Mid-Pacific's Jacob Yoshino comes home for the only score of the game against Iolani. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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Mid-Pacific's Shion Matsushita throws a pitch to plate against Iolani Tuesday afternoon. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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Shion Matsushita tossed six-plus shutout innings and Jacob Yoshino batted 2 for 4 with a double and scored the lone run as No. 3 Mid-Pacific held off No. 2 Iolani, 1-0, at the Raiders' field Tuesday afternoon.

The Owls improved to 3-0 on the season and sit in first place in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu Division I standings.

Matsushita, a senior right-hander, scattered five hits and struck out two batters while allowing four walks. He threw 52 of 83 pitches for strikes before exiting the game with no outs in the bottom of the seventh inning.

"It was a really close game. There were no insurance runs, so I just had to keep the game close," said Matsushita, who improved to 2-0 on the year.

The only run of the game was unearned and came in the top of the sixth inning, when the Raiders committed both of their errors.

Matsushita's outing overshadowed a solid pitching effort by Iolani's Trevor Ichimura, who went the distance in the loss. He allowed seven hits with three strikeouts and one walk in 106 pitches.

"We knew it was going to be a battle," Raiders coach Kurt Miyahira said. "They played well, Shion threw a hell of a game, Trevor (Ichimura) threw a great game — he gave up just the one run — but the ball just didn't bounce our way."

Matsushita was the beneficiary of two spectacular catches in the outfield that saved a number of runs.

Mid-Pacific's Shion Matsushita throws a pitch to plate against Iolani Tuesday afternoon. Greg Yamamoto | SL    Purchase image

Center fielder Jet Uechi laid out for a diving grab for the third out of the bottom of the first inning, when the Raiders left the bases loaded. Later in the game, with Matsushita nursing a one-run lead, Micah Pi tracked down a fly ball just before crashing into the right field fence for the third out of the Iolani sixth, stranding a pair of base runners.

"Zack crushes one to the right-center field gap and Jet Uechi makes one of the best high school catches you'll see, then Zack comes up again, runners on first and second, hits it to the right field wall and Micah Pi makes one of the best high school catches you'll see. It was a good game, just one of those things," Miyahira said.

Pi secured the ball in his mitt after his collision with the wall in right, then enthusiastically held up the ball as the MPI dugout erupted in celebration.

"He had it all the way," Owls coach Dunn Muramaru joked.

Kon's fly-ball out to Pi in the right to end the sixth ended up being the final out recorded by Matsushita.

"That was really big. If that went over, we'd be losing, but my defense had my back," Matushita said. "The last batter, I think it was Kon, I just threw it down the middle and my defense backed me up."

Matsushita got off to a shaky start. He issued a pair of two-out walks in the bottom of the first inning before hitting Cade Yonamine with a 1-1 pitch to load the bases, but he got Kon to hit a fly ball to the gap in right center, where Uechi made a highlight reel catch.

"My teammates kept cheering me on and it really helped me stay positive," Matsushita said. "Our defense made a lot of nice catches and I just kept throwing for the team. I felt good, so I just kept letting them hit."

Iolani left six runners on base, including three in scoring position. It had two base runners caught stealing — including the final out of the game — and had another picked off.

The Raiders had two runners in scoring position in the third, but came away with nothing. Micah Yonamine hit a one-out double to the left field wall before Shane Sasaki singled to right. However, Kyler Mento — who was pinch running for Yonamine, the catcher — fell on his way home and was thrown out at the plate on a relay for the second out. Sasaki took second on the play, but was picked off by Matsushita to end the inning.

MPI failed to capitalize in the top of the fourth, when it loaded the bases with one out. Cameron Ching and Pi were hit by Ichimura pitches and Uechi followed with a single up the middle. However, Ichimura struck out Zane Gushiken for the second out before retiring leadoff hitter Wyatt Young on a foul out to get out of the jam. Young hit a fly ball that curled away from the left field line, but Raiders' left fielder Matt Inaba made a diving catch in foul territory.

Kon reached on a one-out single in the bottom of the frame, but pinch runner Rayden Kaneshiro was thrown out by Owls' catcher Kyle Layugan attempting to steal second.

Yoshino led off the top of the fifth inning with a single to short left-centerfield — the only time the Owls got the leadoff man aboard. He took second base when Ichimura's pick-off attempt drilled him in the back and got away from Kon, the Raiders' first baseman.

"It's always important to get the first guy on, especially with no outs," said Yoshino, a senior third baseman. "The way coach Dunn trains us, there's a lot that we can do with it and a lot of ways that we can get to second and get in scoring position, so that's just how our game plays."

Layugan then singled to left, but as Yoshino rounded third, the ball was bobbled by Inaba in left, which allowed Yoshino to score.

"It happens. I mean, our kids will be back," Miyahira said. "We'll come back again Friday and see what happens. It hurts a little bit, but the sun will shine again tomorrow and we'll get back to work tomorrow and get ready for Friday."

Yoshino batted 2 for 4 and Layugan was 2 for 3 with a walk.

Laguyan went from behind the plate to the mound when he relieved Matsushita in the bottom of the seventh.

After Matsushita walked Preston Chong to lead off the frame, Layugan moved from behind the plate to the mound and freshman Mackenzee Higuchi, who started the game in left field, took over catching duties.

Pinch hitter Jordan Hara laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Mento, the pinch runner for Chong, into scoring position before Layugan got Aaron Ujimori to strikeout on a 2-2 change-up for the second out.

Layugan worked a 1-2 count to leadoff hitter Shaydon Kubo, but his fourth pitch to him was in the dirt and scooted between the legs of Higuchi. However, Mento got a late jump on the pitch and was thrown out by Higuchi while trying to take third to end the game.

It was Layugan's first save of the season.

"Coming in we knew that it was going to be tough to get runs against Ichimura because he's usually down in the zone and he keeps it relatively hard to hit, so we knew that it was going to be a close game," Yoshino said. "Good thing Shion was throwing a lot of strikes and keeping us in the ball game."

Micah Yonamine batted 2 for 2 with a double and a walk to lead Iolani offensively.

The Raiders fell to 1-1. They will next play Friday against PAC-5 at Patsy T. Mink/Central Oahu Regional Park Field No. 1.

Mid-Pacific will face No. 8 Saint Louis at Mike Goeas Field Friday.