Leilehua used the small-ball approach to get past Mililani yesterday at Fred Wright Field.

The Mules had only three singles, but got clutch pitching from junior right-handers Brett Nakasone and Darren Baccay to beat Mililani, 4-3, in an O'ahu Interscholastic Association Western Division game.

Leilehua improved to 6-3; Mililani dropped to 7-2.

Leilehua's offensive attack also included five walks, one hit batsman, three sacrifice bunts and a double steal in the second which plated a run.

"I told them, if anybody gets on we got to execute — bunts, hit-and-runs, steals, squeezes and stuff like that," Leilehua coach Mike Kim said.

Nakasone allowed two runs — one earned — in five innings. He stranded six runners, five in scoring position.

He walked two and hit a batter in the first, but escaped damage when a hard one-hopper deflected off second baseman Brenden Nagaji to shortstop Baccay, who stepped on second and threw to first for a double play.

"They bust their butts during practice everyday," Nakasone said of this defense. "They got my back and I got theirs."

Baccay allowed four hits and hit a batter in his two innings.

He allowed a run in the sixth, but things could have been worse.

Mililani's Kylen Cadiam led off with a double to left and was lifted for a pinch runner, who was thrown out trying to steal third on an 0-1 pitch to John Abreu.

"Yeah, definitely," said Mililani coach Dean Sato when asked if it was a missed sign. "We would never be stealing with no outs."

Leilehua senior catcher Ehukai Woolley had a difficult pitch to throw off of — an outside breaking ball.

"It was a down and away pitch," he said. "I had to reach and shift my weight. I was just glad everything went good."

Abreu followed with a triple off the center fielder's glove, and Jose Cruz was hit by a pitch to put runners at the corners.

Trojans starter Richie Mariano hit a grounder to second to score Abreu, and another ground out to second ended the inning.

Mililani also committed a blunder in the third when the left fielder caught a fly ball and letup thinking it was the third out. It was only the second, so Baccay tagged up and advanced to third.

Aric Edra followed with a ground single up the middle to score Baccay. (Baccay likely would have scored if he had been on second).

"That's the worst we've ever played in the four years I was here," Sato said. "The mental mistakes really killed us today. Mis-signal, not throwing the ball in."

MILILANI (7-2) 001 011 0—3 8 0

LEILEHUA (6-3) 021 010 X—4 3 1

Richie Mariano and Casey Miyasato. Brett Nakasone, Darren Baccay (6) and Ehukai Woolley. W — Nakasone. L — Mariano. S — Baccay.

Leading hitters — Mililani: Travis Jones 3-3, triple, 2 RBIs; Kylen Cadiam 2-4, double; John Abreu triple. Leilehua: Aric Edra 2-3.

Reach Kyle Sakamoto at ksakamoto@honoluluadvertiser.com.