Kila Kapihe fired a two-hitter with nine strikeouts to help the Sabers defeat Kaiser, 9-0 in an OIA semifinal game Friday. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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WAIPIO - Senior right-handed pitcher Kila Kapihe was so focused on Kaiser, he did not know who Campbell was going to face in Saturday's Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I baseball championship.

Kapihe fired a two-hitter and No. 1 Sabers beat the No 10 Cougars 9-0, in Friday night's semifinals at Patsy T. Mink/Central Oahu Regional Park.

The two-time defending champion Sabers (12-2) will meet No. 3 Mililani (12-2) for the league crown and a seeded berth for next month's Division I state tournament. It couldn't be a more even matchup for spectators. The teams shared the Western Division crown, though Campbell was granted the higher seed via prescribed league tie-breakers. They split the season series. Both teams won their quarterfinal and semifinal games via shutouts.

The Trojans will face Sabers' pro prospect Ian Kahaloa (3-0, 0.00 ERA). He had a no-decision in the Trojans' 2-1 win in eight innings on March 28 at Mililani. Kahaloa has allowed eight hits in 27 innings pitched this season; the Trojans had six of them in that game.

Dorrien Villanueva-Hermosura, who pitched a shutout in Thursday's quarterfinal against Kalani, provided the offense for the Sabers, driving in a season-best four runs with a 2-for-2 performance and a sacrifice fly.

Meanwhile, Kapihe was zoned in on his task. He retired the first nine batters before allowing a line single to Luis Omphroy to start the fourth. But Kapihe retired the next seven in a row before Chase Hisatake was jammed and reached on a flare single toward the right-field foul line behind first base. He then walked Omphroy, giving Kaiser two runners for the first time in the game. They managed to get to second and third with two out, but Kapihe struck out Lincoln Lima to preserve the shutout. Kapihe (3-1) tied a season high with nine strikeouts and lowered his earned run average to 1.46.

When asked about how he felt about returning to the OIA title game for the third consecutive year, Kapihe was not aware that Mililani had beaten Kailua, 7-0, in the earlier semifinal.

"I was concentrating on our game," Kapihe said.

There was no doubt Kapihe was dialed in on the Cougars, the East's second seed who was pushed to an eight-inning win against Pearl City in Thursday's quarterfinals.

"He was able to throw his curve for strikes early," Campbell coach Rory Pico said. "He had his changeup going. When he can do that, he's tough. He kept them off-balanced. They put some good swings on him, but they weren't able to square it up. That's because of the off-speed stuff. That's a good-hitting team.

Kapihe's fastball was clocked at a high 90 mph.

"It's hard to hit 90," Kaiser coach Ryan Umemoto said. "We just couldn't catch up to his fastball….He was the best pitcher we've seen all year."

Kaiser starting pitcher Kamalu Simeona was hit early and often, but was victimized by errors that accounted for five unearned runs in his four innings pitched.

The Sabers scored twice in the first. Jobe Ibana singled with one out and scored on Kahaloa's triple to center. Kahaloa then scored on Villanueva's sacrifice fly to center.

Campbell added a run in the third with Kapihe helping his own cause. He led off with a double and his courtesy runner Shane Shimizu stole third with one out and scored when Tryzen Patricio grounded out to the pitcher between the mound and first.

The Sabers then sent 10 batters up in a five-run third. Bula Sprinkel led off with a single and was safe at second on second baseman Chase Hisatake's errant throw to shortstop, as Ibana reached first on the fielder's choice grounder. After a double steal, Kahaloa was hit by a pitch to load the bases to set up Villanueva's two-run single to put runners at the corners. An out later, Kapihe walked to re-load the bases. An out later, Patricio walked to force in a run. Pinch hitter Darren Gallano's two-run double made it 8-0.

Campbell scored in the fourth. Kahaloa reached on a two-base error on a dropped fly by right fielder Lima and scored on Villanueva's single. Villanueva was out trying for second on the play. Blayze Arcano-Llacuna tripled, but was stranded when Kapihe popped out to second.

Kaiser will play at Kailua, 1 p.m. Saturday for third place.