Pearl City's Colby Hirano beats out a throw to first base against Leilehua. Brien Ing | SL

Purchase image 1 of 4

Pearl City's Trestan Nakamura throws a pitch to the plate against Leilehua. Brien Ing | SL

Purchase image 2 of 4

Leilehua's Nainoa Paragoso lays out to make a catch against Pearl City. Brien Ing | SL

Purchase image 3 of 4

Pearl City's Tanner Tokunaga connects with a pitch for a double against Leilehua. Brien Ing | SL

Purchase image 4 of 4

PEARL CITY — In his team's last two outings it managed just four hits. Tanner Tokunaga made sure that would change Friday.

The senior third baseman batted 3 for 3 and drove in five runs to lead Pearl City to a 13-3 six-inning win over Leilehua. The Chargers pounded out 10 pounds and scored in all but one inning to improve to 2-2 in the Oahu Interscholastic Association Red West Conference.

"This one was important because the past two games we got shutdown to four hits total so it was nice to see them break out a little bit and get their groove back," Pearl City coach Mitch Yamato said. "The main thing is that they got their confidence back with this win."

After a season-opening 9-4 win over Aiea, Pearl City dropped back-to-back games against Campbell (12-0) and Mililani (2-1). The Chargers recorded just three hits against the Sabers and were one-hit against the Trojans.

"It felt good to kind of just raise up our confidence a little coming off that one-hitter we had, but we've just got to keep working and hopefully we can continue to get back into it," said Tokunaga, who had tripled in both the first and second innings and added a double in the fifth.

Leilehua took an early 1-0 lead after the top of the first after leadoff batter Nainoa Paragoso drew a walk and came around to score on an RBI single to right center by cleanup hitter Jonah Paas.

Tokunaga led off the bottom of the inning with his first triple and two batters later Matt Tsutomi was hit by a pitch from Mules' starter Jared Academia. Both were brought home on a single to left field by Tyler Kushima.

"Tanner is learning to be a leadoff batter," Yamato said. "Last year he batted third, but he's an important tool in our offense, he's a weapon out there because when he gets on base, he causes all kinds of havoc out there, so it's important that he had a good game."

Ricky Van Gelder reached on an error in the top of the second, which allowed Jordan Kameda to score and put Leilehua back ahead, 2-1.

The Chargers took the lead for good in the bottom of the frame. Tokunaga hit a two-out, two-run triple to left that plated Shaye Higa and Nick Au. Tokunaga came around to score on an RBI single by Colby Hirano one batter later. Hirano finished with two RBIs, as did Kushima and Higa.

"I was just looking for pitches I could hit hard, try to inside the ball and hit it properly, don't try and do too much," Tokunaga said.

Pearl City sent eight batters to the plate in the bottom of the third. Kushima, Higa, Trenton Darley and Au all scored in the inning.

Leilehua got a run back in the top of the fourth when Kameda led off by drawing a walk and came around to score on a bases-loaded walk by Paragoso.

Tokunaga added to his RBI total with a two-run double to right in the fourth that brought Darley and Au in to score. Jason Komoda also scored on a sacrifice fly by Hirano to extend the Chargers' lead to 12-3.

"We learned a lot from the Mililani game about being patient, about hitting the right pitches and for them it's good," Yamato said. "The kids broke through a little. Obviously they had to sit back against these pitchers. They learned how to sit back and wait for pitches."

Pearl City added a run in the bottom of the sixth when Hirano drew a bases-loaded walk to score Higa, which ended the game due to the 10-run differential mercy rule.

Leilehua, which used three different pitchers, fell to 1-2 with the loss.