FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM Kauai celebrated its first state championship after shutting out St. Anthony yesterday.

Kauai, Buster edge St. Anthony for title

Kauai saw Michael Jahns for a second time in two years, and once again, left him with a painful memory.

Jordan Buster fired a three-hitter and Schyler Arakaki delivered a run-scoring single as top-seeded Kauai edged second-seeded St. Anthony 1-0 to capture the Wally Yonamine Foundation/HHSAA Division II state baseball championship at Les Murakami Field.

It was the inaugural edition of Division II in the state baseball tourney.

A year ago, Jahns was struck by a line drive in a nonconference game with Kauai and left with a bruised biceps muscle. This time, he surrendered only one run, but was outdueled.

Buster was brilliant, striking out eight and walking one against the Maui Interscholastic League champions. The left-hander mixed a two-seam fastball, circle change and curveball to keep the normally hard-hitting Trojans off balance. He threw just 87 pitches.

"I knew that I had to step it up. They're a good offense," said Buster, who didn't pitch when Kauai played St. Anthony last season.

Arakaki, though, did play in that game and remembered Jahns well.

"We have good bats. Everybody was confident and sticking to hitting line drives," Arakaki said.

He was behind 1-2 on the count with two outs in the top of the first. Teammate Trent Allianic was on second base and Arakaki was at first.

"I was thinking fastball and he came with the curve," Arakaki said. "So I adjusted to it."

He went the opposite way with the pitch, grounding a single to right, and Allianic scored standing up with the only run of the game.

Jahns, who fanned three and walked one, scattered eight hits and went the distance. He tossed 92 pitches.

"He's probably the best lefty we've seen," Jahns said of his counterpart, Buster. "He's got a quick fastball, sneaky fast, and his curve really moves."

Kauai, ranked No. 8 in the Star-Bulletin Baseball Top 10, closed the season 19-3 overall. The Red Raiders toppled Saint Louis, Kamehameha and Iolani in nonconference play.

"We work hard. We stay together," said Buster, who also threw three scoreless innings in the quarterfinal round and finished 2-0 in the tourney.

"Coach (Hank Ibia) is a great coach. He makes us work hard and keep up our studies," Buster added. "This feels good. It's even better 'cause we're the first (D-II) champs."

Ibia, in his sixth year at the helm, saw his defense play near-perfect baseball throughout the tourney.

"They're mature kids. They know they're here to do their studies, the weight lifting, the conditioning," he said. "Buster works hard every single day, does extra running every single day by himself."

One of the pluses the Red Raiders gained was back in preseason, when they entered the Richard Kitamura tournament, playing games at Central Oahu Regional Park -- the site of the D-II state tourney for three days.

"That's what we wanted," Ibia said. "I told them, 'We're coming back in May.' "

St. Anthony closed the season 18-5 overall, one year removed from winning the MIL title with a team almost entirely comprised of underclassmen.

"Our senior class stepped up," said Jahns, who has accepted a scholarship offer from Northwestern. "I think the sophomore and junior class are gonna bring it next year."