So much for the theory of a "down year" for baseball in the Maui Interscholastic League.

Isaiah Kaneakua scattered seven hits and struck out five in 5 2/3 innings and Naea Kalehuawehe pitched 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief yesterday to help Kamehameha-Maui defeat Kalani, 5-2, in the first round of the Wally Yonamine Foundation Baseball State Championships.

The Warriors, runner-up in the MIL, improved to 11-5 in regular and postseason play and advanced to today's quarterfinals against O'ahu Interscholastic Association champion and No. 2 seed Pearl City (11-3).

That game is set for 5 p.m. at Les Murakami Stadium.

Kamehameha-Maui is making its first appearance in a state tournament after finishing second in the MIL to St. Anthony, a team with no seniors that earned its first state berth since 1991.

"We're ecstatic, we're all stoked," said Kaneakua, a sophomore left-hander. "I think the MIL is just as strong as it usually is, and we didn't want to come here and lose our first game, go '1-2, barbeque.' "

The Warriors took a 3-0 lead in the second inning on one hit, two walks, an error and a squeeze bunt.

The Falcons (10-5) answered with two runs in the bottom of the third after a run-scoring triple by Jordan Sumida and Jason Lee's RBI single, but the Warriors made it 5-2 in the fifth on a bases-loaded hit batter and Kamuela Kalehuawehe-Valentine's run-scoring single to center.

"I think that was the key, when they scored those two runs in the fifth," Kalani coach Shannon Hirai said.

Those two runs came after the Falcons brought in ace right-hander Micah Takahashi, who entered with runners on first and third with no outs in the fifth. Takahashi threw 130 pitches on Saturday after pitching six innings in a win on May 2.

Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com.