After tearing up the Interscholastic League of Honolulu all baseball season with his bat, 'Iolani senior Breland Almadova came through with his arm yesterday to help the Raiders hold off Kamehameha, 4-2, at Ala Wai Field for their first ILH championship since 1997.

Almadova pitched two shutout innings of relief to earn the save as 'Iolani finished 18-4 in league play and secured the ILH's top seed and first-round bye in next week's state tournament. He entered the game batting .459 with a league-leading nine home runs.

"I pitched (1 2/3 innings) yesterday and couldn't really help the team (in a 6-4 loss to Kamehameha), but today my arm felt good and I told the coaches I would be ready," said Almadova, a 6-foot-2 left-hander who starts in center field. "(Starter) Jarrett (Arakawa) pitched one hell of a game, and I just had to get six more outs. I'm thankful to have a smart coaching staff that calls the game so well, and (catcher) Grant (Iwamoto) gives me good spots. That's what I tried to do, just hit my spots."

Almadova entered with no outs and runners on first and second in the top of the sixth inning, with 'Iolani leading, 4-2. Pinch-hitter T.C. Campbell's single to left loaded the bases, but Almadova then struck out the side to leave the runners stranded.

He then retired the first two batters in the seventh on groundouts, and after Kewby Meyer's double and a walk to Arlie Johnson, Almadova got the final out himself on a high chopper in front of the mound, throwing to first baseman Reyn Nagamine to set off a celebration 12 years in the making.

"It feels really good, it's been a long stretch," said Nagamine, a four-year starter. "It means a lot to do it in Coach's (Dean Yonamine's) last year. All his hard work finally paid off."

Yonamine said in January that this season — his 13th as the Raiders' head coach — would be his last.

'Iolani jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning, after Arakawa sliced a double into the left field corner to bring home Almadova from first base, JR Bunda's RBI groundout and a run-scoring single by Iwamoto.

The Raiders made it 4-0 in the second after Kela Marciel led off with a single to right, took second on Jensen Park's sacrifice bunt, third on two walks, and came home on Buen Hatanaka's sac fly to right.

Kamehameha cut the lead to 4-1 in the fourth, after Pi'ikea Kitamura reached on an infield error, advanced to third on Meyer's single to right and scored on a wild pitch. The Warriors then made it 4-2 in the fifth after Jacob Meyer singled with two outs, advanced to second on Kalei Hanawahine's single and scored on Kitamura's single to left.

But Arakawa — in his first start of the season after 13 relief appearances — got a flyout to center to end the rally.

"We had several opportunities, but their guys made good pitches when they needed to," Warriors coach Vern Ramie said. "You have to tip your cap to them, they're tough when it counts the most."

Kamehameha (16-5) will begin state tournament play in Wednesday's first round.

Harley Holt pitched 5 2/3 innings of shutout relief for the Warriors.

"He was fantastic," Ramie said.

CORRECTION

Kamehameha pinch-hitter Kash Kalohelani drove in the go-ahead run in the sixth inning of Friday's 6-4 victory over 'Iolani.

Another player was credited with the hit in yesterday's story.

KAMEHAMEHA (16-5) 000 110 0 — 2 8 1

'IOLANI (18-4) 310 000 X — 4 6 1

Bryson Kenolio, Harley Holt (2) and Keanu Carmichael; Jarrett Arakawa, Breland Almadova (6) and Grant Iwamoto. W — Arakawa. L — Kenolio. S — Almadova.

Leading hitters — Kamehameha: Pi'ikea Kitamura 2-4, double, RBI; Kewby Meyer 2-4, double. 'Iolani: Arakawa double, RBI.