It was supposed to take place Thursday in Waipahu, then Friday in Hawaii Kai and eventually Saturday at Ala Wai.
After three different postponements, and with the state tournament beginning in less than 48 hours, No. 1 Saint Louis and No. 3 Kamehameha will finally determine who the outright ILH champion is with a game at Ala Wai Field beginning at 3 p.m.
The winner has two full days off before a state quarterfinal game on Thursday. The loser? Despite being ranked in the top three heading into the state tournament, the loser will have to play with one day’s rest and attempt to win four games in four days to be crowned state champion. Just brutal. It’s why even with the ILH title on the line today, this game holds even greater importance.
Saint Louis is 4-2 against Kamehameha this season and has won the last two meetings.
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No. 1 Saint Louis 5, No. 3 Kamehameha 1
Saint Louis claims its first ILH title since 2011 and draws a bye in the first round of the state tournament. Kamehameha will open the state tournament on Wednesday. Dawson Yamaguchi (W) 5 2/3 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K. Keith Torres 1-2, 3B, 2 HBP, 2 runs; Matt Wong 2-4, run, 2 RBI; Charles Lopez 1-2, bb, 3b, RBI. Jesse Awa doubles and scores for Kamehameha.
TOP 7
Dylan Lum strikes out two and gets the flyout to left to end it. Saint Louis win the ILH baseball championship.
BOTTOM 6
Jace Borja on in relief for Kamehameha as Awa (2 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2K) moves to third. Borja gives up a two-out walk to Stephens but that’s it.
TOP 6
Gora flies out to right. Awa, the pitcher hitting in the nine spot, with a one-out double to left-center to end the no-no bid. A balk moves Awa to third and Kawai Takemura with an RBI groundout to give Kamehameha its first run. Yamaguchi is at 80 pitches and he is taken out for reliever Dylan Lum before he gets to the 85-pitch mark. Yamaguchi: 5 2/3 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K. Wong ends the sixth with another diving catch in right-center to save a hit.
BOTTOM 5
Catcher Kai Perreira-Alquiza hits a ball back to the pitcher and the throw is high at first, allowing Perreira-Alquiza to reach second on the error. Second error of the game for Kamehameha. After a sac bunt and a walk, Ontai at bat with one out and runners at the corners. Pinch runner Cole Kashimoto gets caught in a rundown between first and second allowing courtesy runner Kekahi Haina to steal home and it’s 5-0 through five.
TOP 5
An error on the first baseman allows the leadoff man to reach base, but Matt Wong with a tremendous diving catch in shallow right and then he doubles off the runner on first who was running on the play. Heads up play. Yamaguchi will take a no-hitter into the sixth inning against Kamehameha for the second straight outing.
BOTTOM 4
RHP Jesse Awa in the game in relief of Breaul, who gives up two runs on three hits in three innings with two walks and four strikeouts. He throws 55 pitches making him eligible to come back in the first round of the state tournament if Kamehameha loses. Awa walks the No. 9 hitter with one out and Ontai takes second on a wild pitch before Awa hits Torres with a 3-2 pitch. Torres hit twice after his triple in the first. Awa strikes out Pagente for the second out but another wild pitch moves the runners up. Stephens draws a four-pitch walk to load the bases. Matt Wong falls behind 0-2 but then finds room in shallow center for a two-run single on a 3-2 pitch to double the lead to 4-0. Awa ends the inning with his second strikeout.
TOP 4
Lopez steals a ball from Torres at short, spins and throws out Logan Salcedo at first for the first out. Six-pitch inning for Yamaguchi, 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K.
BOTTOM 3
Lopez draws a one-out walk. Second of the game for Breault, who is sitting 89-90 here at the 50-pitch mark. Back-to-back strikeouts for Breault to end the inning, giving him four.
TOP 3
1-2-3 third for Yamaguchi, who has a no-hitter going with three strikeouts and no walks. 40 of 53 pitches for strikes.
BOTTON 2
Hunter Peneueta draws a six-pitch leadoff walk from Breault. Christian DeJesus getting warm for Kamehameha as Peneueta steals second on a 3-1 fastball. Breault gets his first strikeout on a called third strike on a 3-2 pitch on the outside corner. Makana Ontai with an 0-2 pitch off the end of the bat to second. The second baseman lets it drop and then it takes a weird bounce and Ontai is safe on the error. Torres up with men on first and second. Torres is hit by a pitch to load the bases. Breault with a huge strikeout of Pagente looking on three pitches for out number two. Stephens with a grounder to short and the throw just beats a hustling Stephens down the line. Crusaders leave bases loaded.
TOP 2
A one-out error on a booted grounder by the first baseman allows Kamehameha to get its first base runner in Wilhelm Cordes. First pickoff attempt by Yamaguchi at first is called a balk moving Cordes to second. Yamaguchi wins a battle against Li’i Pontes with a 2-2 inside fastball called strike 3 after Pontes fouled off four two-strike pitches in a row. Yamaguchi wins another battle getting Dylan Salcedo to foul out to first. Kamehameha strands a runner in scoring position but makes Yamaguchi (37 pitches) work.
BOTTOM 1
Hunter Breault, the Oregon signee, on the mound for the Warriors. Shortstop Keith Torres goes first-pitch fastball hunting and triples to center. Dylan Pagente squares up a 1-1 offering to deep left center that is caught, but easily brings in Torres for a sac fly. 1-0 Crusaders. DJ Stephens with a line drive right at the right fielder. Breault leaving his fastball up early and Crusaders have hit it hard. Matt Wong scorches an 0-1 fastball back up the middle to center for another bullet. Base hit to center. Wild pitch moves Wong to second. A 3-2 pitch to Charles Lopez is ripped on a hard line drive back up the middle to center and takes a nasty hop over the center fielder’s head. It goes for a two-out RBI triple and Saint Louis leads 2-0. Breault gets a flyout to center to end an 18-pitch first inning. Scout says Breault touched 94 once in the inning but everything was up. 90-92 fastball, 82-83 changeup, 75-77 slider.
TOP 1
Lefty Dawson Yamaguchi gets the start for Saint Louis. Yamaguchi threw a two-hit shutout against Kamehameha eight days ago. Yamaguchi paints a 1-2 fastball on the inside corner to get Kawai Takemura looking. Logan Salcedo fouls out to left on a 3-2 pitch. Kuewa flies out to right. 14-pitch first inning for Yamaguchi.
Kamehameha in the third-base dugout but is the home team and will leadoff.
STARTERS
Kamehameha (14-5)
Kawai Takamura, SS
Logan Salcedo, 2B
Kalamaku Kuewa, DH
Nakea Hanohano, RF
Wilhelm Cordes, LF
Li’i Pontes, 1B
Dylan Salcedo, C
Francis Gora, CF
Chaesten Chon, 3B
Hunter Breault, RHP
Saint Louis (15-5)
Keith Torres, SS
Dylan Pagente, 2B
DJ Stephens, CF
Matt Wong, RF
Charles Lopez, 3B
Kai Perreira-Alquiza, C
Hunter Peneueta, LF
Aaron Renaud, 1B
Makana Ontai, DH
Dawson Yamaguchi, LHP
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