Punahou's Tyler Young did what every guy waiting in the on-deck circle wants to do after the batter in front of him is intentionally walked.

He made the other team, in this case Kamehameha, pay.

Young singled in the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth inning and Jeeter Ishida closed the door in the bottom half as Punahou beat Kamehameha, 6-5, in an Interscholastic League of Honolulu baseball game yesterday at Ala Wai field.

"The coaches told me they were walking the guy and I'm going to take it personal. I took it to heart," said Young, the designated hitter.

It was a game where Punahou (2-0) rallied for three runs in the top of the seventh to take a 5-3 advantage, only to see Kamehameha (0-1) tie it in the bottom half.

"You have to tip your cap," said Punahou coach Eric Kadooka said. "Kamehameha has a lot of young kids out there. They did the job today. They pushed us to the limit."

In the Buffanblu ninth, Zachary Kometani drew a one-out walk against Kamehameha reliever Alika Pruett. Courtesy runner Travis Tanaka stole second on the fourth pitch to the next hitter, who eventually struck out. Paul Snieder, the No. 5 hitter, was then intentionally walked. Tanaka scored from second on Young's hit to center.

Young made the necessary adjustment after striking out against Pruett in the eighth.

"The previous at-bat, he came to me with a slider outside with two strikes so I was expecting a slider outside," Young said.

Ishida, who relieved Snieder to start the fifth, allowed a two-out walk in the bottom of the ninth, but struck out the final batter on three pitches.

Ishida had a "little tightness" in his arm recently.

"I came in. I didn't have my best stuff tonight," he said. "I haven't thrown off the mound for about a week."

Kamehameha started the seventh inning with a 3-2 lead, and starter Chris Pascual retired the first batter before yielding a walk and single. He was removed with his pitch count at 116.

"It's still pretty early in the season and his pitch count got up pretty high," said Kamehameha coach Vern Ramie. "It was a little higher than what we wanted him to go today. But he got into a rhythm. He said he felt OK, so we let him go a little more."

Pruett came in and put a hurting on the Buffanblu. He hit Joshua Bninski with a pitch to load the bases. Kometani walked on four pitches to force in the tying run and Reece Kiriu was hit by a pitch to force in a run and put Punahou ahead 4-3.

"Alika came in and the adrenaline was flowing," Ramie said. "Especially the first game and he comes in in a big situation. But he settled down nicely the next couple of innings."

Snieder added a sacrifice fly to left, which scored Bninski.

In the bottom of the seventh, Kapena Kalehuawehi-Gomes hit a one-out double and scored on two wild pitches to get the Warriors within 5-4. Pi'ikea Kitamura tripled to center, but Ishida struck out the next batter with the infield in.

On an 0-2 count to Kalei Hanawahine, Ishida's pitch bounced off the catcher's glove and Kitamura slid home safely with the tying run.

"They kept coming at him. They battled us," Kadooka said.

In the sixth, Kamehameha's Ula Nakamura tried to score from second on Keanu Carmichael's single, but Buffanblu right fielder Geoffrey Kunita threw a perfect strike to catcher Kometani, who applied the tag while being bowled over.

"It was a clutch play," Kadooka said. "Geoff threw a strike to Zach, and Zach applied the tag."

Carmichael took second on the throw and scored on Arlie Johnson's single to center to put the Warriors up 3-2.

Kiriu and Kometani both drove in two runs for Punahou, while Johnson drove in a pair for Kamehameha.

"We had a chance to win tonight, but a good team takes advantage of your mistakes," Ramie said. "And this Punahou club is a very good, veteran ballclub, and they do what it takes to win."

PUNAHOU (2-0) 101 000 301—6 9 1

KAMEHAMEHA (0-1) 200 001 200—5 8 1

Paul Snieder, Jeeter Ishida (5) and Zachary Kometani. Chris Pascual, Alika Pruett (7) and Keanu Carmichael. W — Ishida. L — Pruett.

Leading hitters — Punahou: Matthew Suiter 2-5; Joshua Bninski 2-4, 2 runs; Kometani 2 RBIs; Reece Kiriu double, 2 RBIs; Geoffrey Kunita 2 runs. Kamehameha: Kapena Kalehuawehi-Gomes double, 2 runs; Pi'ikea Kitamura 2-3, triple; Arlie Johnson 2-2, 2 RBIs.

Reported by Gail Juan

PAC-FIVE 10, MARYKNOLL 3

Ross Yamato had two hits, drove in three runs, scored two and had two stolen bases, and Tyler Moon had three hits and three RBIs, leading the Wolfpack over the Spartans at Ala Wai Field.

MARYKNOLL (0-1) 120 000— 3 6 6

PAC-FIVE (1-1) 602 020—10 11 1

Craig Shoji, Jeff Hagino (3), Jordan Kurokawa (5) and Kyle Hirata. Tyler Moon, Tyler Simao (6) and Grant Kitagawa. W — Moon. L — Shoji.

Leading hitters — Maryknoll: Josh Arakaki triple; Hirata double; Shoji triple. Pac-Five: Ross Yamato 2-4, 3 RBIs, 2 runs; Moon 3-4, triple, 3 RBIs; Brycen Honda double; Reid Morihara triple, 2 runs.

Reported by Gail Juan

ILH SOFTBALL

'IOLANI 1, MID-PACIFIC 0

Brittney Guro struck out two as the host Raiders beat the Owls at Ala Wai Field in an Interscholastic League of Honolulu season-opening game.

MID-PACIFIC (0-1) 000 000 0—0 6 1

'IOLANI (1-0) 001 000 X—1 6 0

Desi Dung and Kaydi Kochi. Brittney Guro, Kelly Imada (7) and Kai Masutani. W — Guro. L — Dung.

Leading hitters — Mid-Pacific: Kochi 2-3. 'Iolani: Kylie Ahlo 2-3; Masutani 2-3, RBI.

Reported by Lance Watanabe

Reach Kyle Sakamoto at ksakamoto@honoluluadvertiser.com.