WAILUKU, Maui — Lawrence Chew fired a two-hitter with 10 strikeouts and one walk last night to lead Mid-Pacific past Maui High, 5-0, in the opening round of the Wally Yonamine Foundation Baseball State Championships.

The Interscholastic League of Honolulu runner-up Owls improved to 15-4 in the regular and postseason and will face No. 4 seed and Big Island Interscholastic Federation champ Hilo (12-0) in today's 11:30 a.m. quarterfinal at Iron Maehara Stadium.

Much of last night's MPI-Maui game before an estimated crowd of 1,200 was an intense pitching duel between left-handers Chew, a hard-throwing junior, and Sabers senior Alika Aheong. It was 1-0 until the Owls broke open the game with a two-out, four-run rally in the bottom of the sixth inning highlighted by Harrison Kam's RBI triple, Nik Alarcio's two-run double and Ryan Muraoka's RBI single.

Mid-Pac took a 1-0 lead after Jordan Obata reached on an infield error to lead off the bottom of the second inning, advanced to second on Tyler Nishimoto's single to left, to third on another infield error and scored on a balk.

Chew, working very quickly, did not allow a hit until Dane Oshiro stroked a clean single into center field with two outs in the sixth inning. All 10 of his strikeouts came in the first six innings, and through the first five frames Chew faced only one batter over the minimum.

Aheong was efficient as well, with five strikeouts and only one walk through the first five innings, allowing just four hits.

MAUI (9-6) 000 000 0 — 0 2 4

MID-PACIFIC (15-4) 010 004 X — 5 8 0

Alika Aheong and Dane Oshiro. Lawrence Chew and Dane Fujinaka. W — Chew. L — Aheong.

Leading hitters — Mid-Pacific: Ryan Muraoka 3-4, RBI; Nik Alarcio double, 2 RBIs; Harrison Kam triple, RBI.

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