Jacob Gribbin connected with this pitch for a homerun against Mid-Pacific. Gribbin was 2-for-3 at the plate with 2 runs and an RBI. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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Saint Louis' Ryder Kuhns and head coach George Gusman celebrate after Kuhns' RBI triple. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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St. Louis pitcher Jordan Yamamoto pitched a complete game, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits while striking out 4 in a win against Mid-Pacific. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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MANOA - Jordan Yamamoto turned in a gutty performance and No. 3 Saint Louis edged No. 2 Mid-Pacific Institute, 4-3, Tuesday to move into first place in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu Division I standings with one game left in the regular season.

The Crusaders (11-3) are one championship point in front of the Owls (10-3-1) and in the driver's seat to clinch the regular-season title and a Division I state tournament berth. (Saint Louis has 22 points or 2 points for each win, while MPI has 21 points, two for each win and one from the tie.)

Saint Louis plays 'Iolani and MPI takes on Kamehameha Saturday for their regular-season finales at the University of Hawai'i's Les Murakami Stadium. The Owls, who play at 11:30 a.m., will know their fate by the time they play. Saint Louis' game starts at 9 a.m.

Regardless of the outcomes Saturday, the teams still have to go through the rigorous double-elimination tournament, which starts April 25, for the league's second state berth. If the tournament champion is different from the regular-season champion, a playoff will determine the seeded berth.

But Tuesday at MPI's Damon Field was a big step for the Crusaders, who had lost two close contests to the Owls this season.

"It was very important," said winning pitcher Yamamoto. "This opens it up. If we win Saturday, we'll have our first chance at states since, what's that? 2010? 2011? So it was a very big game for all of us. We realized it and we pulled through."

Saint Louis' last state appearance was in 2011.

Jordan Mopas' two out, RBI single in the top of the sixth inning snapped a 3-all game. The Owls would put the tying run on base in the bottom of the sixth and seventh innings, but Yamamoto battled out of those jams.

Most of Saint Louis' games have been nail-biters.

"We just can't make these things so easy," Saint Louis coach George Gusman said. "But (the Owls are) well coached. They practice hard like we do. We finally found a way to finish today."

With so much at stake, both teams sent their aces to the hill. The right-handed Yamamoto, who has signed with the University of Arizona, improved to 5-1, his only loss was 1-0 against MPI on March 26 in a duel with Owls' left-hander Chase Wago, Tuesday's starter.

"He did a good job," MPI coach Dunn Muramaru said of Wago. "(The Crusaders) saw him for the third time, so he did a good job. Saint Louis played really well. It was a well-played game. Hard to beat them three times in a row."

Yamamoto won the battle this time, going the distance, allowing three runs (two earned), five hits and two walks, while striking out four. Wago lasted just 4 2/3 innings, allowing three runs and 10 hits.

It was a classic battle. Every time the visiting Crusaders took the lead, the Owls tied it up.

Saint Louis took a 1-0 lead with two out in the first on Jacob Gribbin's solo home run over the center field fence of Wago.

But the Owls tied it in the home second when Yamamoto ran into some command issues. Catcher Noah Shackles led off with a single to center and lifted for courtesy runner Jarrod Infante. After Yamamoto retired the next two batters, he hit Ryan Kiyotoki with a pitch, walked Jarrett Lum after getting ahead 0-2 to load the bases, and hit Ryne Yamashiro to force home a run before Bryce Nagata grounded to shortstop for a force at second.

The Saints got some two out, clutch-hitting to regain the lead in the fifth and chase Wago in the process. Mopas singled to center with one out. Gribbin reached first on a fielder's choice grounder to short that forced Mopas at second. Ryder Kuhns tripled to right to score Gribbin to give Saint Louis a 2-1 lead. Yamamoto helped his cause with an RBI single that ended Wago's day.

Noah Sills came in from the bullpen and gave up a single to Jacob White before getting Travis Tanaka to ground into a force at second to end the inning with Saint Louis up, 3-1.

In the bottom of the fifth, Yamamoto committed a cardinal sin. Right after being given the lead, he walked Yamashiro to start the inning. After Nagata popped out to first, Cal Muramaru was hit by a pitch. Nicholas Bottom singled to center to load the bases. Shackles reached safely when shortstop Rayson Romero bobbled a grounder, allowing Yamashiro to score and reload the bases. Yamamoto struck out Cameron Igarashi, but Tyler Yamaguchi reached on a fielder's choice grounder to short when courtesy runner Infante beat Romero's throw to second to avoid an inning-ending force, as Muramaru scored the tying run. Yamamoto struck out Kiyotomi, stranding three runners.

"I was disappointed," Yamamoto said of walking the leadoff hitter. "But you can't be disappointed for too long. You have to get through it, shake it off and  come back and next the next outs."

The Crusaders took the lead in the sixth. Sills walked Noah Anderson with one out. Pinch runner Anthony Lau took second on Romero's sacrifice and scored on Mopas' line single to left-center. Gribbin walked on four pitches and Sills was replaced by Grant Doi, who retired Kuhns on a fly to right.

"I was thinking to hit a solid ball," said Mopas, who as 3 for 4. "I haven't been really hitting the ball solid. But today, it hit me and I'm happy I got it."

The Owls tried to mount a comeback in the home seventh when Bottom led off with a line single and advanced to second when center fielder Gribbin misplayed the ball. Yamamoto struck out Shackles and got Igarashi on a grounder to first that advanced Bottom to third. But Yamaguchi popped out to second to end the game.

"I had it right there in front of me and I had my defense back me up," Yamamoto said of working out of the jam. "It was a good day all around for my confidence, batting, defense and my pitching."

With the win, the Saints avoided getting swept by the Owls.

"It's relieving," Mopas said of finally beating MPI this season. "We've worked so hard, especially for this game and the upcoming game. I'm just glad we made it happen."

The Owls' starting pitcher for Saturday against Kamehameha will hinge on whether the Crusaders clinch the title or not, coach Muramaru said. In either case, both teams will be the top two seeds for the double-elimination tournament. The major difference is the regular season champion knows it will go to states.