Leilehua's Trey Yukumoto was called safe on this play after an obstruction call on Moanalua at third base prior. Stanley Chun | Special to SL

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Leilehua's Cody Academia celebrates after a 4-3 win over Moanalua. Stanley Chun | Special to SL

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Trey Yukumoto scored the go-ahead run on an obstruction call with one out in the top of the seventh inning and Leilehua stunned host Moanalua, 4-3, Wednesday in the opening round of the O'ahu Interscholastic Association Red baseball tournament.

The Mules (5-8), the Western Division's sixth seed, will play at West second seed Waipahu Thursday in a quarterfinal at 3:30 p.m.

Na Menehune (8-5), the East's third seed, are done for the year and will miss the state tournament for the first time since 2008.

Quarterfinal winners advance to Friday's semifinals at Hans L'Orange Park and secure Division I state berths. The losers fall to the fifth-place bracket semifinals; winners will get the OIA's final two state berths, while the losers are done for the season.

With the game knotted at 3, Yukumoto lined a single to right with one out in the top of the seventh off reliever Jaraad Salas. Cody Academia drilled a double to the left-center alley - his second double of the game - sending Yukumoto sliding into third. The relay from the outfield bounced behind third into foul territory and Yukumoto started breaking for home. But there was contact between Yukumoto and third baseman Tyler Fujimoto. Jaraad Salas, backing up the play, fired the ball to catcher Jordaan Salas to easily nail Yukumoto.

Then Leilehua coach Lane Watanuki, who also is the third-base coach, said he asked the umpire for an obstruction call that was granted, allowing Yukumoto to score. That brought out Moanalua coach Scott Yamada to argue the call to no avail.

"It's one of those things, I guess," said Yamada.

Added Watanuki: "It's just a matter of, in that one inning, we got the breaks. It's luck for us; bad for them."

After Jonah Paas was intentionally walked with first base open, Salas reduced further damage by getting Brandon Smithe to hit a grounder to short for an inning-ending double play.

Academia returned to the mound for the Mules to pitch the bottom of the seventh; he had thrown 108 pitches through six. After retiring Elijah Monis on three pitches for his 10th strikeout, Academia walked Casey Isa, who was forced out at second when Kristian Yap reached on a fielder's choice founder to short. Salas kept the inning alive with a ground single to right on an 0-2 count that moved pinch runner Micah Nicely to second. But Mark Kuga, 2 for 3 with two RBI earlier, flied out to right to end the game.

Winning pitcher Academia labored most of the game, allowing three runs, six hits and six walks, while fanning 10. Na Menehune tagged him for three runs in the third when he allowed three singles and two walks. But damaged was limited when the Mules displayed fundamentals of defending a delayed double steal with runners at the corners. Kuga at first broke for second and the Mules caught him in a rundown. Jaraad Salas, the runner at third, broke for home and first baseman Paas fired home to easily get the runner trying to steal home.

"He battled when he had to battle," Yamada said.

"it was really tough because the other team was really good at hitting," Academia said of his struggles. "They were giving me problems. They were taking a lot of pitches and i wasn't throwing too many strikes. I just had to muster up and throw."

He wasn't bad at the plate either, connecting on two doubles.

"I was working a lot in practice at keeping my shoulders square," Academia said. "My coach, Coach (JJ) Cabralda, he really kept me grounded when I was hitting.

Meanwhile, Moanalua's starter Fujimoto had blanked the Mules through five. But with one out in the sixth, Yukumoto singled and pinch runner Jace Tsue scored on Academia's double to center. Academia was replaced by courtesy runner Cody Segawa before Paas walked and was lift for pinch runner Ryan Ramos. Smithe was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

Jarred Chai drilled a pitch off the left-field fence, but had to settle for an RBI single as the runners were holding up unsure if the ball was going to be caught, as the Mules pulled to 3-2. Trayson Kubo's sacrifice fly to center tied the game at 3. It looked like the Mules weren't over when Nainoa Paragoso was hit by a pitch to reload the bases. But Fujimoto struck out Coryn Iwamasa to end the inning and keep the game tied at 3.

Fujimoto allowed three runs, seven hits and a walk with four strikeouts in six innings for Na Menehune.

As tough a loss to swallow, Yamada was gracious.

"Their team, they're scrappy," Yamada said of Leilehua. "But I'm happy for Lane (Watanuki)."

Watanuki also was complimentary toward Moanalua.

"It's great program," Watanuki said of Yamada. "He does such a great job with this game. It's about time we got a break, though. Coach Scott, he's a good guy. He's one of the old timers. Good guy. It's unfortunate but somebody's got to win and somebody's got to lose."