The Warriors celebrate after defeating Saint Louis. Justice Dorser (21) helped get the final five outs to get the win for Waiakea. Michael Lasquero | SL

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_22050722_BASE_5_6_22_WKEAvsSTL-4758.jpg - Michael Lasquero | SL

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WAILUKU, Maui - Dylan Honda squeezed home the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh inning and No. 3 and third-seeded Waiakea slipped past No. 2 and second-seeded Saint Louis, 5-4, Friday night in a semifinal of the Wally Yonamine Foundation Division I state baseball tournament at Iron Maehara Stadium.

The Warriors (10-0) advanced to Saturday's title game against top-seeded Baldwin (16-0) in a rematch of 2018, when the Bears won 14-4 in five innings. They are seeking their first crown since 2012, when they beat Baldwin behind a combined no-hitter of Quintin Torres-Costa and Kodi Medeiros. Since the advent of the 12-team format, when seeded teams went to league champions, the third seed of the tournament has won twice.

Honda, who batted 3 for 4, dropped a safety squeeze toward the third-base line with runners at second and third that scored Kedren Kinzie.

"When I saw bunt (the sign from the coach), I saw that Xander (Sielken the first baseman) was charging in so I thought bunting it to the third-base side, they won't be expecting that," Dylan Honda said. "That's not typical in that situation."

Not typical, he said, because normally, he would bunt toward the right side on a safety squeeze.

"His approach at the plate, he has a pretty good eye, so that's why I opted for the safety squeeze (instead of the suicide where the runner from third breaks for home with the pitch)," Waiakea coach Chris Honda said of his son. "I think that (Saint Louis) was anticipating (the suicide squeeze) too."

Justice Dorser pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings of relief to pick up the win. When the Crusaders (15-4-1) threatened in the bottom of the sixth, he got Ryder Okimoto to ground into a game-ending double play. In the seventh, Nuu Contrades singled with one out but Aiva Arquette lined out to second and Contrades was doubled off first to end the game.

"Dorser came in, did a great job, thew strikes," Chris Honda said. "That's what we geared him for this year

The Warriors jumped to a 2-0 lead in the second against Saint Louis starting pitcher Kahiau Schenk, but saw the Crusaders storm for four runs in the bottom of the fifth on RBI singles by Okimoto, Contrades and Arquette, as well as on an error by third baseman Kinzie.

But Waiakea tied it in the top of the sixth on Devin Garza's two-run against Jacob Villacorte.

In the top of the seventh, Kinzie and Joshua Ward drew consecutive walks to start the inning against Villacorte, who was then pulled for Ray Seabury. Seabury got Yukon Yomono swinging on a wlid pitch on the third strike that advanced the runners into scoring position. On Seabury's first offering, Honda dropped a bunt up the third base line, where third baseman Chyler DeSilva fielded the ball, but when he knew he would be too late to get the runner at home, he had to hold the ball because no one was covering first. Seabury got the next two batters out, but the damage was done.

"Saint Louis is a very good team and everyone in the state knows about Saint Louis and how good they are and how much talent they have on that team," the younger Honda said. "Winning against them means a lot for us. It gives us a lot more confidence."