Kamehameha's Kaena Kiakona (27) used 63 pitches in four innings and struck out seven Crusaders in a win at Hans L'Orange Field. CJ Caraang | SL

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WAIPAHU - In the never-a-dull-moment that is Interscholastic League of Honolulu baseball, Kamehameha cut Saint Louis' late rally short in a 6-5 win Tuesday night at Hans L'Orange Park.

The Warriors (3-0) took a seemingly commanding 6-2 lead into the bottom of the seventh. But this being the ILH, the Crusaders (2-1) scored three and stranded the tying run at first base when sophomore right-hander Blade Paragas struck out Makamae DuPont to end the game.

Left-hander Kaena Kiakona pitched four strong innings for the Warriors, allowing three consecutive first-inning hits — the third an RBI double by Aiva Arquette — walking one and striking out seven in picking up the win. Kodie Ecks Hanawahine allowed an unearned run in two innings and Paragas surrendered three runs, one of them unearned, in a three-error seventh for Kamehameha.

Down 1-0 after one inning, Pono Nakano's two-run single highlighted a three-run second that gave the Warriors a 3-1 lead, an advantage they would not relinquish. Almost.

But the big blow wasn't so much Nakano's hit. Two batters earlier, Crusaders' right-handed starting pitcher Nuu Contrades felt a twinge after his first pitch to Dane Palimoo and left the game for Ray Seabury. 

"He felt something pop in his arm," said Saint Louis coach George Gusman, who added he did not know the extent of the injury. "It's still not good though."

The Crusaders and the ILH were expecting a big season from Contrades, who has signed with Arizona State. When he left the game, the air seemed to get sucked out of the Crusaders, who would only muster two more hits the rest of the game.

"He'a quality pitcher, competitor," Gusman said. "The whole team kind of deflated after that."

The impact of the injury wasn't lost on the Warriors.

"Oh, my God. Nuu's probably one of the top players in the state," Kamehameha coach Daryl Kitagawa said. "I feel so bad for him. I really hope he can come back from it. I don't know what it was. Great kid, great family and great future ahead of him. I feel so bad for him and hope he recovers."

After a rough first inning, Kiakona settled down the next three innings. With one out, Sean Yamaguchi ripped one-hopper off Kiakona's glove for an infield single, took seconds a wild pitch and went to third on Xander Sielken's single to right. On a 0-1 count, Arquette drilled a double to left-center to put the Crusaders ahead, 1-0, in front of pro scouts who came to watch him, Contrades and Warriors' catcher Beau Sylvester. (The scouts busted out their camera phones when they came to bat.) But Kiakona reduced the damage by getting the next two batters. He would only allow a third-inning walk after the three successive hits. He was pulled after 63 pitches. It's early in the season and the Warriors have only been practicing for about three weeks, Kitagawa said. 

"I'm going on the side of caution," Kitagawa said. "I'm going 50, 60 (pitches) and trust all of the guys we've got, too. That's just my theory and I'm going to stick to my guns. Maybe later on in the season, when they start building their (endurance), then we're going to let them go a little more, but for now I'm going to use as much guys as I can."

The Warriors tallied three in the top of the second. Aukai Kea reached on shortstop Arquette's fielding error and took second on a wild pitch, bringing up Palimoo, who saw one pitch from Contrades, who grimaced after throwing the pitch. Inheriting the 1-0 count, Seabury walked Miecah Andres to load the bases. After Kiai Kawai was called out on strikes, Nagano's line single to right gave Kamehameha a 2-1 lead with runners at the corners. Seabury's errant pick-off throw to third scored Palimoo to make it 3-1 before Aydan Lobetos lined out to right on a diving catch by right fielder Ryder Okimoto, who also caught Jace Souza's fly to end the inning

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‘It was super huge," Kitagawa said of the two-run single by Nakano, who batted 2 for 2 with a hit batsman. "Credit to him. Guys coming up from the JV, stepping him, playing their minds off. I'm happy for Pono; came up with two big hits tonight."

The Warriors did what good teams do: they added on runs, scoring once in each of the next three innings. In each of those innings, the lead-off batter reached by single (Sylvester in the third, Nagano in the fourth) and walk (Kea). 

After Sylvester singled to start the third, he was lifted for courtesy runner Cody Branco, who took third on a hit-and-run single by Elijah Ickes. Kea reached first when center fielder Ryson Waalani dropped a fly ball that would have been deep enough to be rendered a sacrifice fly before Seabury struck out the next three batters.

Nagano led off the fourth with a single and took second on Lobetos' single. After the runners advanced on Souza's sacrifice, Nagano scored when Sylvester grounded out to shortstop.

In the fifth, Kea led off with a walk, stole second and advanced to third on Andres' single to shortstop. Kea would score on a wild pitch to make it 6-1 after five innings.

Saint Louis got a run back in the sixth when Silken reached on an infield single and took second on an errant throw from shortstop Ickes. Two outs later, Silken scored on Ickes' fielding error to make it 6-2.

Then came the wild bottom of the seventh for Saint Louis. A wild pitch and three errors made for an interesting inning for the Warriors, who would strand the tying run on first to end the game.

Both teams return to action Thursday with Kamehameha playing host Damien at Central Oahu Regional Park and Saint Louis hosting Maryknoll at Goeas Field.