No. 3 Mid-Pacific flattens No. 10 Iolani

Reyn Matsuzaki (33) is congratulated by Payton Dixon (1) after hitting a home run over the right field fence. Brandon Ching | SL

ALA WAI — No. 3 Mid-Pacific jumped out to an early lead and pulled away in the fifth to thump No. 10 Iolani, 9-2, at Eddie Hamada Baseball Field Saturday.

Chance Otsuka drove in three runs and Karter Wong and Chandler Murray each brought in two more as the Owls rebound and improved to 7-4 in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu Division I standings.

The Raiders dropped its third-straight game to fall to 3-7.

Aaron Mills picked up the win with five strikeouts, scattered five hits and of the two Iolani runs, one was earned in 5 2/3 innings of work.

Kaleb Tenn pitched four innings, struck out four, walked two on 67 pitches in the loss.

Draven Nushida drew a leadoff walk. Wong singled to score Nushida and moved to second on the throw and a balk on Tenn moved him to third. Otsuka brought in Wong with a single to center for a 2-0 lead.

Nathaniel Wagner was hit by a pitch and went to second after Kodak Shojinaga walked. Wagner got to third on a error and Otsuka scored him for a 3-0 lead.

Iolani got on the scoreboard after Bruin Agbayani led off the third inning with a single and got to second on an error then to third on a passed ball. Rylen Miyasaki grounded out but plated Agbayani to trail, 3-1.

Wagner led off with a bunt single, Shojinaga followed up with a hard single, and Wong was beaned to load the bases. Iolani made a pitching change and went with Mathew Kaneshiro on the mound. Wagner scored off of Otsuka's sacrifice fly and Murray doubled to plate another run. Coen Goeas' sacrifice fly brought in the third run of the frame for a 6-1 lead.

Wong's double to center in the sixth plated Wagner for the third time in the afternoon and came in to score off Murray's hit for a commanding, 8-1 lead.

Iolani loaded up the bases on consecutive singles by Cole Ide and Travis Ujimori and Isaac Ahokovi was beaned. Ide was able to score the Raiders' second run, however, the Owl defense went to work with a 4-6-3 double play. Kaimana Lau Kong's fielder choice ended the inning and the Raiders came up empty-handed.

Reyn Matsuzaki crushed a home run over the right field fence to lead off the seventh for the Owls' last run of the afternoon.

Mid-Pacific defeated Iolani earlier in the season 5-4 on Mar. 17.

The Owls host No. 5 Maryknoll (7-3-1) at Damon Field on Apr. 5 at 3:30 p.m. while the Raiders take on PAC-5 (1-10) on the same afternoon at Central Oahu Regional Park.

Reach Brandon Ching at [email protected].