Campbell's Blayze Arcano-Llacuna connects with a pitch against Kaiser. Sylvia Lee | SL

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Campbell's Jobe Ibana slides into home plate to score a run against Kaiser. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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Kaiser's Aaron Oda gets airborne trying to field a hit ball against Campbell. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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Campbell's Jake Mendoza makes a throw to first as Kaiser's Chase Hisatake slides into second. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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Campbell's Ian Kahaloa throws a pitch to the plate against Kaiser. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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In a two-hit shutout headed by a trio of pitchers, top-ranked Campbell hosed down seventh-ranked Kaiser in a 9-0 win in today's quarterfinals during the Wally Yonamine Foundation/HHSAA Division I Baseball tournament at Les Murakami Stadium.

Ian Kahaloa choked the Cougar's offense in a solid outing, fanning five batters over five innings. Chad Samante and Markus Ramos took over the mound in the last two innings to complete the shutout.

"(Kahaloa) threw strikes and he kept he ball down," Campbell head coach Rory Pico said.  "He did well and we pulled in. His pitch count was low because we want to try and save him, maybe we can throw him in again," he added.

The six-foot-one junior came into the game ready today, crediting the victory to the readiness of the whole team as well.

"I just tried to make my defense work (for me) instead of striking them out," he said.

On the other hand, Dorrien Villanueva-Hermosura sparked the Sabers' explosive offense, which combined for a total of 16 hits against Kaiser's pitching triad.

"We had to make adjustments on their offspeeds," the first baseman said. "The last time (we faced Kaiser) we couldn't really, but this time went out there and made the adjustment."

Campbell took the early lead in the second inning after Zachary Recolan tacked a bases-loaded RBI single for its first run. While Jobe Ibana was tagged out at first in the following at-bat, he was able to bring home Jake Mendoza.

In the next inning, the Sabers posted another run when Blayze Arcano-Llacuna reached on a fielder's choice to score Villanueva-Hermosura.

A big hit in the fourth inning lands two more for the frontrunner, courtesy of Villanueva-Hermosura's single to right that drove in Recolan and Ibana.

Campbell further secured a comfortable lead following Zachary Kapihe's RBI single. A bases-loaded balk then scored the Sabers' seventh run.

After Dewayne Sprinkel's bunt single, which loaded the bases in the fifth inning, Keola Himan brought a runner in and filled the diamond once again. However, the Cougars prevented the further threat by pulling a double play and a ground out to cap the inning.

The Sabers attacked with another run during the top sixth with Arcano-Llacuna's second RBI of the game.

In the bottom of the frame, the Cougars threatened to plate their first run when they loaded the bases with a hit-by-pitch, walk, and an error respectively. But Samante and Ramos cooled off their opponent's heat as Campbell remained unscathed throughout the game.

"Coming here knowing that we've struggled against them the first time around, we needed to be cautious," Arcano-Llacuna said. "After beating them, we feel pretty confident. As long as we put the ball in play and we do what we have to do, we'll win."

However, Coach Pico did not want to revel too much in the win, stating that their eye remains fixed on the prize—the D-I title.

"Anytime it's a one-and-done tournament like this, every game becomes a big game," Coach Pico said. "We try to stay on an even keel, and not too emotional after these wins. We want to get to play until the last day, and we want to play for the championship—that's the main goal.

The Sabers will face the winner of the St. Louis-Waiakea quarterfinal game in tomorrow's semifinals that will start at 7:00 p.m. at Les Murakami Stadium. In the meanwhile, Kaiser will face the loser at Hans L'Orange Park.