WAIPIO-From a heart-breaking start to a heart-warming end.

Moanalua, devastated by the death of former player Zach Manago last December, brought home its first O'ahu Interscholastic Association baseball crown Saturday night with a nail-biting 4-3 win against four-time defending champion Pearl City at Patsy T. Mink Central O'ahu Regional Park.

"We did this all for Zach," Moanalua third baseman-pitcher Jordan DePonte said. "That's what we've been working on the whole season.

Manago, who graduated last year and was to play for Hawaii Pacific University this season, was riding his bicycle with a group of riders when he was fatally struck by a vehicle in a hit-and-run incident.

"I think the experience they had from 2009, playing in the state tournament, playing in big games, they never say die," Moanalua's 14th-year coach Scott Yamada said.

Moanalua rallied for four runs in the bottom of the sixth to overcome a 2-0 deficit after five innings. But the four-time defending OIA champion Chargers weren't ready to pack it in yet.

After retiring the first five batters he faced since entering the game for starter Regan Lum with one out in the fifth, Kamalu Kamoku walked pinch hitter Kyle Tom on five pitches and walked Tanner Tokunaga to put the tying run on base. But after the first pitch to Kai Kealoha, who squared to bunt but took the low pitch for ball, catcher Brandon Kong fired a strike to shortstop Tim Arakawa to pick off Tom.

"I saw him bounce out and he was stuck," Kong said. "Me and Tim (Arakawa), we're always heads up, so we got it down."

But Kamoku walked Kealoha. DePonte came in from third base to pitch and walked Tyler Tokunaga to load the bases. Chevas Numata's sacrifice fly to deep center scored Tanner Tokunaga and moved Kealoha to third. With Tyler Tokunaga breaking for second on a 1-2 pitch, Troy Barbosa-Scanlan grounded out to shortstop to end the game.

"It felt great," DePonte said. "That's the kind of times I want the ball. Earlier in the season, I got the ball in the same situation against Kailua and didn't quite do the job. I've been hungry since then to get that same situation and shut the door and my defense backed me up."

Moanalua trailed 2-0 after five innings before sending nine batters up in the four-run sixth.

Bronson Shim led off with a double to left off Numata. Pinch hitter David Miyashiro reached first when Numata bobbled the bunt toward third, putting runners at the corners. James Higa bounced a single to right to score Shim and send Miyashiro to second. The runners advanced on pinch hitter Kekoa Kaulukukui's sacrifice before DePonte - 2 for 2 in his previous plate appearances - was intentionally walked to set up force plays all around. But Miles Higa drilled an inside fastball down the left-field line score the tying and go-ahead run to give Moanalua a 3-2 lead.

"I was sitting on fastball and he threw a fastball," Higa said.

Higa had grounded into a double play and struck out against Numata earlier.

"Early in the game, I had trouble hitting him because of his curveballs. He has good command of his curveballs."

Numata was lifted for Sean Milan, who was greeted with a squeeze by Michael Egami to score DePonte with an insurance run.

Pearl City took a 1-0 lead against Moanalua starter Regan Lum. Kealoha led off with a triple to right and scored when Tyler Tokunaga grounded out to third on a nice stop by DePonte on a hit toward the hole.

The Chargers added a run in the fifth. Kealoha singled with one out, stole second and scored when Tyler Tokunaga singled off the second baseman's glove to make it 2-0.

As heart-warming the game was for Moanalua, it was heart-breaking for Pearl City. Its four titles in a row matches Kailua's run from 2000 to 2003 and 'Aiea's from 1972 to 1975. The record is 10 by Waipahu from 1948 to 1957.

"It's hard, being from Pearl City, the streak they had going," Chargers' first-year coach Mitch Yamato said. "They played a good game. It came down to small, little stuff that made a big difference in this game."

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