KAHULUI — The battles between the Baldwin and Maui high school softball teams always captivate the attention of Maui Interscholastic League fans, and Wednesday’s game was no different.

The Bears took control of the MIL regular-season race with a 9-7 victory in front of a packed house at Patsy Mink Field on the Sabers’ Kahului campus.

The result pushed Baldwin’s record to 9-1 in the MIL — one win in the Bears’ final two games will clinch the regular-season title and the state berth that goes with it. Maui High fell to 7-2.

“Coming from Maui, two great programs,” Baldwin coach Sanoe Montilliano Kekahuna said. “Maui High has a really great staff, great players. You know, we just expect to keep up with them and just keep working hard and keep plugging in every day. Just take one game at a time, especially with COVID nowadays, can’t take anything for granted. We’re just doing the best we can.”

The teams entered the game having split their first two meetings earlier this season.

The Bears took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when L.B. Kahahawai-Kekona scored on an error.

Kahahawai-Kekona’s deep sacrifice fly to center field drove in the Bears’ second run in the third. Briana Maio-Silva made it 3-0 one batter later with an RBI single to left field.

The Sabers got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third on back-to-back RBI doubles by Satsuki Dumlao and Jaycie Chun. They tied the score at 3-3 on an RBI single to right by Breani Kahalehau.

The Bears went back on top 5-3 in the fifth on a two-run, towering home run by Maio-Silva that hit the foul pole in left field. Baldwin would not relinquish the lead.

“Honestly, it felt really good, especially to have my team behind my back and my family to support from the bleachers,” said Maio-Silva, a freshman.

Maio-Silva looked around the packed facility and smiled.

“I really enjoy it — after COVID I haven’t seen this before,” she said.

Maio-Silva thought her homer was a foul ball as it sliced towards the pole.

“I saw the (umpire) say it was a round, hit the foul pole, so I felt really good and especially to have my team at home (plate), it was really nice,” she said.

The Sabers got within 5-4 on an RBI single down the third-base line by Chun in the bottom of the fifth. With runners on second and third and one out, Baldwin pitcher Lauren Otsubo got out of the jam with a strikeout and groundout.

The Bears pushed the lead to 6-4 on a bloop RBI single to shallow left by Makanani Sonognini in the top of the sixth. An error on a grounder hit by Kahahawai-Kekona upped the margin to 7-4.

An infield single that Maio-Silva barely beat out at first base drove in two more runs to give the Bears a five-run lead.

The Sabers got two runs back on a single to center by Dumlao in the bottom of the sixth. After getting caught in a rundown between third base and home after a bunt by Chun, Dumlao scored with a nifty slide at the plate, avoiding the tag attempt by Baldwin third baseman Bailey Nagasako.

Kahalehau was intentionally walked to load the bases for Jovita Laloulu, who popped out to first base for the second out. Eliana Ulufale then popped out to shortstop to end the threat.

The Sabers got runners to second and third with two outs in the bottom of the seventh — bringing Chun to the plate — but Otsubo got the final out on a groundout to third base.

The Bears and Sabers are quite likely to see each other again in the MIL tournament final and perhaps in a winner-take-all playoff game. Only three of the runs off Maui High pitcher Jer-Zee Ragasa were earned — Maui High committed seven errors, while the Bears had five.

“We love these games, it’s making both of us better — we need to see this every time so if we do so happen to make it to states, we’ll be representing well for Maui,” Maui High coach Erick Jon Rivera said. “Definitely hats off to Baldwin today.”

* Robert Collias is at rcollias@mauinews.com

Baldwin 102 024 0–9 12 5

Maui High 003 013 0–7 7 7

Lauren Otsubo and Jasmyn Yoshikawa; Jer-Zee Ragasa and Paige Beatty. W–Otsubo. L–Ragasa. 2B–Maui High, Satsuki Dumlao, Jaycie Chun, Breani Kahalehau. HR–Baldwin, Briana Maio-Silva.

Leading hitters–Baldwin, Makanani Sonognini 3-4, 3 runs, RBI; Maio-Silva 2-4, run, 3 RBIs; Kristen Otsubo 2-4. Maui High, Chun 2-4, run, 2 RBIs; Ragasa 2-2.

*****

MIL Standings

DIVISION I

W L Pct. GB

Baldwin 9 1 .900 —

Maui High 7 2 .778 1 1⁄2

Lahainaluna 4 5 .444 4 1⁄2

Kamehameha Maui 3 6 .333 5 1⁄2

King Kekaulike 0 9 .000 8 1⁄2

DIVISION II

W L T Pct.

Lanai 2 0 1 .833

Molokai 4 1 1 .750

Hana 0 5 0 .000

Wednesday’s Results

Baldwin 9, Maui High 7

Kamehameha Maui vs. Lahainaluna, late

Friday’s Games

King Kekaulike vs. Baldwin at Maui High, 4 p.m.

Lanai at Hana, 4 p.m.