Iolani's Christian Donahue celebrates with Bronson Ichimura after crossing home to score a run for the Raiders. Evan Asato | SL

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Punahou's Bo Coolen makes a stop from deep in the infield and flips the ball to first base. Evan Asato | SL

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Iolani's Matt Campos makes contact with the ball. Evan Asato | SL

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Iolani's Ezra Heleski was the closing pitcher for the Raiders today. Evan Asato | SL

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Quick thinking and solid hitting in a four-run fifth inning aided 'Iolani's 7-4 win against Punahou Thursday at the Raiders' field.

The Raiders (1-1), coming off a 4-0 loss to Mid-Pacific a day earlier, got a two-run single by Caleb Duhay and a two-run double by Matt Campos in the fifth inning that snapped a 3-all game. The Buffanblu (0-1-1) had just tied the game in the top of the fifth on Aaron Fong's two-run double, only to see it erased by the Raiders.

Ezra Heleski pitched two scoreless innings of three-hit relief to get the win for the Raiders. He needed help from first baseman Corey Nakakura, who faced the last two batters of the game, allowing a single before striking out Noah Goss to end the game and earn the save.

"He did a tremendous job for us," 'Iolani coach Brent Shimokawa said of Heleski, a sophomore.

Dylan Combs took the loss in relief of starter Goss, who pitched four innings, allowing three runs, four hits and two walks. In one inning - 'Iolani's four-run fifth - Combs gave up four runs (three earned) and three hits.

With the game knotted at 3, Punahou brought left-hander Dylan Combs to the mound to start the bottom of the fifth. The Raiders loaded the bases when Austin Jim On reached first on an error and went to third on Christian Donahue's double to right before Nakakura was hit by a pitch.

Duhay ran a 3-1 count with a fake squeeze on. Jim On, the runner on third, broke for home just before the pitch. He was supposed to stop after a few steps, Shimokawa said, but  Jim On kept coming. Duhay said he saw Jim On coming from the corner of his eye and knew he had to protect the runner.

"That was all on reaction," said Duhay, the designated hitter. "I saw him coming down. I already knew it was a fake squeeze; he kept running. I had to figure out something. I just reacted; I had to put it in play because he was going to be a dead out. Fortunately, I got a piece of it back through the hole."

"We were going to fake it," Shimokawa said. "Caleb had the presence of mind to swing."

Duhay's single up the middle drove in two and put the Raiders ahead, 5-3. Later in the inning, Campos' two-run double to left-center made it 7-3. He had an RBI double in the fourth that tied the game at 1.

Duhay's at-bat wasn't the only bizarre play of the game. Punahou scored its first run of the game in the fourth on a wild pitch on a pitchout.

"That was a miscommunication between Easton (Tsubata, the catcher) and the pitcher (Joshua Inouye)," Shimokawa said. "We have two catchers and this was Easton's first start of the season."

Inouye and Goss were locked in a pitchers' duel in the first three scoreless innings.

In the top of the fourth, Punahou catcher KJ Harrison led off with a single to left and took second when the ball was mishandled by the left fielder. Courtesy runner Drew Ogomori took third on Bo Coolen's sacrifice. Anticipating a squeeze, the Raiders called for a pitchout. Tsubata jumped to his right anticipating a wide pitch. Instead, Inouye's pitch was high and over the middle and sailed to the backstop, scoring Ogomori to give Punahou a 1-0 lead. Goss grounded into an inning-ending double play to keep the damage to a minimum.

But the Raiders stormed back in the bottom of the fourth. Nakakura walked with one out and was lifted for pinch runner Chad Hanaoka. After Duhay flied out to right, Bronson Ichimura reached on a bunt single between the mound and third base. Campos smashed a grounder of the third baseman's glove for a double to tie the game at 1. Pinch hitter Pikai Winchester was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Kainoa Fong grounded a two-run single up the middle to put 'Iolani ahead, 3-1, before Max Look flied out to center for the third out.

Punahou fought back in the top of the fifth against Inouye. With one out, Robert Stratton was hit by a pitch and went to second on Cole Cabrera's single to right-center. The runners advanced a base when Beau Branton struck out swinging on a wild pitch. Fong's two-run double tied the gem at 3.

The right-handed Inouye was lifted for the left-handed Heleski. Right-handed hitting Harrison was intentionally walked, bringing up the left-handed hitting Coolen, who struck out looking.

Heleski settled the game until ran into trouble in the top of the seventh. Branton doubled with one out and went to second when pinch hitter Ogomori grounded out to second. But Harrison (2 for 3) kept Punahou's hopes alive with an RBI single to left to pull the Buffanblu to 7-4. Coolen's single to left moved Harrison to second and ended Heleski's day. Nakakura came in from first and gave up a single to Cole Kanazawa. But Nakakura struck out Goss on a pitch in the dirt; catcher Tsubata stepped on the plate for the force to end the game.

After playing to a 5-5 tie against Kamehameha in Tuesday's season opener, the Buffanblu are left searching for that first victory.

"Couple plays, we miscue here and there," Punahou coach Kenny Harrison said. "A team like 'Iolani, a good team, they're going to battle. That's their strength. We gave them an opportunity and they took it. This league, you have to make the plays. You have to be on your game everyday, every single play, every inning because it's intense. You make one little thing, teams capitalize."