Campbell pitcher Markus Ramos tossed seven strikeouts in a complete game effort to help the Sabers shutout OIA champ Kailua. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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WAILUKU, Maui – It took a while, but Markus Ramos finally put together a performance he was capable of.

The junior right-hander fired a five-hitter to help No. 8 Campbell beat No. 3 and third-seeded Kailua, 5-0, in Thursday's quarterfinals of the Wally Yonamine Foundation Division I state baseball tournament at Iron Maehara Stadium.

The defending state champion Sabers (12-6) will meet the only seeded team left in the tournament, second-seeded Baldwin at 7 p.m.

"To keep a team like Kailua with a zero on the board, he did an awesome job," Campbell coach Rory Pico said.

The bottom third of Campbell's batting order provided most of the offense, as they were on base a combined 8 of 12 times. No. 7 hitter Todd Takahama led the way by scoring three runs and driving in one. He walked three times and had an RBI single. Ramos helped him self by walking twice and drilling an RBI double. No. 9 hitter Kainoa Gananical walked and had a sacrifice fly. Brother Ikaikia drove in two runs from the No. 2 spot in the order.

Ramos, who has verbally committed to Oregon, pitched his first complete game of the season, exceeding this previous season-high of 5 2/3 innings in his only other pitching win against Waianae. He struck out season-high seven and walked two. His pitching motion looked more efficient.

"We've always been trying to tie things together, cut out some of those unnecessary movements," Pico said. "He's worked hard on his mechanics, does a lot of drills and I think the hard work is paying off."

Ramos displayed command of his pitches. His curveball was highly effective.

"He's always had the best curveball on our team," Pico said. "It was a matter of making sure he had the right release point and being able to throw it where he wanted to throw it. He was able to do that today."

Ramos got into and out of one out bases loaded jams in the third and fourth innings while nursing a 1-0 lead. In the third, he hit a batter, walked the next and gave up a single to load the bases for the Surfriders' heart of the order. But he struck out third hitter Noah Auld and clean-up hitter Lawson Faria. In the fourth, the allowed back-to-back singles and an out later, threw a wild pitch to put runners at second and third before walking Awa Byers to load the bases. But he struck out Kalei Kealoha-Machado and leadoff Dustin Imanaka to kill that threat. He then proceeded to retire the last nine of 10 batters. The only one who reached was Faria, who got on a wild pitch after a swinging third strike in the sixth.

"I was just staying calm, telling myself I can do this," Ramos said. "Believing in myself, trusting my team knowing if anything happened, my team would back me up and they did. My defense did a hell of a job today."

Ironically, Ramos' last outing was against the Surfriders in the OIA quarterfinals. He gave up six runs (four earned) in 4 1/3 innings in the loss that sent Campbell to the fifth-place consolation bracket. In that game he faced the same pitcher he did Thursday in Joey Cantillo, who threw a complete game in Kailua's 10-3 win.

Cantillo threw well again, allowing a run in five innings, striking out six, but walking four. But Kailua's bats were held in check. He eventually gave way to Matthew Hanano, who lasted on two batters after walking them, and Dalton Kalama. Each was tagged for two runs apiece that opened the Sabers' lead in the sixth and seventh innings.

"I've been working since the last time I pitched getting my command, making my pitches and working 10 times harder than I've ever did," Ramos said. "It was trusting what the coaches called, two strikes, full count. Anytime they called it I was ready to throw it."

Ramos' outing could not have come at a better time on the biggest stage of high school baseball.

"He just made the pitches when he needed to make," Pico said. "It's good to see him be successful at that. Big game, big players step up and he stepped up today.