Turning the tables after two recent uncharacteristic blowout losses, Mid-Pacific scored 13 runs in the bottom of the first inning yesterday and routed five-time defending state champ Punahou, 15-3, in Interscholastic League of Honolulu baseball action.

The Owls, who lost to 'Iolani 14-0 on March 24 and 10-0 to Kamehameha on Tuesday, improved to 6-2 in ILH play. Punahou fell to 3-5 after its fifth loss in the last six games.

"Coach (Dunn Muramaru) told us to just forget about (the lopsided losses), don't focus on it," said MPI senior left fielder Derek Tan, who went 2 for 3 yesterday with a home run and four RBIs. "Today it seemed like we fed off ourselves."

Muramaru said he actually felt like the Owls might be on the wrong end of a lopsided score again, after Punahou's Alaka'i Aglipay slammed a three-run homer in the top of the first inning to give the Buffanblu a quick 3-0 lead.

"I thought, 'Uh-oh, here we go again,' " Muramaru said.

But Mid-Pacific wasted little time in getting those runs back, and then some.

Todd Nagamine led off the bottom of the first with a walk, Justin Protacio reached on an error and Matt McDaniel walked to load the bases for Tan, who poked an opposite-field single to right to score Nagamine. Nick Tasaka and Wade Tamaru drew bases-loaded walks to tie it at 3-3, and Michael Arakaki followed with an RBI single to left.

After a popup to first, Dane Fujinaka singled in Tasaka, then Protacio drilled a base-clearing double to right, making it 8-3. McDaniel followed with an RBI double to right, then Tan slammed a towering home run over the center-field fence to put the Owls up, 11-3.

"It was just an error here, a walk there — it's hard to play here," Muramaru said. "That's what happened to us (in the top of the first): put two guys on and then home run, we're down 3-0. The pitchers get gun-shy because any time you get the ball up in the zone, it has a chance to leave the park."

MPI wasn't done yet, as Tasaka and Tamaru had back-to-back doubles and Tamaru scored on an infield error.

By the time the inning finally ended on a strikeout, over a half-hour had passed and the Owls had nine hits and four walks after batting around twice.

Mid-Pacific added single runs in the third and fifth on Chance Tanigawa's RBI single to center and Tan's sacrifice fly to center.

McDaniel, a senior left-hander, completed a three-hitter with a 5-4-3 double play as the game ended after 4 1/2 innings due to the 10-run rule.

PUNAHOU (3-5) 3 00 00 - 3 3 3

MID-PACIFIC (6-2) (13)01 1X - 15 13 1

Jeremy Fujimoto, Jacob Ellis (1), Burt Kawamoto (2), Ty Tirpak (3), Rawlin Sasamura (4) and Tyler Young; Matt McDaniel and Dane Fujinaka. W — McDaniel. L — Fujimoto.

Leading hitters — Punahou: Alaka'i Aglipay home run, 3 RBIs. Mid-Pacific: Derek Tan 2-3, home run, 3 RBIs; Nick Tasaka 2-3, double, RBI; Justin Protacio double, 3 RBIs; Wade Tamaru double, 2 RBIs.

'IOLANI 9, DAMIEN 2

Reyn Nagamine batted 3 for 3 with two doubles and five RBIs, and Breland Almadov went 3 for 4 with a homer, three runs scored and two RBIs for the Raiders.

DAMIEN (3-5) 002 000 0-2 5 3

'IOLANI (8-0) 320 004 X-9 11 2

Stanton Pilialoha, Jordan Murai (6), Joel DeMello and Aalona Amimoto. Trent Miyashiro, Brett Watanabe (4), Breland Almadova (5) and Grant Iwamoto. W — Miyashiro. L — Pilialoha. S — Almadova.

Leading hitters-Damien: Murai 2-3. 'Iolani: Almadova 3-4, home run, 3 runs, 2 RBIs; Jarrett Arakawa 2 runs; Reyn Nagamine 3-3, 2 doubles, 5 RBIs; Iwamoto 2-4; JR Bunda double.

KAMEHAMEHA 15, PAC-FIVE 0

Kainoa Inafuku and Makana Ramie each had three RBIs and the Warriors scored 11 runs in the second inning.

KAMEHAMEHA (8-1) 0(11)0 40-15 11 0

PAC-FIVE (0-8) 0 0 0 00- 0 3 1

David Lee, Tucker Troy (4) and Keanu Carmichael, P. Preston Hao. Kelsey Uyehara, Trevor Hu (2), Grant Kitagawa (4) and Christian Morihara, Justin Furumori. W — Lee. L — Uyehara.

Leading hitters-Kamehameha: Kalei Hanawahine 2 RBIs; Kainoa Inafuku triple, 3 RBIs; Kewby Meyer 2 RBIs; Jonathan James 2-2, 2 runs, 2 RBIs; Josh Wong 2 runs; Makana Ramie 2-2, 2 doubles, 2 runs, 3 RBIs; Pi'ikea Kitamura triple.

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