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WAIPAHU-Kamehameha literally squeezed out a 7-5 win against Punahou Saturday night in Interscholastic League of Honolulu baseball at Hans L'Orange Park.

Trey Kodama's bases loaded suicide squeeze scored the go-ahead run with one out in the top of a two-run seventh inning that broke a 5-all game. Kodama reached on a bunt single to reload the bases to set up Pookela Benanua's walk that forced across an insurance run.

With the win, the Warriors (9-2) pulled into a tie for second with the Buffanblu (9-2), as both trail league leader Mid-Pacific (10-1) by one game.

Left-hander Keenan Lum picked up the win for Kamehameha after pitching five innings of relief, allowing four runs, but three were unearned in part to his own throwing error in the fifth that allowed the Buffanblu to tie the game at 5.

"This was a big win for our kids," Kamehameha coach Vern Ramie said.

It was a game with bizarre plays:

> Kamehameha nearly turned a triple play in the first after Zak Muenster lined out to left with the runners and first and second going with the pitch. The runner at second was double off and the runner on first was nearly caught, but the throw was wild, allowing the runner to take third.

> A Punahou batter had a pitch behind him inadvertently hit his bat and roll up the foul line at first. Though it appeared to stop just inside fair territory, it was ruled foul.

> A Kamehameha runner was caught stealing home, running into the catcher in the process. Punahou coach Kenny Harrison argued the runner should've been ejected for not sliding. Amateur baseball rules generally prohibit running into a fielder with the ball on such plays.

But one strange play that benefitted Kamehameha occurred in its two-run seventh.

With one out and a runner on first, Tyler Meditz hit a high infield pop. The catcher, pitcher and two corner infielders converge between the mound and home plate and the ball dropped untouched. Punahou relief pitcher David Torigoe then walked James DeJesus to load the bases for Kodama. After fouling off the first pitch, pinch runner Jalen Torres broke with the pitch from third base and Kodama bunted a low slider back to Torigoe, whose under-hand toss to the plate was late.

"For me, it was just put the ball in play, do what the coach says and just help your team win," Kodama said.

"Must be the lights," joked Punahou coach Kenny Harrison, who added his team's other loss against MPI was at night. "We missed the fly ball and bunts that we practice every day. We work on bunt defense. It's one of those things. It was a tough loss."

The Warriors took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Hoku Botelho doubled with one out, took third on Alika McGuire's single and scored on an error by starting pitcher Muesnter. But Punahou quickly tied it in the bottom. Beau Branton led off with a triple off Kamehameha starter Trey Smith. Rick Nomura was pitch by a pitch before KJ Harrison's single scored Branton to tie the game at 1.

Kamehameha regained the lead in the second on a two-run single by Benanua. Ramie decided to replace Smith on the mound with Lum.

"Trey was disappointed that we took him out," Ramie said. "We just didn't feel he was in a good rhythm. Trey's been one of our top guys this year. It was a tough decision to take him out."

For a while, it looked like it wasn't making a difference as Punahou strung three success singles, including Harrison's second RBI hit of the game that pulled the Buffanblu to 3-2.

But Kamehameha opened its lead to 5-2 on back-to-back RBI singles from McGuire and Moku Kukonu in the fourth inning to chase Muenster.

Punahou tied the game at 5 in bottom of the fifth. Lum's throwing error scored one run and he later allowed three successive two-out singles, two of them driving in runs.

After the Warriors took the lead in the top of the seventh, Lum retired the Buffanblu in order in the bottom of the seventh.