WAILUKU — The Baldwin High School baseball team has committed just five errors in five games this season.

According to second-year coach Jon Viela, that is a big reason the Bears, ranked sixth in the Advertiser's statewide poll of coaches and media, are 5-0 in the Maui Interscholastic League after a 13-3 win over Lahainaluna last night at Maehara Stadium.

''At Baldwin, we work hard and take pride in our defense,'' Viela said to The Maui News. ''Pitching and defense, we work hard on that side of the ball and we really emphasize it.''

The Bears have been tested only once in MIL play so far this season, in a 13-9 win over King Kekaulike last week. Including that win, the Bears have outscored their MIL opponents 69-12 this year.

With a pitching staff that is all sophomores except for senior closer Skyler Cabacungan, the defense has been a big reason why the Bears have been so dominant.

''I always tell my pitchers that we can't defend a walk — and that is what got us in trouble tonight at times — but with the defense we have behind them, they can go out there with confidence,'' Viela said.

The Bears bounced out to a 10-0 lead through 2 1/2 innings before the young Lunas, who started two freshmen and three sophomores yesterday, struck for all three of their runs in the bottom of the third.

As usual, Cabacungan was the spark plug for the Bears from his lead-off spot in the order.

He singled and scored in a four-run first inning, walked and scored in a two-run second, and his bloop single knocked in a pair in a four-run third. He finished the night 2-for-2 with three runs and two RBIs.

Sophomore shortstop Jordan Negrini was 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs for the Bears. Negrini also took over on the mound when starter Chad Tokunaga started to struggle to find the plate in the third. Third baseman Kaulana Ching, another sophomore, was 2-for-2 with a double, two runs and three RBIs.

''We hit the ball well and got the pitching we needed,'' Viela said.

For the Lunas (0-4), it was a better outcome than a 14-0, 5-inning loss to the Bears on Wednesday when they didn't get a hit. Yesterday, they forced the Bears to go the seven-inning distance and picked up five hits.

''We are getting there,'' Lahainaluna coach Gary Gatiuan said. ''We are so young that just by playing quality teams like Baldwin, it is going to make us better. They have got a lot of players over there.''

The Lunas got a solid relief effort from senior Devin Weldon on the mound after Kilo Medeiros gave up the first 10 runs.

The Bears substituted seven players in the bottom of the third when the Lunas started to rally. Senior Tyson Mizuno started the Lunas' three-run outburst with a two-out single and L.J. Kalawaia followed with another single. Jordan Casco walked to load the bases before Teddy Ah Puck walked and Cody Nahalea was hit by a pitch. The final Lahainaluna run scored on a passed ball.

Kalawaia led the Lunas at the plate with a 2-for-4 day that included a run.

''You always gear up for a game, but it has to be that way when you play a team like Baldwin,'' Gatiuan said. ''They are always so competitive every year and that is where we want to get to on and off the field.''

Baldwin 424 020 1—13 11 0

Lahainaluna 003 000 0—3 5 1

Chad Tokunaga, Jordan Negrini (4), Skyler Cabacungan (7) and Riley Beeson, Gyson Mochizuki (3); Kilo Medeiros, Devin Weldon (4) and Tyler Vanderlaan. W—Tokunaga. L—Medeiros.

2B—B, Kaulana Ching, Negrini. 3B—B, T.K. Loewen.

SEABURY HALL 10, KA'AHUMANU HOU 2

The Spartans posted a 10-2 win over the Ali'i Lions at Maehara Stadium on yesterday.

Dylan McNeil went 4-for-5 with two doubles, three RBIs and four runs scored and Kaikona Hendershot went 2-for-5 with four runs for the Spartans (2-3).

Nathan Shimodoi went 2-for-4 with an RBI and Edmund Kortum scored two runs for the Ali'i Lions (0-4).

Ka'ahumanu Hou 000 010 1— 2 4 8

Seabury Hall 103 141 x—10 9 1

Sebastian Gomes, Nathan Shimodoi (2), Connor Dell (6) and Jordan Rice. Adrian Rimm, Michael Palmer (5), Dylan McNeil (6) and Sam Chesick. W—Rimm. L—Gomes.

2B—SH, McNeil 2, Chesick.

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