WAIPI'O — Pearl City scored three runs in the top of the eighth inning last night and then held off a Kailua rally in the bottom half to win its second straight O'ahu Interscholastic Association baseball championship, 8-7.

A tense crowd of about 700 at Patsy Mink Central O'ahu Regional Park watched the Chargers finish the regular season with a 13-2 record and secure the league's top seed and first-round bye in next week's state tournament.

Kailua, which lost the title game for the second straight year, fell to 12-3 and will begin state tournament action in the first round on May 7.

The Surfriders had the tying run at third base with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, but closer Bryson Nakamura got a strikeout on a 2-2 fastball to end the game.

Kailua had another opportunity to win it in the bottom of the seventh, when it put runners on first and second with no outs. But sophomore starter Kahana Neal got two strikeouts and a grounder to third to escape the jam.

"This feels good, it's a good experience," said Neal, a right-hander who transferred from Mililani and threw 132 pitches in 7 1/3 innings last night. "I was a bit tired at the end, but I still wanted to go."

Surfriders coach Corey Ishigo said he elected not to call for a sacrifice bunt to move his runners up in the seventh-inning situation.

"It crossed my mind, but I thought we'd take our chances with three seniors coming up," Ishigo said. "We only needed one run, not two, so I'd rather have three chances to get a hit instead of two. Most coaches probably would have sacrificed, and I feel bad ... I told the (players) I'll take this loss, it's not just them."

Fitting for a matchup of Eastern and Western Division champions, the game was full of big plays and twists and turns.

Pearl City took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning after a wild pitch and Carlton Tanabe's run-scoring single to left. Kailua answered with three runs in the bottom half, on Scott Talaesea's opposite-field three-run homer over the fence in left-center.

The Chargers tied it at 3-3 in the second after two hits and two errors. The Surfriders took the lead back at 4-3 in the fourth on Bryson Gauthe's RBI single to right field, then went up 5-3 in the fifth on Bobby Lastimosa's run-scoring fielder's choice grounder with the bases loaded.

But Pearl City tied it again in the sixth on Cory Yuh's two-run opposite-field single to left.

After escaping the seventh-inning jam, the Chargers took the lead for good after Ryno Acosta led off the eighth with a double down the left-field line and scored on Jared Nagai's one-out single to left-center. Yuh followed with another RBI single to center, and pinch-runner Stan Nishimoto scored on an errant pickoff throw to make it 8-5.

But Kailua was not done yet.

Alika Ramsmeyer-Ho reached on an error to lead off the bottom of the eighth, and courtesy runner Ike Kaluiokalani advanced to second on Ryan Kinoshita's single to right. After a fielder's choice force play for the second out, pinch-hitter Jared Tamanaha drove in a run with a ground single to right. Keenan Tanaka followed with another RBI single to right to make it 8-7, advancing Tamanaha to third.

But he was stranded there as Nakamura got the strikeout to end the game.

PEARL CITY (13-2) 210 002 03 — 8 10 2

KAILUA (12-3) 300 110 02 — 7 10 3

Kahana Neal, Bryson Nakamura (8) and Carlton Tanabe. Reyn Mitsuda, Bryson Gauthe (1), Alika Ramsmeyer-Ho (6) and Keenan Tanaka. W — Neal. L — Ramsmeyer-Ho. S — Nakamura.

Leading hitters — Pearl City: Cory Yuh 3-4, 2 RBIs; Tanabe 2-4, RBI; Jared Nagai double, RBI; Nakamura double; Ryno Acosta double. Kailua: Scott Talaesea home run, 3 RBIs; Ryan Kinoshita 2-4, triple; Tanaka 3-5, RBI; Gauthe 2-2, RBI; Jordan Limahai double.

Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2456. Read his blog on prep sports at preptalk.honadvblogs.com.

WAIPAHU 4, RADFORD 3

Jansen Rios' two-out single scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning as the host Marauders beat the Rams in the OIA White Conference final.

Kaimi Haina scattered five hits and struck out 11 batters for Waipahu.

In the seventh, Aldrin Padilla led off with a double, and after a fly out, Tryton Gante singled to drive in Padilla. Ignatius Mackenzie followed with a double to put runners on second and third. Following a strikeout, Rios hit an 0-2 pitch down the middle for the game-winning single.

RADFORD (8-4-1) 010 020 0—3 5 2

WAIPAHU (12-0-1) 200 000 2—4 8 3

Damon Puskarich, Brad Osborne (7) and Zack Seitz. Kaimi Haina and Ignatius Mackenzie. W — Haina. L — Osborne.

Leading hitters — Radford: Torin Sims double, run; Eric Espenshade 3-3. Waipahu: Haina double, run; Aldrin Padilla 2-3, double; Jansen Rios 2 RBIs.

Reported by Milton Takenaka

CASTLE 4, 'AIEA 2

Kaliko Cayetano-Tamashiro hit a run-scoring single and Coby Agres added a two-run double in the decisive third inning as the Knights beat Na Ali'i in the OIA Red Conference third-place game at Central O'ahu Regional Park.

Castle's Josh Serrano struck out three in five innings, and Pulama Silva pitched two scoreless innings.

'AIEA (8-6) 011 000 0—2 5 1

CASTLE (9-5) 003 010 X—4 6 1

Shane Okubo, Cedric Kojima (6) and Carson Tsuruda. Josh Serrano, Pulama Silva (6) and Coby Agres. W — Serrano. L — Okubo.

Leading hitters — 'Aiea: Keenan Naole 1-3, RBI; Randy Castillo 1-3, RBI. Castle: Kaliko Cayetano-Tamashiro 1-2, RBI; Agres 1-3, double, 2 RBIs.

Reported by Chad Uyehara

KAHUKU 3, KALAHEO 2

Joe Dio hit a two-run double in the Red Raiders' three-run third inning and R.J. Van Ness fired a four-hitter with nine strikeouts as Kahuku topped the Mustangs in the OIA White Conference third-place game. Dio finished 2-for-3.

KAHUKU (9-4) 003 000 0—3 4 2

KALAHEO (10-3) 001 000 1—2 4 1

R.J. Van Ness and Stephen Van Ness. Kord Walls, Steven Vega (4) Justin Pagan. W — R. Van Ness. L — Walls.

Leading hitters — Kahuku: Joe Dio 2-3, double, 2 RBIs; S. Van Ness double; Kui Naeole double. Kalaheo: Walls 2-2.

Reported by Tim Lierman