Waipahu's Dylan Sugimoto throws a pitch to the plate against Kalani. Sylvia Lee | SL

Purchase image 1 of 5

Kalani's Brandon Roberts connects with a pitch against Waipahu. Roberts was 3-for-4 with 2 RBIs on the afternoon. Sylvia Lee | SL

Purchase image 2 of 5

Waipahu players celebrate after defeating Kalani in walk-off fashion to advance in the OIA Red playoffs. Sylvia Lee | SL

Purchase image 3 of 5

Waipahu's Brandon Tom slides into second base as Kalani's Micah Wong gets airborne. Sylvia Lee | SL

Purchase image 4 of 5

Waipahu's Rustin Ho celebrates after scoring the winning run in the bottom of the eighth against Kalani. Sylvia Lee | SL

Purchase image 5 of 5

WAIPAHU - After Dylan Sugimoto gave everything he had on the mound, Tyler Enos made sure his pitcher didn't have to give any more.

Enos' chop single to right with the bases loaded and two out in the bottom of the eighth inning lifted host Waipahu over Kalani, 3-2, Wednesday in first-round action of the O'ahu Interscholastic Association Red baseball tournament.

The Marauders (7-6), the West's fourth seed, advance to Thursday's quarterfinal at East top seed Kailua (9-3).

This was a do-or-die game for both. Kalani's season ended at 7-6.

"From the beginning, I was telling myself I'm going all the way," Sugimoto said. "This could've been my last high school game. After the seventh inning, I told my coach, no matter wha, I'm going out for the eighth inning. I wasn't going to take myself out. I knew I was at 115, 120 (pitches); I ended up with 130-something. I mean, if this was going to be my last high school game, you may as well go (all) out."

"It was two teams coming out," Enos said. "We're fighting. One team has to go home, one team moves on."

Sugimoto used 135 pitches en route to the complete-game win, allowing two runs (one earned) and eight hits, while striking out six. His biggest pitch came in the top of the eighth when facing in-game nemesis Brandon Roberts, the Falcons' cleanup hitter. Roberts was 3 for 3 and drove in both of the Falcons' run. With runners at second and third with two out, Sugimoto got Roberts on a routine pop out to second to end the threat. His teammates made sure he would leave the game the winning pitcher by scoring the bottom of the frame.

"We battled to the end," Waipahu coach Jared Abreu said. "I told them this is the last inning because Dylan wasn't going out (to pitch) in the next inning. I told them, 'Let's get these runners on and see what happens from there.'"

In the bottom of the eighth, catcher Greyson Fuentes reached on fielding error and was lifted for courtesy runner Brandon Tom, who advanced to second on sacrifice by Rustin Ho, who reached safely on another error. Both runners advanced on Justin Padilla's sacrifice. Sugimoto, who tripled and scored a run earlier in the game, was intentionally walked for his second consecutive plate appearance to load the bases.

With the infield drawn in to stop the potential winning run, Kobie Russell hit a grounder to the right side that was stopped by a diving second baseman Sean Romo, who fired home to force out Tom. With the bases still loaded, Enos hit a high chopper over Romo into right field for the game-winning single.

"Was pretty tense," Enos said of his last at-bat. "I've been in that situation before. The first time I came up in that situation, I didn't come through. This time, the ball fell in our favor."

The game was a classic pitchers' duel between Waipahu's Sugimoto and Kalani starter Reece Kakugawa and Asuncion. Kakugawa allowed two runs, six hits and three walks with one strikeout in 3 2/3 innings. Asuncion pitched four-plus innings, allowing an unearned run, three hits and three walks with two strikeouts.

"We really don't have an ace," Kalani coach Shannon Hirai said. "We just wanted to change the momentum (by relieving Kakukawa). He was getting erratic, where we were setting up, he was going totally opposite. I don't know if he was tired or not, but we felt we needed a change."

The Falcons took a 1-0 lead against Sugimoto in the top of the first inning. Romo reached on a two-base error, went to third when Sato flied out to right and scored on Roberts' single to deep short.

Waipahu tied it in the bottom of the third when Sugimoto led off with a triple to deep center and scored when Russell reached on a fielding error.

The Marauders took the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Fuentes led off with a double down the left-field line, took third on Ho's sacrifice and scored on Justin Padilla's sacrifice fly to center.

Kalani tied it in the sixth, but not without some drama.

With Asuncion leading off the inning, he ran a 2-2 count after six pitches, the last two pitches being fouled off. Two strange occurrences happened. Sugimoto wanted a different ball after the last foul ball. The next thing was Waipahu pitching coach Oly Gante getting ejected by the home plate umpire.

"He kicked out one of our coaches because he said we were laughing at him about a foul tip that hit him," Abreu said. "But all we said was 'good pitch.' But he said that was unsportsmanlike."

Abreu objected to the ejection and an argument ensued. During the break in action, Sugimoto began warming up with his third baseman. That brought out Kalani's Hirai to argue that a pitcher cannot take warmup tosses when time is called.

It was about 10 minutes before all was said and done. Abreu said he would appeal the ejection of his assistant; if the ejection is upheld, Gante would have to sit out Thursdays' quarterfinal.

When play resumed, Asuncion grounded a double down the left-field line and went to third on Romo's sacrifice. Sato bounced out to the pitcher, holding the runner at third. With first base open, the Marauders elected to face Roberts, who delivered a line single to center to score Asuncion.

"He's a good hitter, puts the ball in play, great hands," Sugimoto said of Roberts. "The only way you're going to be the best is to pitch to the best. I just wanted to challenge him. Coach called a changeup; I wasn't really throwing it the whole game and I decided to try and trust it, threw it, hung it and he just put it in the right spot. I have to tip my hat off to him."

The Falcons threatened in the top of the eighth. Payton Awaya reached on a chop single to the left side. Asuncion tried to bunt the runner over, but he was called out when Sugimoto's throw to first hit the back of Asuncion, who was running outside of the three-foot box and was ruled out. The dead ball play also meant Awaya had to return to first.

"We have no reason to be running inside," Hirai said. "He would've been safe…(it) was just trying to make something happen by running inside the baseline by two feet. Hard to even argue that (play)."

Romo's single to shortstop put runners at first and second before Sato struck out. A double steal put runners and second and third with the dangerous Roberts at the plate. With first base open, Waipahu still elected to pitch to Roberts.

"He wasn't catching up on Dylan's fastball," Abreu explained. "The previous at-bats I (called) for off-speed. I told Dylan, 'Just throw fastball. He hit 'em, he hit 'em.'"

After the runners made the double steal, Sugimoto retired Roberts with a harmless pop to second to end the threat.