Greg Yamamoto | SL

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Kailua starter Joey Cantillo went the distance in the win, allowing three runs on five hits. He struck out six and walked just two. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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Kailua jumped out to an early lead, then weathered a Campbell rally before plating the final seven runs of the game in a 10-3 win, helping the Surfriders win its eighth straight game and claim a spot in the HHSAA Division I tournament.

Joey Cantillo had a solid day on the bump for the Surfriders, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits, striking out six and walking just two to earn a complete game victory. He was also 2 for 3 at the plate with a double and two RBIs.

"Campbell made some adjustments at the plate, and we had to make some adjustments in our pitching, so I'm glad to see him (Cantillo) come back and make those adjustments that we needed to," said Kailua head coach Corey Ishigo.

The Surfriders got to Campbell starter Markus Ramos early, scoring three runs on two hits in the opening frame, highlighted by RBI singles by Dalton Kalama and Cantillo.

In contrast to his counterpart, Cantillo cruised through his first two innings of work, but got into a bit of trouble in the third after walking a batter and hitting another with one out. To Cantillo's credit, he battled to get Kailua out of the inning on a pair of line outs to keep the Sabers off the board.

Things got interesting again in the top of the fourth as Jordan Macias broke up the no-hitter for Cantillo with a lead off single, advanced to second on a wild pitch, then came home to score the first run of the game for the Sabers' on a Justin Fernandez line drive single to right with one out.

The rally continued for Campbell as Bronson Burr reached on a error, and Cantillo walked Todd Takahama to load the bases.

Dylan Ramon popped out to shallow left for the second out, but another wild pitch in the inning for Cantillo allowed Fernandez to score before Kainoa Ganancial struck out looking to retire the side, trimming the Kailua lead to 3-2.

Ramos definitely settled down after a rough opening inning, holding the Surfers hitless in innings two through four, and Campbell responded in kind on offense to level the score in the fifth.

Roy Clemons roped a clutch two out single to score Macias from second to the tie the score at 3-all, but pinch runner Kaiponohea Kaaiakamanu was picked off straying away from the bag at first a batter later to put an abrupt end to the inning.

Kailua wasted no time in mounting a rally of their own, responding in a big way in the fifth.

"He (Ramos) started throwing strikes and we weren't hitting them," said Ishigo. "But we just had to stay patient with our sticks."

Imanaka got things started with a one out single, then motored around to third on a wild pitch. Ramos walked Kalama to put runners on the corners, bring Noah Auld to the plate.

Auld laced a grounder that was scooped up by the shortstop, who delivered a throw to the plate just ahead of the charging Imanaka, but the ball squirted loose from the catcher, which allowed not only Imanaka to score the go-ahead run, but also allowed Dayne Ishigo to slide in safely on the play to extend the lead to two.

After Lawson Faria got on after being hit by a pitch, Cantillo came to the dish and helped his own cause, roping a drive to left center for a run-scoring double to extend the lead to 6-3.

"A new pitcher came in and I knew he was throwing a little slower, so I tried to take it the opposite way," said Cantillo of the hit. "My teammates got on base and we were able to score a bunch of runs in the inning."

The next batter, Keiki Kanahele-Santos, lofted a pitch fairly deep to center that was caught for the second out of the inning, upon which Dylan Kurashashi-Choy Foo, on second pinch running for Cantillo, and Faria, on third, both tagged up and attempted to advance on the play.

An on line throw to third led to Choy Foo being called out at third, but the umpire ruled that Lawson scored before the final out was recorded, extending the Surfriders' margin to 7-3.

"Every little thing counts, small plays here and there make a big difference in the outcome of the game," said Ishigo.

Following a scoreless sixth for Campbell, Awa Byers came up with one out to add the icing to the top of the proverbial cake for Kailua, a solo shot to right to push the lead to 8-3.

"I was looking for a high inside, just something to get on top of," said Byers of the at-bat. "I kind of felt like the (outfielder) was going to catch it, but it starting carrying and went over."

The final two runs Kailua scored came on an Auld double off of Dylan Florentin, the third Sabers' pitcher in the game, before Faria lined out to end the sixth.

Down to the just two outs, Ikaika Ganancial's single in the seventh looked to perhaps be the spark the Sabers needed to try and get back into the contest, but Macias's sharp grounder was scooped up by the shortstop, and went 6-4-3 to end the game.

"Campbell is a great team, they're never down, they will always come back and hats off to them," said Cantillo. "But our team backed each other up, I didn't really pitch that well, but the team picked me and the offense came alive."

Up next for Kailua is top-ranked Pearl City in a 6:30 p.m. semifinal at Hans L'Orange Field, while the Sabers will host the Rough Riders at 3 p.m., with the winner earning one of two remaining state tournament slots out of the OIA.