WAILUKU — The Kamehameha Schools-Maui baseball team scored a total of four runs in its last three games — all losses — before taking on undefeated Baldwin last night at Maehara Stadium.

With just three hits, the Warriors didn't exactly break out the bats against the Bears, but the breaks finally went Kamehameha's way and junior right-hander Naea Kalehuawehe did the rest on the mound in a 5-0 Kamehameha win.

The result dropped Baldwin, ranked sixth in the Advertiser's top 10 poll, to 7-1 in Maui Interscholastic League Division I play, while Kamehameha kept its slim regular-season title hopes alive by improving to 5-3. Both teams have four games to go before the MIL tournament, but trail No. 10 Maui (6-0) in the loss column.

The Warriors had an air-clearing team meeting before the game that seemed to lift a lot of the frustration of losing three straight games all by two runs or less, two of which were shutouts, including 2-0 to the Bears on Wednesday.

''That is a really big win,'' Kamehameha coach Brandon Kanamu said to The Maui News. ''After last night's loss, we showed a little bit of character. This game was closer than it looks — Baldwin is a great ballclub.''

Kalehuawehe (3-1) struck out five, a couple looking on a knee-buckling curveball, walked two, and hit two batters.

''I had a rough start, but I started using my defense because I needed to utilize everything we had and that took the pressure off me,'' Kalehuawehe said. ''I had a lot more confidence because we were playing like a team, like we want to in every game. We had the team meeting, got everything out in the open and then played like we know we can.''

The Warriors took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second on an RBI fielder's choice by Evan Garces and a run-scoring double by Jordan Camara, the only extra-base hit of the night.

Kamehameha made it 4-0 in the fourth when Keenan Kaluau scored on a passed ball and Camara scored on a wild pitch.

The Warriors added their final run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Dayton Alexander.

That was more than enough for Kalehuawehe, who gave up two hits to Baldwin's Kainalu Garso, but only one other on the night.

''Naea pitched a hell of a game,'' Kanamu said. ''He hit his locations, he is a good kid, a hard worker, he throws hard, and tonight he really used his defense well.''

Baldwin coach Jon Viela said he was not surprised to see Kamehameha break out.

''From the beginning of the season, I knew Kamehameha is a tough team,'' Viela said. ''Every game they play they have a chance to win and tonight they did everything they needed to do.''

Kanamu admitted it was nice to see some runs cross the plate.

''We didn't exactly explode with the bats, but it was great to see some runs cross the plate,'' he said. ''Everyone who has seen our last few games knows we have left plenty on base.''

The Warriors need to run the table — they have Moloka'i (3-2), two with Lahainaluna (2-6) and Ka'ahumanu Hou (0-6) left on their regular-season slate — and then get some help.

''They have two tough series behind them in us and Maui High,'' Viela said. ''They are not out of it.''

''We don't like that we don't have our destiny in our hands, but we still have the tournament if we need it,'' Kanamu said.

Baldwin 000 000 0—0 3 0

KS-Maui 020 201 x—5 3 2

Chase Tokunaga, Gyson Mochizuki (4) and Riley Beeson, James Uwekoolani (4). Naea Kalehuawehe and Mason Castillon. W—Kalehuawehe, 3-1. L—Tokunaga, 2-1.

2B—KSM, Jordan Camara.

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