ILH teams in title game

Saint Louis will be the fifth different team in as many years to try to defeat Punahou for the state baseball championship.

Division I State Baseball All games at Les Murakami Stadium Seeds: 1. Punahou (ILH); 2. Pearl City (OIA); 3. Waiakea (BIIF); 4. Maui (MIL) Yesterday Consolation » Baldwin 4, Aiea 2 Fifth-place bracket » Roosevelt 6, Kamehameha-Hawaii 5 » Waiakea 8, Mid-Pacific 3 Semifinals » Punahou 9, Maui 0 » Saint Louis 2, Pearl City 1 Today » Consolation championship: Kailua vs. Baldwin, 8:30 a.m. » Fifth-place game: Roosevelt vs. Waiakea, 11 a.m. » Third-place game: Maui vs. Pearl City, 1:30 p.m. » Championship: Punahou vs. Saint Louis, 7 p.m.

Kamakani Usui allowed four hits over seven innings and Kyle Gonzaga beat out an infield single with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning to score Lucas Gonsalves with the go-ahead run as Saint Louis knocked off Pearl City 2-1 last night in the semifinals of the Wally Yonamine Foundation/HHSAA Baseball State Championships at Les Murakami Stadium.

"Our strength coming into the season is pitching and it's been unbelievable to get three complete games in a row," Saint Louis coach Duane Fraticelli said. "We're going to get after Punahou and I'm sure they're going to get after us."

The Crusaders (19-4) took two of three games against the Buffanblu during the regular season, but lost to them twice last week in the ILH tournament.

Saint Louis clinched its first berth in the state final since 1989, when it lost to a Pal Eldredge-coached Buffanblu squad.

"I'm very excited," Gonzaga said. "It's going to be a very good game."

Gonzaga drove in the eventual game-winning run when he beat out an infield single with two outs and Lucas Gonsalves on third base. Gonzaga hit a ground ball to Chargers first baseman Cory Yuh, whose throw to pitcher Bryson Nakamura covering the base was just slow enough for Gonzaga to beat out.

"All the way," Gonzaga said when asked if he beat the throw.

Two runs were all Usui needed, who baffled the Chargers for seven innings. Usui allowed four hits and walked five batters, but didn't give up the big hit Pearl City was searching for all night.

"We didn't get the hits when we needed them," first-year Chargers coach Gary Nakamoto said. "It's a hard loss for the kids. We lost to a good team so they shouldn't be ashamed."

Senior Marcus Kimura's speed helped the Crusaders take a 1-0 lead in the second inning. After leading off with a single, Kimura stole second and advanced to third on a fly ball by John Haina. Nakamura then bounced a 1-2 pitch in the dirt that got behind catcher Carlton Tanabe, allowing Kimura to score the game's first run.

The Crusaders missed a huge opportunity in the fourth inning to pad their one-run lead. An error by Chargers third baseman Bryson Namba and singles by Kimura and Haina loaded the bases with nobody out for Cole Shidaki. Shidaki hit a line drive that fell just in front of shortstop Ryne Acosta, who started an unusual 6-2-5 double play to get the lead runners out. Nakamura then induced a pop up by Kaden Kamoe to escape the jam.

Nakamura took it upon himself to get the Chargers on the board with a two-out, RBI double in the next half inning to score Kurt Poentis to tie the game at 1. Gonzaga answered with his hit in the bottom of the inning that proved to be the difference.

Nakamura went the distance for the Chargers and was the tough-luck loser, allowing just two runs over six innings without walking a batter.

Punahou 9, No. 7 Maui 0

Jeremy Fujimoto tossed a three-hit shutout as top-seeded Punahou kept its hopes alive for a fifth straight state championship.

Harrison Ishida went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and Matthew Suiter and Joshua Bninski scored two runs apiece for the Buffanblu (15-5-1).

Travis Manuel's single broke up Fujimoto's perfect game with one out in the fifth inning. Fujimoto struck out nine and didn't walk a batter in seven innings.

Reece Kiriu finished 2-for-2 with two RBIs for Punahou while Justin Fontanilla tripled for Maui's only extra-base hit.

CONSOLATION

Roosevelt 6, Kamehameha-Hawaii 5

Waiakea 8, Mid-Pacific 3

Baldwin 4, Aiea 2