With its state berth secure, the Kailua baseball team can try for another goal, the O'ahu Interscholastic Association title.

Kili Vierra pitched seven strong innings, and the host Surfriders scored seven runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to beat Castle, 7-3, yesterday in an OIA quarterfinal.

"We want to focus on the OIA right now," Vierra said. "Our goal was OIA championships."

Vierra, a 5-foot-11 senior right-hander, spaced eight hits and allowed three runs, two earned, with four strikeouts. He threw 82 pitches in the state-berth clinching win.

After falling behind 1-0 in the first inning when Castle's leadoff hitter Kainoa Tom tripled and scored on Cody Cabael's two-out single, Vierra blanked the Knights until the seventh inning.

"My curveball was definitely working," Vierra said. "And my slider away to (Castle catcher and No. 3 batter) Lyle Kitagawa. We know he can hit, so we tried to keep it low and away."

In Kailua's big fifth inning, the Surfriders sent 12 batters to the plate and scored seven runs on six hits, two walks, one hit batsman and one error.

Until then, Castle starter Joshua Serrano was superb, surrendering two hits through four innings.

"I thought we were playing tough," Castle coach Joe Tom said. "(Serrano) was pitching a great game, keeping the ball down, and we made some good plays."

Serrano loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth. Preston Nakata started the inning with a line single off the glove of Castle's shortstop Tom, Jordan Limahai walked and Rob DeMarsh reached on a bunt single.

"I think the turning point of the game was when Preston got on," Tom said. "That started to change a little bit."

Serrano ran a 2-0 count on Rayner Yokoi before switching positions with first baseman Cabael.

Yokoi hit a grounder to first base, but the ensuing throw home was dropped by the catcher, with Nakata scoring. The next batter, Zach Akamine, was hit by a pitch, scoring Limahai with the go-ahead run. Vierra added a two-run double, Kale Sumner had sacrifice fly, Kainoa Uemoto hit a run-scoring double and Nakata added an RBI single.

"I think our guys were pressing," Kailua coach Corey Ishigo said. "They were taking some good pitches, and swinging at some bad ones. Hopefully, we'll be a little looser swinging the bats. As you can see, our guys are hitting in the cage right now."

Castle scored twice in the seventh on a groundout and a throwing error to pull to 7-3, but Vierra got the final two outs on a strikeout and groundout.

CASTLE (7-4-1) 100 000 2—3 8 2

KAILUA (10-1) 000 070 X—7 9 1

Joshua Serrano, Cody Cabael (5), Trevor Okumura (6) and Lyle Kitagawa. Kili Vierra and Rayner Yokoi. W — Vierra. L — Serrano.

Leading hitters — Castle: Kainoa Tom triple; Cody Cabael 3-3, RBI; Coby Agres 3-2; Joshua Serrano double. Kailua: Zach Akamine 2-3, double, RBI; Kili Vierra double, 2 RBIs; Kainoa Uemoto double, RBI; Keenan Tanaka double, Preston Nakata 3-3, RBI.

KAISER 4, 'AIEA 3

Cal Tashiro scored on a sacrifice fly to right field by Toby Inouye in the top of the seventh to help the Cougars (9-3) beat Na Ali'i (9-2) at Central O'ahu Regional Park.

Inouye earned the win in relief. After striking out the leadoff batter in the bottom of the seventh, he gave up a double to Keenan Naeole.

Inouye then struck out the next batter and recorded the final out on a grounder to the shortstop.

KAISER (9-3) 100 110 1—4 5 2

'AIEA (9-2) 200 010 0—3 5 2

Landon Tamanaha, Brent Takaki (4), Zack Wong (4), Toby Inouye (6) and Bryce Marcouiller. Randy Castillo, Cody Aquino (6) and Anthony Tsui. W — Inouye. L — Aquino.

Leading hitters — Kaiser: Inouye RBI. 'Aiea: Keenan Naeole double.

Reported by Kelsey Maeda

PEARL CITY 6, ROOSEVELT 1

Chad Quillopo hit a two-out, two-run double to break a 1-all tie and Jeffrey Domingo added a two-run single to spark a five-run top of the seventh inning as the visiting Chargers (9-3) defeated the Rough Riders (7-3-1) at Stevenson Intermediate field.

Keoni Manago and Justin Otaguro each had two hits for Roosevelt.

PEARL CITY (9-3) 000 001 5—6 4 1

ROOSEVELT (7-3-1) 000 001 0—1 8 4

Jason Rasa and Carlton Tanabe. Keoni Manago and Tyler Nitahara. W — Rasa. L
— Manago.

Leading hitters — Pearl City: Chad Quillopo double, 2 RBIs; Jeffrey Domingo double, 2 RBIs. Roosevelt: Manago 2-3; Justin Otaguro 2-3, triple.

Reported by Craig Arakawa

Reach Brandon Masuoka at bmasuoka@honoluluadvertiser.com.