Punahou's Beau Branton made an outstanding play from deep short in the top of the fifth inning. Evan Asato | SL

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Punahou's Cole Kanazawa acknowledges the crowd after his double in the bottom of the fifth inning, that scored two runs. Evan Asato | SL

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Mid-Pac Pitcher Trey Saito fields a bunt just past home plate. Evan Asato | SL

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Mid-Pac's Isiah Kiner-Falefa turns a play in the bottom of the fourth inning. Evan Asato | SL

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Punahou third base coach Daryl Kitagawa encourages pinch runner Drew Ogomori down the third base line. Evan Asato | SL

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Punahou's Nate Higa celebrates after crossing home plate to score Punahou's third run. Evan Asato | SL

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Punahou's Thomas Morris throws a pitch to the plate against Mid-Pacific. Evan Asato | SL

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Evan Asato | SL

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Punahou's Beau Branton made an outstanding play from deep short in the top of the fifth inning. Evan Asato | SL

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Punahou's Thomas Morris and Dylan Combs combined to hold Mid-Pacific to a season-low one run on two hits, as the Buffanblu topped the Owls, 3-1, putting an end to the Owls' unblemished win-loss record under the lights at Ala Wai Field Friday.

"You just gotta believe!" was heard from the stands, and with back-to-back wins for the first time this season for the Buffanblu, perhaps the message has been heard loud and clear.

"There is no motivation, it's just playing good baseball and competing hard all the time and that's what we preach. We tell our boys gotta work hard, gotta believe in themselves. The kids just believed today." said Harrison.

Morris threw 6 strong innings, allowing just one run on two hits, striking out two and walking three. The Buffanblu defense came ready to make outs against a tough Mid-Pacific squad.

"My defense was awesome, Beau Branton made killer plays and I'm lucky to have them" said Morris.

"We knew the course we gotta take to get there and the game plan was to get out there and swing, get out there and throw strikes. Coach Matt and I talked about Thomas Morris, here's a guy comming off of ‘Tommy John' surgery, I mean to come off of Tommy John Surgery and to pitch an unbelievable game like he did, is exactly what we needed from him." Said Coach Kenny Harrison.

"My arm felt great and I just tried to get ahead early and mix up my pitches. Mid-Pac is a good hitting team and the goal was to just try to keep them off balance. My arm fatigue is a little faster, I have a pitch count because my arm isn't as conditioned, but it's (getting) stronger from all the rehab I've been doing. It isn't as strong and it takes me a little bit longer to heal, but it's a mixed blessing." said Morris about his surgery. 

The game started as a three up and three down affair, with both teams battling hard not to give up any runs. Punahou's Thomas Morris and Mid-Pac's Trey Saito both did excellent jobs on the mound.

Punahou made their move in the bottom of the fifth inning, as senior Niko Takayesu walked after four straight balls. The Owls made a pitching change and junior Drew Orgomori went into the game to pinch run for Takayesu on first.

Jason Rosen laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to advance Orgomori to second, which gave Mid-Pac their first out of the inning.

The Owls made another pitching change, opting to bring in senior Deric Valoroso. KJ Harrison stepped up to the plate and made an outstanding base hit down the third base line, scoring Orgomori and putting Punahou up, 1-0.

The Mid-Pac coaching staff decided to intentionally walk Nate Higa with two outs, bringing Bo Coolen up to the plate. Coolen was walked by Valoroso, loading the bases for junior Cole Kanazawa.

"They had just walked Coolen so I was still pretty excited. I had to settle down and calm my nerves and do something I could handle. I knew it wouldn't take anything extravagant or huge and I just hit it the other way." said junior Cole Kanazawa who was describing his thought process before he hit a double down the first base line to score two more runs for the Buffanblu.

"I got one on the outside and just hit it the other way. Got to second (base) and it felt pretty good."

Mid-Pac would make a third pitching change in the fifth inning, handing the ball to sophomore Nicholas Bottom, who closed out the inning with a ground out.

Punahou's defense held strong in the top of the sixth inning fielding three grounders, one to Morris on the mound, one to Kato at third, and one to Branton at shortstop.

"Each inning my approach was the same except for the inning after we scored our runs, I just got a little more fire and started throwing a little more harder. I was amped up." Said Morris.

"Overall it was a great game, we believed in ourselves. Beau Branton made that great play in the hole and our kids are growing, they're believing in themselves." said coach Kenny Harrison talking about Punahou's defense.

The Owls made use of their last inning's worth of at bats to try to make a comeback. Morris walked seniors, Marcus Doi and Daniel Fentriss and the Punahou coaching staff decided to bring junior Dylan Combs in to close things out.  

Bryce Asao hit a sharp ball past second, allowing Doi to score and advancing Fentriss to third to make the score 3-1.

Following the initial score for the Owls, Combs settled down and proceeded to conclude the inning with two strikeouts.

"It's been a long season and we've been telling our guys to be patient and to be swinging the bat often and early. We had some good at bats, some clutch hits - where all year those clutch hits were being caught by guys making great plays, but we just continued to teach these kids to stay patient and to continue believing in themselves and to keep swinging." said Coach Harrison.

Mid-Pacific will look to bounce back and will need to do so in a hurry, as the Owls will take on 'Iolani, a 9-1 winner Friday against Saint Louis, in a 3:00 p.m. game Saturday.

Punahou will have a week off before they face Iolani in a televised game next Friday, live on OC16 from Hans L'Orange Field in Waipahu.