Mid-Pacific's Chase Wago throws a pitch to the plate against St. Louis. Mason Asato | Special to SL

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Mid-Pacific's Sean Kinel dives into home plate to score a run for the Owls. Mason Asato | Special to SL

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Mid-Pacific's Cal Muramaru rounds third base and heads towards home to score a run for the Owls. Evan Asato | SL

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St. Louis' Jordan Yamamoto threw 6 and 1/3 innings for the Crusaders. Evan Asato | SL

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Coach Dun Muramaru calls a mid-inning meeting while the Owl's were at bat. Evan Asato | SL

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Mid-Pacific's Noah Shackles connects with a pitch against St. Louis. Evan Asato | SL

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Mid-Pacific institute exploded for four runs in the top of the seventh inning to beat Saint Louis, 7-3, Wednesday to capture its third consecutive Interscholastic League of Honolulu baseball title.

A standing room only crowd of about 300 packed into 'Iolani School's field to watch the Owls (15-3-1) take their 18th overall league crown and earn a seeded berth into next week's Division I state baseball tournament at Les Murakami Stadium. They beat the Crusaders (14-6) for the fifth time in six meetings (three in the regular season, twice in the postseason tournament and the playoff).

"It shows how hard these guys work and how much they care," said MPI leadoff batter Bryce Nagata, who started the seventh with a single. "It shows a lot of heart. Everyone on this team has a role and when it's time to step up, they step up. Great team effort today. I'm so proud of them."

Noah Shackles one out, RBI single ignited the four-run seventh that saw nine Owls come to the plate.

It was a battle of the aces with MPI left-hander Chase Wago against Saints' right-hander Jordan Yamamoto. They were engaged in a 3-all game after six.

Wago, a sophomore, pitched six innings, allowing three runs, six hits and two walks with four strikeouts. But his offense gave him the lead and Jacob Maekawa preserved the lead with a scoreless seventh.

"The defense was awesome," Wago said. "They're always there backing me up."

Yamamoto, a senior who has signed with the University of Arizona, struggled from the outset. He was charged with seven runs (threeunearned), nine hits and four walks with four strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings. Pono Anderson got the last two outs.

"Today wasn't my best," Yamamoto said. "Everybody has those days. Just gotta come back, work hard. We have to work for state because it's our last ride or die here."

"We talk about first-pitch strikes," Saint Louis coach George Gusman said. "Wasn't as good as he can. He kept getting the first batter of the inning on. That puts all kinds of pressure, the things they can do. But we got them back. We had our chances. We just have to make some plays."

Yamamoto entered the top of the seventh at the 95-pitch mark. Nagata led off the top of the seventh with an eight-pitch at-bat before lining a single to center.

"You have to give credit to Jordan," Nagata said. "He's a real good pitcher. He was giving me a lot of sliders; I was looking for that early in the count. He got behind, so I was just looking for the fastball."

Cal Muramaru walked, the fourth issued by Yamamoto, to put runners at first and second. Nicholas Bottom flied out to right, deep enough to advance Nagata to third. With runners at the corners, Shackles' ground single to left scored Nagata to put MPI ahead, 4-3, and sent Muramaru to second.

After a wild pitch put the runners at second and third, the Crusaders were forced to bring the infield in. Cameron Igarashi grounded a single up the middle that deflected off the out-stretched glove of shortstop Rayson Romero to score another run and put runner at the corners again.

Yamamoto, who was at 116 pitches, was pulled for Anderson.. A fielding error by third baseman Brendan Uchima scored another run and sent the other to second. A double steal moved the runners over before Ryan Kiyotoki walked to load the bases. Jarrod Infante, who entered the game as a pinch runner in the sixth for DH Jarrett Lum, grounded out to second to score the fourth run of the inning  before Ryne Yamashiro grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Owls sent the right-handed Maekawa to the mound for the seventh. He retired Tanner Atiburcio on a routine fly to center for the first out. Romero, who was 2 for 3 in his previous at-bats, hit a hard liner on a bounce to right fielder Nagata, who threw out the batter and deny him a hit.

Jordan Mopas and Jacob Gribbin followed with back-to-back singles to put runners on first and second with the tying run on-deck. But Ryder Kuhns flied out to right to end the game.

Although the Owls won 4 of 5 from the Crusaders, all were close contests.

"Every game is like a championship game," Wago said. "It's so hard."

The Owls took a 1-0 lead in the first. Muramaru singled with one out and scored when Bottom reached second when center fielder Devan Stubblefield dropped a fly to the right-center alley. Yamamoto got the next two batters on grounders to minimize the damage.

The Owls made it 2-0 in the top of the second, cashing in on a lead-off walk by Tyler Yamaguchi, who took second on Kiyotoki's single to right. After Lum struck out, Yamashiro's line single to right scored Yamaguchi before Nagata grounded to short for an inning-ending double play.

Saint Louis got one of the runs back in the bottom of the second. Jacob White walked with one out and went to second on Brendan Uchima's single to right. After Atiburcio struck out, Romero delivered a line single to center to score White, but Uchima was gunned down trying for third to end the inning.

Mid-Pacific got a run in the fifth. Yamashiro led off with a single and was lifted for pinch runner Sean Kinel. After Nagata flied to right, Kinel took second when Muramaru grounded out to the pitcher on a bunt. Bottom walked and Shackles single to right scored Kinel and moved Bottom to second. The runners were stranded when Igarashi grounded out to first.

But the Crusaders came back in the fifth. Romero led off with a single and took third on Mopas' double down the left-field line. Romero scored on Gribbin's sacrifice fly to right that also moved Mopas to third. With the infield playing back against cleanup hitter Kuhns, Mopas scored on a grounder to short before Yamamoto was thrown out trying to bunt his way on to end the inning.