WAIPI'O — Saint Louis held off four-time defending state champion Punahou, 10-8, yesterday, to finish the Interscholastic League of Honolulu baseball regular season at 13-1 and force a one-game playoff with Mid-Pacific (13-1) today for the regular-season title and automatic state tournament berth that goes with it.

The game is set for 3:45 p.m. at Ala Wai Field.

Saint Louis is ranked No. 1 in The Advertiser's statewide Top 10 poll of coaches and media; Mid-Pacific is No. 2. The teams' only ILH losses came against each other.

Saint Louis has not won an ILH championship since 1989, but this year's Crusaders showed again yesterday at Patsy Mink Central O'ahu Regional Park that they are a special group.

"We pretty much stay together as a team," said senior center fielder/reliever/leadoff batter Tamatoa DeMello, who went 2 for 3 with an RBI and earned the save with two innings of relief. "We pick each other up. Even if somebody makes an error, we say, 'That's OK,' because we know we can always make another play."

Saint Louis made its share of mistakes yesterday, but also made up for them with several clutch plays on offense and defense.

The Crusaders built a 7-0 lead in the first three innings after taking advantage of two Buffanblu errors to score two runs in the second inning, then added five runs on five hits in the third, including Kaden Kamoe's two-run double, a run-scoring double by Marcus Kimura and RBI singles from Lucas Gonsalves and Danny Higa.

But Punahou (8-5-1) stormed back with six runs in the top of the fifth inning, on three hits and two Saint Louis errors. The Crusaders got a run back in the bottom half after an RBI single by DeMello, then went up 10-6 in the sixth after Gonsalves slammed a run-scoring triple and then scored on an error — the Buffanblu's fourth of the game.

Punahou rallied again in the seventh, closing it to 10-8 after pinch-hitter Dylan Leong stroked a one-out, two-run double into the right field corner.

But he was thrown out on a relay from right fielder Kyle Gonzaga to second baseman Gonsalves to third baseman Kamoe, and DeMello got the final out on a grounder to second.

"They have something, a bond between the kids," Buffanblu coach Eric Kadooka said of Saint Louis. "They have a lot of three-year starters who have been there before, come close, and now they want it. They believe in each other, and now they're kicking the door in."

Crusaders coach Duane Fraticelli agreed.

"This is a different bunch of kids," he said. "They know how to win the close games now. Last year, if we had a few errors, they would fall apart. And, we can hit from 1 through 9 (in the lineup)."

DeMello said he and his teammates will be ready for the quick turnaround today.

"As long as we stay together as a team, we should be good," he said.

NOTE: The winner of today's game will be the regular-season champion and clinch one of the ILH's three state tournament berths. All eight teams will then begin a double-elimination postseason tournament. If a team other than the regular-season champ wins the tournament, it will earn a state tournament berth and play off with the regular season champion for the overall league title.

PUNAHOU (8-5-1) 000 060 2 — 8 9 4

SAINT LOUIS (13-1) 025 012 X — 10 10 2

Jeremy Fujimoto, Jacob Ellis (3), Evan Yamamoto (5) and Zach Kometani, Travis Tanaka (3); Kamakani Usui, Chris Chung (5), Tamatoa DeMello (6) and Moses Samia. W — Usui. L — Fujimoto. S — DeMello.

Leading hitters — Saint Louis: DeMello 2-3, RBI; Danny Higa 2-4, 2 RBIs; Kaden Kamoe 2-4, 2 RBIs; Lucas Gonsalves 2-4, triple, RBI; Marcus Kimura double, RBI; Evan Fujihara triple. Punahou: Tanaka 2-2, RBI; Reece Kiriu 2-4, RBI; Dylan Leong double, 2 RBIs; Tyler Hanzawa double.

'IOLANI 5, KAMEHAMEHA 3

Jarrett Arakawa, Kelsey Outram and Sheldon Lee combined on a six-hitter, and the Raiders scored four runs in the first inning to beat the Warriors in an ILH game at Ala Wai Field.

Arakawa struck out five batters, and Outram had three.

'IOLANI (8-6) 410 000 0—5 6 0

KAMEHAMEHA (6-7) 002 001 0—3 6 3

Jarrett Arakawa, Kelsey Outram (4), Sheldon Lee (7) and Grant Iwamoto. Tucker Troy, Alika Pruett (2) and Keanu Carmichael W — Arakawa. L — Troy.

Leading hitters — 'Iolani: Lionel Fujioka stolen base, run; Breland Almadova stolen base, run; Brennan Nacario RBI, run; Grant Liu run; Iwamoto 2-3, RBI; Kelsey Outram stolen base, run. Kamehameha: Kalei Hanawahine run; Arlie Johnson run; Ula Nakamura RBI; Chris Pacual run; John Kauhane RBI.

Reported by Gail Juan