Mid-Pacific's Trey Saito throws a pitch to the plate against Iolani. Brien Ing | SL

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050213_B1_iolmpi0502_004.jpg - Brien Ing | SL

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Trey Saito displayed outstanding command in firing a two-hitter and Mid-Pacific Institute beat 'Iolani, 6-0, Thursday to defend its Interscholastic League of Honolulu Division I baseball crown and earn a seeded berth for next week's Division I state tournament on Maui.

The Owls (14-3), the regular season champion, clinched the overall title - their 17th in school history (according to the school's wall of honor) and 10th under coach Dunn Muramaru - by taking the title game of the double-elimination tournament by fighting through the losers' bracket. 'Iolani had been in the driver's seat after beating MPI, 2-1, Saturday.

But it's not over for the tournament runner-up Raiders (7-9). They will play regular season runner-up Saint Louis (7-8), 3:30 p.m. Friday at Ala Wai Field for the league's second state berth.

For the Owls, it all began with Saito. His well-placed pitches made it tough for the Raiders' batters. He walked two and struck out three, but basically let his defense do the work. He registered 13 outs from 12 grounders (one double play). Although shortstop isaiah Kiner-Falefa committed a fielding error, he also made some dazzling stops to stop possible hits.

"Practically everything was working today," said the senior right-hander Saito, who said he will play catcher at Cal Lutheran after graduating. "I was just trying to get (the pitches) over the plate so my defense can work. I always can trust them."

"Trey knows how to pitch," 'Iolani coach Brent Shimokawa said. "Leave the ball in and out, throw it high, throw it low. The main thing was he kept the ball down. We hit some balls hard, but (they played) great defense. That's how you play baseball."

'Iolani did not get a hit until Josh Inaba led off the sixth inning with a clean, line single to left. But the runner was eventually erased on an inning-ending double play. Saito admitted he was aware he had a no-hitter to that point.

"It was in my head," Saito said with a laugh. "I just brushed it off, just keep going. I had to get that 'W.'"

Only one Raider runner reached third. In the second, Christian Donohue reached on Kiner-Falefa's fielding error, but was forced out at second when Corey Nakakura reached first on a grounder to short. Pikai Winchester walked, but was forced out at second when Josh Inouye reached first on a grounder to second with courtesy runner Brad Hayashi taking third.

With runners at the corners and two out, Inouye broke for second and got into a rundown, apparently hoping that Hayashi could score. But the technically sound Owls completed the rundown with two throws before the runner could score to end the threat.

The Raiders mounted a minor protest in the seventh. Donohue walked with two out and Nakakura battled through a 10-pitch at-bat with a single to right to move the runner to second. But Saito retired Winchester on a fly to center to end the game.

"That's the whole story all year," MPI coach Muramaru said of Saito's performance. "He did a good job today."

The Owls did most of their damage in a four-run second against 'Iolani starting pitcher Nakakura. Daniel Fentriss led off with a walk and took second on Bryce Asao's flare single to left. Brent Sakurai loaded the bases with a bunt single between the mound and third base. Single runs would score on Cameron Igarashi's single, Ryne Saiki's bases-loaded walk, Cal Muramaru's sacrifice fly to center and Kiner-Falefa's RBI ground out.

Mid-Pacific added single runs the next two innings on an RBI single by Sakurai in the third and on a throwing error by third baseman Kainoa Fong on Cal Muramaru's bunt single with a runner on second.

The benefit of being league champion is getting the first-round bye in the state tournament, which runs Wednesday through Saturday at Iron Maehara Stadium in Wailuku. For MPI, it became sort of urgent. Coach Muramaru said his team could not get a flight out until after school Tuesday, meaning a lost day of practice.

"At least Wednesday we can run around and do stuff," he said referring to getting some kind of workout. "And we can watch the other teams before we play them."

As for the Raiders, they will be playing their third game in as many days, while the Crusaders had been off the past two.

"Doesn't matter if we play five games in a row," Shimokawa said. "If we win tomorrow, when we go to states, we have to win four in a row. The main thing is we compete with each and every pitch."