Juniors Payton Dixon and Jayden Gabrillo combined on a five-hitter as No. 4 Mid-Pacific stifled Maryknoll 6-3 on Saturday morning at Damon Field.

The Owls also got clutch hits from Brayson Sarae, Jake Comeaux and Chandler Murray to remain unbeaten in the ILH double-elimination baseball tournament.

“Any time you can win a playoff game it’s great. I’m glad we finally beat them,” Owls coach Dunn Muramaru said.

Murray’s two-run shot in the bottom of the sixth gave MPI two insurance runs.

“We came out swinging today. We win a lot of games when we put up runs in the first,” Dixon said.

Dixon, a left-hander, went 41⁄3 innings, allowing two runs on five hits with five strikeouts and two walks. In 22⁄3 innings, Gabrillo also struck out five of the 10 batters he faced — including the first four Spartans ro come to the plate — and walked two. He allowed one run on no hits.

“Our (pitchers) did OK. Made a couple of mistakes. Reliever (Gabrillo) came in, he was lights out,” Muramaru said. “He saved us in that (fifth inning).”

Maryknoll trailed 3-2 at that point and had runners at third and second bases when Gabrillo entered. He struck out Noah Bernal and Luke Swartman to end the threat.

“I gave (Gabrillo) him the ball. I told him I have all the confidence in him. I knew he would pick me up,” Dixon said. “He got us out of the jam with two strikeouts and that was huge.”

Gabrillo’s changeup and slider were impeccable.

“I don’t think I threw a fastball that (fifth) inning,” he said. “That was the best I’ve pitched. I was ready.”

Maryknoll was decked out in head-to-toe maroon with light gold pinstripes for the first time this season.

“We were supposed to get it earlier in the year. Now we’ve got to match the look,” Spartans coach Alaka‘i Aglipay said.

The Owls went to work in the bottom of the first with three runs off Maryknoll southpaw Allin Yap. The sophomore walked the bases loaded with one out, struck out Nathaniel Wagner, then surrendered a line-drive single to center by Sarae. Maryknoll center fielder Keegan Kahalehoe raced in, dove for the ball and missed, and all three baserunners scored for Mid-Pacific.

The visiting Spartans had a runner in scoring position in the first and third innings but didn’t score until the fourth. With one out, Swartman walked, Noah Nakaoka singled and both scored on Jake Remily’s double to the left-field corner.

MPI responded with a run in the bottom of the fourth. Coehn Nakasone tripled to left with one out and scored on Comeaux’s first-pitch single to center for a 4-2 Owls’ lead. They loaded the bases against Yap, but new pitcher Kory Chu retired Wagner on a line drive to third, ending the inning.

The Owls added two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth. Nakasone led off with a bunt single. After a sacrifice bunt, Murray socked a two-run home run over the center-field fence to open MPI’s lead to 6-2.

“I just went up there, my coaches told me work on a BP (batting practice) swing in there. I just went up there and swung, no pressure,” Murray said.

The Spartans tacked on a single run in the top of the seventh. Pinch hitter Bryson Tsukayama-Daniel walked, and pinch runner Kolo Ka‘ulula‘au stole second base, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on Chu’s groundout to second base. Gabrillo then fanned Bernal to end the game.

Yap finished with five strikeouts, six walks and three hit batters in 52⁄3 innings.

“Good effort for four innings. It wasn’t his day as far as completing it, but overall competitiveness was there. Some things to work on for sure,” Aglipay said. “Allin’s young and he’s still going to be a key part of the season for sure. All hands on deck. We can’t complain. We’ve lost a bunch of pitchers throughout the year and the next guy’s got to step up.”

Mid-Pacific will play Saint Louis on Monday at 3:30 p.m., at Patsy T. Mink Central Oahu Regional Park. Maryknoll plays Pac-Five in an elimination game at the same site and time.