the Oahu Interscholastic Association baseball championship last night at Central Oahu Regional Park.

Matsumoto, a 6-foot senior, allowed no earned runs. He struck out five Menehunes and walked just one in a steely performance. Just about everything he threw -- fastballs, curves, changeups, sliders, cutters, drops and splitters -- found the strike zone against a team that beat Kailua 8-4 on April 20.

"He was determined. Once he got the ball, he felt he would win," Kailua coach Corey Ishigo said.

Kailua (22-10) earned a first-round bye at the state championships, which begin on May 18. This is Kailua's 10th OIA title, including five in the past six seasons under Ishigo.

"We worked hard this year. Things didn't go our way early, but we worked harder," Ishigo said. "It's only starting to show now."

Moanalua, the East's No. 2 seed, moves on to the state tourney.

"We have to bury it and move on," coach Scott Yamada said. "Now we get a second chance at states."

The Surfriders, seeded fifth out of the OIA East, jumped to a 1-0 lead in the first when Tyler Harrison and Kekoa Su'a connected for back-to-back doubles.

They added three more runs in the fourth thanks to a Moanalua error, two walks and a two-run single by Matsumoto.

Moanalua finally broke through in the sixth with three unearned runs off Matsumoto. Two errors opened the door, and Andrew Blomberg delivered an RBI triple in the inning to bring the Menehunes within 4-3.

The Menehunes returned the favor shortly after, however, with two errors in the top of the seventh. That allowed Su'a to sock an RBI single to center, scoring Matsumoto. A dropped fly ball in right field by Dayne Dela Cruz allowed Su'a to score easily, giving Kailua a 6-3 lead going into the bottom of the seventh.

Matsumoto set the Menehunes down in order, with three big stops by reserve third baseman Aaron Kent, who got all three putouts.

"We showed more discipline at the plate this week," Ishigo noted.

Conversely, Moanalua struggled until getting its break in the sixth.

"Matsumoto made us hit his pitches," Yamada said. "We didn't execute on the defensive side."

Su'a believes that was a huge factor in Kailua's title run.

"Coach said we had to be more patient, lay off the dirt ball," the senior second baseman said. "This feels awesome."

At Central Oahu Regional Park

Kailua	100	300	2	--	6	7	3
Moanalua	000	003	0	--	3	4	3

Kevin Matsumoto and Michael D'Alessio. Andrew Blomberg, Kekoa Lee (4), Chance Daskauskas (7) and Donovan Souza. W--Matsumoto. L--Blomberg.
Leading hitters--Kail: Kekoa Su'a 2-4, RBI; Matsumoto 2-3, 2 RBIs. Moa: Andrew Blomberg 1-3, 3b, RBI.

Pearl City 6, Aiea 4

In the third-place game, Bryant Katakura went 2-for-2, drove in two runs and scored twice to lead the Chargers. Casey Fujishige went 3-for-4 with a run scored for Pearl City (19-9), which began the playoffs as the sixth seed from the West.

Only the league champion gets a first-round bye at the state tournament.

"When you don't have a bye, there's not that much difference. Every team will be the same," Pearl City coach Mel Seki said.

The neighboring rivals played for bragging rights, though fatigue and mid-afternoon heat were factors. Both teams played their fourth game in as many days.

At Central Oahu Regional Park

Pearl City (9-4)	310	101	0	--	6	11	4
Aiea (9-5)	120	010	0	--	4	7	2

Craig Calantoc, Jason Tamanaha (5) and Rylan Nakahata. Derek Grace, Keenan Naeole (4), Lance Powell (6) and Andrew Gouveia. W--Calantoc. L--Grace.
Leading hitters--PC: Bryant Katakura 2-2, 2b, 2 RBIs, 2 runs; Casey Fujishige 3-4, 3b. Aiea: Lance Powell 2-4, HR, 2b, 2 runs, RBI; Grace 2-4, 2b.

ILHNo. 1 Punahou 8, No. 2 Kamehameha 3

Jared Pate pitched a complete game with seven strikeouts, allowing only five hits. Kyle Fujimoto added two hits.

At Aloha Stadium

Punahou (18-1-1)	000	340	1	--	8	10	0
Kamehameha (16-4)	000	030	0	--	3	5	4

Jared Pate and Michael Chock. Koa Kaleo, Waylen SingChow (5), Erik Price (7) and Stuart Kam. W--Pate. L--SingChow.
Leading hitters--Pun: Kyle Fujimoto 2-4, 2b; Bucky Aona 2b, RBI; Steven Dannaway 2 runs; Paul Snieder 2b, RBI; Maika Murashige 3-3, RBI. Kam: Kam 2b, Makana Kitamura 3-3.

No. 5 Saint Louis 10, No. 4 Mid-Pacific 9 (11 inn.)

Justin Doane rapped out four hits, including a grand slam in the fifth and a double. In the 11th inning, Doane drove in Keli'i Zablan with the game-winning single.

Chad Takabuki had five hits, including two doubles, and scored three runs for Mid-Pacific.

At Aloha Stadium

Mid-Pacific (13-7)	201	006	000	00	--	6	15	1
Saint Louis (13-7)	200	051	100	01	--	10	14	4

Rick Goto, Christian Flowers(3), Tyler Inouye, Jayson Kramer (5) and Kip Masuda. Cameron Bayne, Nainoa Campbell, Grant Costa, Keli'i Zablan (6), Kalei Perreira (7) and Justin Doane. W--Perreira. L--Kramer.
Leading hitters--MPI: Chad Takabuki 5-5, 2 2bs, 3 runs, 2 RBIs; Masuda 2-4, 2 runs, 2RBIs; Nathan Rice 2-5; Reece Uyeno 3-5, 2 RBIs; Blayne Fuke 2b. StL: Chester Wilson 2 runs; Doane 4-6, grandslam, 2b, 6 RBIs, 2 runs; Zablan 2-5, 2 runs; Sheldon Santiago 2-3, 2b; Kyle Gonzaga 2-5, 3b.

Iolani 8, Damien 0

Ian Mopas tossed a three-hit shutout while striking out a season-high 14 as the Raiders won their fourth straight.

Travis Nishioka homered and Kyson Morikuni added two doubles for Iolani, which scored in every inning but the fifth.

At Iolani H.S. field

Damien (3-17)	000	000	0	--	0	3	2
Iolani (10-9-1)	112	202	x	--	8	13	0

Robert Cuizon, T.J. Esclito (5), George Martin (6) and Kai Higa, Vince Zieser (5). Ian Mopas and Riley Yamamoto, Ryan Barayuga (7). W--Mopas. L--Cuizon.
Leading hitters--Dam: Esclito 2b. Iol: Kyson Morikuni 2-3, 2 2b's; Marc Factora 2-3, 2b, 2 RBIs; Travis Nishioka HR; Brett Hasegawa 3b; Case Miyahira 2-3; Justin Nakamura 2-3, 2b.

Maryknoll 9, Pac-Five 1

Joshua Gelson hit an inside-the-park homer and Peter Kirst gave up just one run and four hits in six innings to pick up the win for Maryknoll.

Ryan Matsumoto and Brennan Young each drove in two runs for the Spartans.

At Ala Wai Field

Maryknoll (4-16)	103	211	1	--	9	10	4
Pac-Five (2-18)	010	000	0	--	1	5	6

Peter Kirst, Chris Lum (7) and Brian Tabata, Ryan Matsumoto (5). Ross Yamato, Tyler Simao (4), Kendal Tanigawa (5), Travis Ogimi (6) and Aaron Chilcote. W--Kirst. L--Yamato. S--Lum.
Leading hitters--Mryk: Matsumoto 2-5, run, 2 RBIs; Joshua Gelson HR; Brennan Young 3-5, 3b, run, 2 RBIs; Ikaika Duyag 3b, RBI; Tabata 2b. Pac: Tony Onitzuka 2b, run.

No. 2 Kamehameha 10, No. 4 Mid-Pacific 1

Friday
At Aloha Stadium

Kamehameha (16-3)	212	032	0	--	10	13	1
Mid-Pacific (13-6)	000	001	0	--	1	1	2

David Parrow and Stuart Kam. Jared Hara, Conan Young (2) and Kip Masuda. W--Parrow. L--Hara.
Leading hitters--Kam: Nick Freitas 3-4, 3b, HR, 3 runs, 3 RBIs; Makana Kitamura 2-3, 3b, 2 RBIs; Ryson Mauricio 3b, 2 RBIs; Jamie Smeigh 2-3, 2b, run; Aaron Nichols 2b. MPI: Adam Tamashiro 3b.

No. 1 Punahou 9, Pac-Five 5

Punahou (17-1-1)	100	204	2	--	9	11	1
Pac-Five (2-17)	300	020	0	--	5	9	2

Harrison Ishida, Kurt Komatsubara (3), Landon Nakata (5), Jared Pate (6) and Mike Chock. Samson Aina, Tyler Simao (6), Ross Yamato (6) and Aaron Chilcote. W--Komatsubara. L--Aina. S--Pate.
Leading hitters--Pun: Nakata HR, 4 RBIs; Maika Murashige 2-3, 2 runs; Kaohi Downing 2-3, 2b, HR, 2 runs, 2 RBIs. Pac: Chilcote 2-3, run, RBI; Nick Miyamoto 3-4, 2b, 3 RBIs; Ronel Trias 2b.

BIIF

Yesterday
Kamehameha-Hawaii 7, Kealakehe 0
Friday
Kamehameha-Hawaii 6, Hilo 2
Kealakehe 6, Waiakea 4