Hunter Breault’s composure in tense situations helped Kamehameha tighten the ILH baseball race.

Breault threw 2 2⁄3 innings of scoreless relief, stranding the tying run in scoring position in the final two frames, and the seventh-ranked Warriors held off No. 1 Saint Louis 4-3 on Thursday at Central Oahu Regional Park.

Kamehameha (5-3) is responsible for both of the blemishes on the Crusaders’ league record this spring and moved to within a half-game of the lead in the ILH Division I standings.

After giving up three runs in the top of the third inning, Kamehameha answered with four in the bottom of the inning and starter Makoa Mau and Breault protected the lead to give the Warriors a bounce-back win following a late-inning loss to Mid-Pacific on Tuesday.

“This was our step forward,” Kamehameha coach Tommy Perkins said. “Coming back from a deficit, turning it around and hanging on to it, that was really big for us, that was a big boost for the kids. Hopefully this was our turnaround right here.”

The Warriors surrendered a three-run rally in the sixth inning against MPI on Tuesday and fell behind on Thursday when Saint Louis right fielder Matt Wong drilled a two-run triple to left field with two out in the top of the third inning. Wong then scored when a relay to third was wild.

Kamehameha responded with Micah McNicoll’s RBI triple in the bottom of the inning. McNicoll then scored on the second of Chase Miyasato’s three singles of the afternoon. Miyasato stole second and scored on an error on Mason Quinlan’s grounder. Quinlan advanced on a wild pitch and came around with the go-ahead run when the throw to first on Kawai Takemura’s grounder up the middle went to the fence.

“In this league, all it takes is one hit to get something going,” Perkins said. “That’s kind of what happened for us.”

Mau and Breault combined to hold Saint Louis to three hits and walked seven, pitching into and out of jams throughout the remainder of the game.

Mau left the bases loaded in the fourth and Breault entered with runners on first and second and one out in the fifth. On his third pitch of the game, he got a grounder to third to start an inning-ending double play.

“It’s very exciting,” Breault said of pitching in relief. “It gets my blood pumping and I tell myself that I can do this as long as I just calm down, relax and trust myself.

“It’s not letting my emotions get out of control, just channeling it into every single pitch and focusing up on every single pitch.”

Saint Louis put the tying run on second with one out in the sixth on a walk and a stolen base, but Breault worked the count full to the next two batters and got called third strikes on both.

“I knew I had to keep the ball low because the zone was kind of tight,” Breault said. “I was throwing everything up and away to the (previous) two batters, so I just wanted to keep it low, make a few adjustments and got the call.”

The Crusaders again put two runners on with two out in the top of the seventh, but McNicoll, the Warriors’ shortstop, fielded a grounder up the middle and stepped on second base to end the game.

“That’s what we were just talking about, all the missed opportunities,” Saint Louis coach George Gusman said. “We had runners on base nearly every inning with guys in scoring position and we just couldn’t come through today.

“It’s a long season, good team we played, we’ll be back. We have another tough one in Mid-Pac (on Saturday), so we can’t dwell on this. We’ll move on.”

ILH DIVISION I BASEBALL

No. 7 Kamehameha 4, No. 1 Saint Louis 3

Royce Hirayama, Dylan Spain and Taylor Meilleur. Makoa Mau, Hunter Breault (5) and Revan Wong.

W–Mau. L–Hirayama. S–Breault.

Leading hitters–StL: Matt Wong, 2-4, 3B, 2 RBIs. KS: Micah McNicoll, 3-4, 3B, RBI; Chase Miyasato, 3-4, RBI.

No. 3 Punahou 4, ‘Iolani 1

The Buffanblu held onto an early lead to defeat the Raiders.

Punahou’s Easton Takamoto had a single and a double and drove in two runs in the win.

Noah Goss earned the win on the mound.

Trevor Ichimura and Keene Tanaka. Noah Goss, Riley Guieb (7) and Codey Kitagawa.

W–Goss. L–Ichimura.

Leading hitters–Iol: Everett Lau 2-2, 2b. Pun: Easton Takamoto 2-3, 2b, 2 RBIs, run; Andrew Matsueda 2b; Noah Loughlin 2b, RBI.

No. 4 Mid-Pacific 10, Maryknoll 7

The Owls scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning to edge the Spartans.

Alex Oley had three hits, including a double and a triple, to lead Mid-Pacific’s offense. Hunter Hill also recorded three hits for the Owls.

Shane Adams, Daniel Nishihara (5), Jacob Maekawa (5), Chase Wago (7) and catcher not reported. Dylan Takara, Derrick Kurihara (5), Justice Yamashita (7) and catcher not reported.

W–Maekawa. L–Kurihara.

Leading hitters–MPI: Alex Oley 3-4, 2b, 3b, 2 runs; Ryne Yamashiro 2 RBIs, run; Kyle Layugan 2 runs; Hunter Hill 3-3, RBI, 2 runs; Maekawa 2b, RBI; Zach Gushiken 2b, RBI, run. Mryk: Jarin Kobashigawa 3-5, 2b, 2 RBIs, run; Shane Himeda 2 runs; Matthew Dunaway 3-4, RBI.

Also

MIL BASEBALL

Maui 11, Lahainaluna 1, 6 inn.

OIA DIVISION II SOFTBALL

Nanakuli 16, Kalani 3, 5 inn.

The Golden Hawks racked up 15 hits in a five-inning rout of the Falcons.

Nanakuli’s Chalyssa Belford pitched a complete game in the win and allowed four hits.

Keani Sonognini-Keopuhiwa led Nanakuli with four hits.

Jacianne Faruya and Kylie Pagud. Chalyssa Belford and Kaila Burnett, Karmen Aiwohi (4).

W–Belford. L–Faruya.

Leading hitters–Kaln: Diamond DeMello 2b, RBI, run; Logan Luke 2b, run. Nan: Keani Sonognini-Keopuhiwa 4-4, RBI, 4 runs; Kama Kaeo 2b, 4 RBIs, 2 runs; Daria Kawaauhau 2-3, two 2bs, 3 RBIs, 2 runs; Ashley Van Gieson 2 runs; Belford 2b, 3 RBIs; Ray Meyers-Kahalehoe 2-2, 2b, 2 RBIs, 2 runs; Alohi Hauhio 2-2, RBI, 2 runs; Burnett 2b, RBI.

Also

Kalaheo 11, Radford 1, 6 inn.

OIA DIVISION I EAST SOFTBALL

Kaimuki 15, McKinley 3