Ladd Ah Choy hurled 22/3 innings of scoreless relief as Kamehameha rallied for a 4-2 win over Saint Louis in the ILH baseball tournament Saturday. 

Kamehameha (9-5) took one step toward the dream — qualifying for the state tourney — by getting ahead in the double-elimination tourney. Saint Louis (7-7) now faces a daunting road , in need of a big turnaround to get to the postseason. 

"Our boys have been working hard. (Codie) Paiva pitched a helluva game and forced them to hit the ball, and (Kekai) Rios did an exceptional job behind the plate, keeping the ball in front," Warriors coach Tommy Perkins said. 

"We’ve struggled with Saint Louis all season. They’re a tough team and well coached. I expect to see them again." 

Ah Choy came on in relief of Paiva, the starter who went 41/3 innings with six strikeouts and three walks. The Crusaders had already regained the lead, 2-1, earlier in the inning with a single run. Ah Choy retired Brendan Uchima and D.J. Stephens to stop any further damage. 

Kamehameha then scored three unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth off Saint Louis starter Pono Anderson. The Warriors had two runners on base with one out when Rios laid down a perfectly placed bunt on the third-base side of the mound. By the time Anderson got to the ball, everybody was safe and the bases were loaded. 

"I’d been thinking about it, and during the timeout, Coach (Perkins) said bunt," Rios said. 

Paiva, who remained in the game as his team’s cleanup hitter, then hit a ground ball to short that could’ve turned into an inning-ending double play — much like the 6-4-3 DP that closed the third inning. 

Instead, shortstop Keith Torres lost control of the ball once it got into his glove and Matthew Yakota scored from third base to tie the game at 2. Chance Arakaki followed with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Kahoea Akau from third for the go-ahead run. 

Rios then came home on a wild pitch by Anderson, and the Warriors had a 4-2 lead. 

Ah Choy set the Crusaders down in order in the top of the sixth. 

"Ladd always pounds the zone and throws a lot of strikes," Rios said. "No matter who throws, we pound the zone." 

In the seventh, it got a bit difficult. Courtesy runner Anthony Lau was at first base with two outs when Uchima slapped a line-drive single to right. Lau was thrown out trying to advance to third base on a two-hop throw by the right fielder, Yakota. Paiva, who had moved to third base, applied the tag to end the game. 

"Ladd has been doing a good job closing for us," Perkins added. 

In the end, it was solid pitching and clean defense — no errors — that gave the Warriors a plus start to the playoff tourney. Counting the tiebreaker game for second place in the regular season on Wednesday, also won by Kamehameha, that’s two wins in four days by the Warriors over the Crusaders. In all, Kamehameha has won four straight after four losses in a row.

For Saint Louis, it was a tough afternoon. They committed five errors in all. Anderson gave up four unearned runs in all, and he walked five (with two strikeouts) — and yet, the Crusaders were in position to win. 

"We’ll keep working hard and believe we are in this," Anderson said. "We have to keep leaving everything on the field and surprise everyone." 

Pono Anderson and Taylor Meilleur. Codie Paiva, Ladd Ah Choy (5) and Kekai Rios. W–Ah Choy. L–Anderson.

Leading hitters–STL: Travis Tanaka 2-3, RBI, run, SF; Ryder Kuhns 2-4. KS: Matthew Yakota 1-3, run; Kahoea Akau 1-3, run, SB; Rios 1-2, run; Paiva 1-3. 

No. 1 Mid-Pacific 6, Punahou 1

The Owls scored four runs in the first inning and held on to defeat the Buffanblu in the ILH Division I playoffs. 

Mid-Pacific’s Ryne Yamashiro led the charge with a three-run homer and a double. Chase Wago earned the win on the mound with seven strikeouts in six innings. 

Kekoa Vieira, Riley Guieb (4) and Manny Nakamoto, Heisman Hosoda (6), Codey Kitagawa (7). Chase Wago, Noah Sills (7) and Noah Shackles.

W–Wago. L–Vieira.

Leading hitters–Punahou: Easton Takamoto 2-4, 2b; Jantzen Tamanaha 2b; Geoffrey Moore 2b, RBI; Scott Nishioka 2-4. Mid-Pacific: Jacob Hayakawa 2-4, 2b, run; Shackles 2-3; Tyler Yamaguchi 2 runs; Ryne Yamashiro 2-3, 2b, HR, 3 RBIs, run; Jarrod Infante 2-3.

ILH DIVISION II

St. Francis 7, Pac-Five 5

The Saints blasted 13 hits to edge the Wolfpack and advance in the ILH Division II playoffs. 

Jarred Yara led St. Francis with three hits and two runs, while pitcher Ian Phillips hammered two doubles. 

Ian Phillips, Zach Alcos (7) and Royce Torres. Owen Saito, Dayne Ramos (4) and Micah Lum.

W–Phillips. L–Saito.

Leading hitters–St. Francis: Sean Fernandez 2-4, 2 RBIs, run; Jarred Yara 3-4, 2 runs; Shawn Ellis 2-4; Phillips 2-4, two 2bs; Maika Teal 2b, run; Janson Kupau 2b, RBI, run. Pac-Five: Saito 2b, RBI; Casey Nakamura 3b, RBI, run; Casey Wond 2-3, RBI, run; Matt Matsuda 2 runs. 

Maryknoll 4, Damien 3

Joshua Muneno pitched a three-hitter with eight strikeouts and hit a go-ahead single in the sixth inning that scored Jarin Kobashigawa as the Spartans beat the Monarchs.

Chayne Wayton, Milton Gainey (2) and Shiloh Kaeo. Joshua Muneno and Neal Nakasone. 

W–Muneno. L–Gainey.

Leading hitter–Maryknoll: Kaliko Thomas 2-3, 2 RBIs.

OIA RED EAST

No. 6 Kailua 7, Castle 3

Isaiah Kaeo-Cash allowed one run in four innings of relief as the Surfriders beat the Knights.

Kailua’s Dustin Imanaka scored three times and Brendan Odo went 3-for-4 with two RBIs.

Stone Parker, Isaiah Kaeo-Cash (4) and Dalton Kalama. Ezekiel Keama, Alakai Kim (6), Jordan Harvest (6) and Maui Gaison. W–Kaeo-Cash. L–Kim.

Leading hitters–Kailua: