WAILUKU — Logan Kuloloia wanted the baseball on Tuesday and when given the chance, the Maui High School senior made the best of a large opportunity.

Kuloloia, a senior left-hander, tossed a three-hit complete game with one strikeout, five walks and a hit batsman to lead the Sabers to a 4-0 win over Kamehameha Maui at Maehara Stadium.

Maui High improved to 9-1 in the Maui Interscholastic League Division I race and needs one more win in the final two games — today at 5:30 p.m. and Thursday at 3:30 — to clinch the regular-season title and state berth that goes with it.

“In the beginning my curveball was working, but then towards the end, I don’t know, couldn’t find it,” Kuloloia said. “My change-up was pretty good, too. That’s about it. Fastball wasn’t too good today.”

Kuloloia used 108 pitches to finish the shutout — the national high school limit is 110.

“I wanted it, I was visualizing this for pretty long now and when I came out I was ready to go,” Kuloloia said.

Kuloloia’s got stellar play from his defense all game long.

“We’re only taking it one game at a time and we’re just looking forward to winning it all,” Kuloloia said. “I had to be careful today on some batters because I know they can hit. I used some off speed and it worked.”

Maui High moved runners to second and third with two outs in the top of the second inning and then a wild pitch scored the first run of the game. A third-strike wild pitch to Aaron Omuro pushed another run across and made it 2-0.

Maui High scored two runs in the frame without a hit, taking advantage of the two wild pitches and three walks by Kamehameha Maui starter Kaimi Kahalekai, a University of Texas signee.

Bransyn Hong and Noah Gabriel singled with one out in the Kamehameha Maui second inning. When Denali McGuire flew out to medium depth in right field, Hong tried to advance to third base but was thrown out on a pretty 9-6-5 relay starting with Izaiah Koko in right field to Nariyuki Dumlao at shortstop and then Nicholas Nashiwa tagged out Hong at third base to end the inning on a spectacular double play.

Koko singled to lead off the Sabers’ third inning and then went all the way to third base on an errant pickoff throw by Kahalekai.

Dumlao was then walked and Koko scrambled home on a passed ball to make it 3-0. Dumlao took third and scored on consecutive wild pitches to push the Sabers’ lead to 4-0.

Last season, the Sabers started the regular season 9-0 and were ranked No. 1 in both statewide polls before struggling down the stretch and missing the state tournament altogether. Maui High has not won an MIL overall championship since 2008.

Maui High head coach Chase Corniel knows how close his team is to clinching a crucial state tournament berth.

“Huge, huge especially (after) what happened last year,” Corniel said. “I told our seniors ‘this is the first thing that we’ve got to do, our first goal’ and, you know, we’re going to try to meet it.”

Omuro ran down a foul pop by Ziah Chang for another pretty play for the Sabers defense for the second out of the third inning.

After Brysen Molina walked to lead off the top of the Maui High fourth, Kahalekai was relieved after 66 pitches by Micah Torres, who got out of any further trouble in the frame.

Dumlao walked and Nashiwa singled with one out in the top of the fifth to put runners on first and second bases. David Vergel de Dios flied out to left and Molina fouled out to end the threat.

In the Warriors’ fifth, Vergel de Dios threw out Hong trying to steal third base, ending the frame with another runner on base.

The Warriors got a one-out single by Gabriel in the seventh and freshman pinch-hitter Riley Phillips walked to put runners on first and second. Kai Kang grounded into a fielder’s choice force at second base, but beat out the throw to first base, leaving runners on the corners with two outs.

Chang then flew out to center to end the game.

The Warriors (5-5) have lost four straight and are now locked in to the third seed for the MIL tournament next week. Kamehameha Maui head coach Shane Dudoit tipped his cap to Kuloloia.

“He did a great job, kept us off timing,” Dudoit said. “In this game you’ve got to be able to hit the ball, score runs, defend and be able to keep guys off the bases, not allow guys to get free passes.”

Dudoit looks forward to the MIL tournament, which promises to be a cutthroat affiar.

“Most definitely,” he said. “It’s going to be an interesting tournament. It’s going to be a v very interesting tournament. It’s going to be one of the best in a very long time and I’m looking forward to it.”

Maui High. 022 000. 0–4. 3. 0

Kamehameha Maui 000 000. 0–0. 3. 2

Logan Kuloloia and David Vergel de Dios; Kaimi Kahalekai, Micah Torres (4) and Nakea Kahalehau. W–Kuloloia. L–Kahalekai.

Leading hitters–Kamehameha Maui, Noah Gabriel 2-2.