WAIPI'O — Kamehameha continued its amazing turnaround season with a 13-9 win against Punahou to capture the Interscholastic League of Honolulu baseball title last night at Central O'ahu Regional Park.

The Warriors (12-8) earned one of the four seeded berths for next week's state tournament on Maui by beating the Buffanblu (13-5) three times this past week. Punahou won the regular-season title, but Kamehameha, which was tied for fourth during the regular season at 5-7, won the league's double-elimination tournament by beating the Buffanblu on Monday and Wednesday to force last night's playoff. Punahou has the ILH's other state berth.

"Nobody thought we'd be in this position a couple of weeks ago and here we are," Kamehameha coach Vern Ramie said. "We kept telling the kids we could do this. They started to believe it after a while. I'm very proud of these guys. They could've easily mailed this thing in. It shows the character of this club."

"Everybody counted us out," said Kamehameha senior catcher Stuart Kam. "We never gave up."

The 3 hour, 3 minute game was ugly in several ways.

The teams combined for 17 walks, nine issued by the Buff-anblu. There were four hit batsmen, three of them by Kamehameha pitchers. Neither team's starter lasted longer than 3 1/3 innings; Jordan Inafuku's 2 1/3 innings of relief, allowing a run, was good enough to get credit with the win as the most effective of the Warriors' three relievers. Kamehameha starter John Worthington was pulled after 1 2/3 innings, when the Buffanblu threatened in the bottom of the second inning.

While there were no incidents, there apparently was bad blood between the teams.

"I really don't have anything to say about them, nothing real good," Punahou coach Eric Kadooka said. "I'm not real happy with what's going on. Our league has no control over any of its teams."

Kadooka wasn't pleased about the three hit batsmen by Kamehameha when Punahou sent 12 batters to the plate in a seven-run seventh.

"We're trying to get this last out," Ramie said. "I'm more upset with our pitcher than he is. We're not out there to throw at or hurt anybody."

One of the hit batsmen came with two strikes on the batter.

But Ramie was upset at other issues.

"There are just some things being done that shouldn't be done," Ramie said. "We're not going to let them do that to our kids. Their coaches are talking to our players. They're ragging our third baseman. It's brutal."

The Warriors jumped on Punahou starter Paul Snieder for four runs in the first, all with two outs.

The Buffanblu chipped back with single runs in the second and third; they left the bases full in the second. But Kamehameha added four more in the fourth to take a commanding 8-2 lead. The Warriors added five more in the next three innings to make it 13-2 that turned out to be insurance for Punahou's seven-run seventh.

The Warriors were led by Mitchell Kauweloa, who went 2 for 4 with four RBIs, as well as with Ed Dun and Makana Kitamura each batting 3 for 4.

Zachary Kometani had a three-run triple for Punahou in the seventh.

KAMEHAMEHA (12-8) 400 411 3—13 14 1

PUNAHOU (13-5) 011 000 7— 9 7 0

John Worthington, Jordan Inafuku (2), Ashkon Kuhaulua (5), Chris Pascual (7) and Stuart Kam. Paul Snieder, Carl Graves (4), Scott Hiramoto (5), Scott Martin (6), Aaron Yamamoto (6), Cheyne Okawa (7). W—Inafuku. L— Snieder.

Leading hitters: Kamehameha— Waylen Sing Chow triple; Mitchell Kauweloa 2-4, 4 RBIs; Ed Dun 3-4, 2 RBIs; Makana Kitamura 3-4, RBI; Parker McCready 1-1, 2 RBIs. Punahou—Maika Murashige double; Steven Dannaway double; Zachary Kometani triple, 3 RBIs.

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.