SALT LAKE — Cade Wehrsig couldn't have picked a better time to hit his first homer of the season. 

Wehrsig, a senior left fielder, hit a three-run home run to break a three-all tie that lifted No. 1 Kamehameha to its third ILH baseball championship in as many years with its 9-3 win over No. 6 Iolani Tuesday afternoon. 

The Warriors improved to 15-2 on the year and will receive the league's seeded berth to next week's Wally Yonamine Foundation/HHSAA Division I State Championships, where they will receive a first-round bye. 

The Raiders, who were playing their sixth games in nine days, fell to 11-9-1. They needed to win Tuesday in order force another game against the Warriors Wednesday for the league's second-round (double-elimination tournament) title. Had they won both games, the teams would have met once more on Thursday for the overall ILH crown. 

"I don't think really losing was on the back of our minds, it was just winning this championship," Wehrsig said. "We definitely played a lot looser knowing that we were in the state (tournament), but that didn't take (away from) our mindset; it was just to get the job done and worry about the task at-hand."

The Warriors did just that, much to the delight of their coach, Daryl Kitagawa. 

"We wanted to get this done and the boys were ready. I'm glad we came out swinging a little bit and did enough," Kitagawa said. 

While Iolani was playing its sixth game of the tournament, Kamehameha was playing in just its third and first since last Wednesday. Nonetheless, Kitagawa was pleased to see his team take care of business Tuesday. 

"Absolutely, to get it over with — I mean, the more you play the more pressure is inflicted upon yourselves at times, so yeah, to get it out of the way was good for us, but if we had to play (Wednesday), we'd be ready too, but glad it's over so we can prepare for states," Kitagawa said. 

Wehrsig's blast was part of a five-run fourth inning for the Warriors. All five runs were scored with two outs. 

After Eleu Colburn was beaned by a pitch to lead off the Kamehameha fourth, he moved into scoring position on a Logan Sanchez sacrifice bunt. Iolani starter Lawa Tiberi then got Taj Uyehara to fly out to right for the second out. However, Tiberi beaned Kiai Sylvester to put two runners aboard. 

Dillon Andres then lined a double down the left field line to score Colburn from second, which tied the score at 3. That chased Tiberi from the game and the Raiders turned to Payton Nasu in relief. 

The left-hand-hitting Wehrsig, the very next batter, turned on the second pitch he saw from Nasu — an inside fastball — and lifted it over the fence in right field. Wehrsig's blast just cleared the fence at Moanalua's short porch in right and landed on top of the softball batting cage. 

"It was two outs so coach Daryl walked up to me and said, ‘just look for something small.' I just was trying to hit it over the shortstop's head — that's really all my mentality (is) — and then when they put the new guy in I was just trying to time him up, really that's what you're supposed to do as a hitter and I just luckily was able to time up his fastball and just so happened it found some green and got over the fence," Wehrsig said. 

All five of Wehrsig's other extra-base hits this spring have been doubles. 

"I mean, it felt good but everyone was saying it was routine, but that's how it's been the past couple (at-bats) — even against Mid-Pac too I kind of got jammed at CORP and then it kind of started to carry and carry — so I think that's just been my hitting so far; it just looks routine but I guess people misunderstand that, I don't know, I guess I'm pretty strong enough to put some hands on it and it carries," Wehrsig expressed. 

Kitagawa was pleased to say the least  — and not a bit surprised — to see Wehrsig come through in that situation.

"Oh yeah, he's strong. I mean, he hit some balls earlier in the season that would have been way out of here, so for that particular moment he came up huge for our team, so happy for Cade. He's a great kid, he deserves whatever accolades, especially today how that propelled our team moving forward, so very happy for Cade; He deserves it," Kitagawa said. 

Kamehameha added a pair of insurance runs in the fifth inning, including an RBI-single by Sylvester. 

Logan Akaka collected four hits in as many at-bats for the Warriors, who tallied 11 hits from six different players. Andres (2 for 3, walk) was the only other player to pair hits. 

Kupono Barkdull picked up the win in relief of starter Kainoa Kaneshiro. Barkdull gave up a solo homer to Judah Ota, the first batter he faced, which gave the Raiders a 3-2 third-inning lead, but settled in after that. It ended up being the only run he surrendered over three innings of four-hit ball. Barkdull struck out four batters and walked one to pick up his first win of the year. 

"After that pitch he came back with strike one (to the next batter), so the internal strength and mental toughness he showed just coming back right at ‘em — I mean, super proud of him," Kitagawa said of the sophomore southpaw. 

"He was on the JV squad this year, I pulled him up. We had some injuries throughout the year with other players … we needed a left-handed arm, he stepped up and deserved to be out there today, so super happy for him. He settled down, gave up the one run and that's it, so very happy for him; He deserves it. He's put in the work and the team backed him up," Kitagawa added. 

The Warriors used four pitchers in the win. Relievers Kaikea Patoc-Young and Pono Kong each threw a scoreless inning. 

Tiberi took the loss for the Raiders, who utilized three pitchers. Tiberi was charged with four runs (three earned) on five hits with four walks and one strikeout in 3 2/3 innings of work. 

It was Kamehameha's third win over Iolani in as many tries this season. 

The Raiders had won three straight games and eight of their last 10 since a 3-6-1 start in the ILH. 

"Their offense is deadly, I mean, they're so formidable. They've got power, they've got size, they can run, so for us to come out on top, again, very grateful and blessed to be a part of our program," Kitagawa said. 

Iolani coach Kurt Miyahira gave a tip of the cap to the Warriors on their third consecutive league title. 

"Hats off to Kamehameha, congratulations to them and they earned it," Miyahira said. 

The game was played over two days at two different venues. 

The teams began the game Monday afternoon at Patsy T. Mink/Central Oahu Regional Park, but heavy rains led to an unplayable field and play was suspended with Iolani holding a 2-1 lead with one out in the bottom of the second inning. It was completed at Moanalua High School's artificial turf field on Tuesday after some coordination between the ILH, athletic directors from Iolani and Kamehameha and the host school. 

Kitagawa made sure his first comments in a postgame media scrum acknowledged the hospitality of the staff from Moanalua for making their field available for use. 

"Big thanks to Moanalua High School because without this facility we don't play and CORP is under water, guarantee, so thanks Moanalua High school, coach Todd (Takabuki), athletic director (Joel Kawachi), assistant athletic director Natalie (Iwamoto), for letting us play today," Kitagawa said. 

Iolani will be the ILH's second representative, while Saint Louis will be the league's No. 3 seed at next week's state tournament on Maui, which runs May 7-10 at Iron Maehara Stadium in Wailuku.