Iolani's Spencer Oda comes home to score a run against Kamehameha. Oda also added a triple at the plate in the win over the Warriors. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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Senior third baseman Kealaulaikalani Gier's pair of RBI doubles backed the strong pitching of freshman Aleia Agbayani and No. 6 Iolani eeked out a 3-1 win against No. 3 Kamehameha Tuesday at the Raiders' field.

The Raiders (11-2) pulled a half-game in front of the Warriors (10-2-1) with one game left for each in the regular season. Iolani can clinch its first ILH title since 2009 with a win Thursday when it hosts Pac-Five. Kamehameha closes the regular season Thursday at Mid-Pacific. The Warriors need to win and hope that Pac-Five can do the same to reclaim the top spot for its fourth consecutive crown. In ILH softball, the regular season champion is granted the seeded berth for the Division I state tournament. The second through fifth place teams play a single-elimination tournament for the second state berth.

Agbayani (9-0) pitched her third consecutive complete game of the season, allowing an unearned run, seven hits and a walk, while striking out a season-high five.

"Her off-speed stuff is what gets her by," Iolani coach Dean Yonamine. "As the game progresses, she gets a better feel for the off-speed stuff. It keeps them all off-balanced…You look at her, she's unfazed all the time. She's used to the pressure."

Indeed.

Agbayani escaped a crisis in the fifth. Davian Ugaitafa and Rayla Jacobsen-Kea reached on back-to-back singles and advanced a base on a wild pitch. But Agbayani retired leadoff hitter Alana Cobb-Adams on a pop up to third. Jordan Millwood drew a walk to load the bases for sister Dallas Millwood, but Agbayani struck her out on a full count to kill the threat.

"It's great," Gier said of Agbayani's poise under pressure. "I'm so proud of her. When we went up to Arizona, she was in my room and we got really close. We've been like this freshman-senior sister kind of thing. I love supporting her through all her struggles and victories. I'm really proud of her."

To get out of the fifth, the left-handed Agbayani had to face one of the most feared hitters in the state in Dallas Millwood (.436, 8 HR), a left-handed hitting power hitter.

"To me, that's a challenge," Agbayani said. "I want to overcome that and get her."

Agbayani said her curve and changeup were working best for her.

Agbayani worked out of another jam to end the game. Pinch hitter Mo Hasegawa singled and Jacobson-Kea reentered as a pinch runner. Cobb-Adams flared a single to center to put runners at first and second. Jordan Millwood drilled a fly to center that was hauled by center fielder Kawaiuluhonua Scanlan against the fence. Jacobsen-Kea tagged up, but Scanlan's throw back got away from the cut-off man, allowing the runner to score and Cobb-Adams to move from first to third with two out. Dallas Millwood reached on catcher's interference to put the tying runner on first, but pinch hitter Kaili Castillo to popped out to Agbayani to end the game.

"She moved (the ball) well, kept it off the plate, jammed us on our hands," Kamehameha coach James Millwood said of Agbayani. "I think we were over-anxious. She comes off like it's going to be hard. She was in great command today."

Gier hit run-scoring doubles in the first and third innings off Kamehameha starting pitcher Mahina Sauer (9-2), who went three innings, allowing the two runs driven in by Gier, five hits and a wail with one strikeout. In the third inning, Sauer aggravated an existing left knee injury when she collided with catcher Kyler Stephens when they converged on a foul pop up that wasn't caught by either. Sauer remained in the game to retire Marcee Nakamura on the next pitch to end the inning.

Luana Low replaced Sauer and pitched the final three innings, allowing an RBI double to Agbayani.

Iolani took a 1-0 lead in the first. Spencer Oda led off with a triple to left, but Sauer got the next two batters out with the runner holding third each time. After Cassie Ho was hit by a pitch, she took third on Gier's ground-rule double to right-center that scored Oda. Agbayani grounded out to short to end the inning.

In the third, Kennedi Lopes led off with a single and an out later, stole second and scored on Gier's double to left-center. But Sauer stranded Gier by getting the next two hitters out.

Iolani insured its lead in the fifth against Low. Scanlan reached on a bunt single toward first and took second on flex Ashlyn Okamoto's sacrifice. After Ho was hit by a pitch, Gier struck out, but Agbayani's ground-rule double to right-center made it 3-0 before pinch hitter Madeline Ikeda flied out to left.

"It just gave me more confidence on the mound," Agbayani said of her double. "It kind of gave me that boost."