Kamehameha's Ladd Ah Choy pitched four shutout innings of relief to earn the victory over Punahou. Tyler Guieb | SL

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Kamehameha's Ladd Ah Choy pitched four shutout innings of relief to earn the victory over Punahou. Tyler Guieb | SL

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HAWAII KAI - Ladd Ah Choy pitched four shutout innings of relief and No. 3 Kamehameha rolled over Punahou, 12-2, Thursday in an Interscholastic League of Honolulu Division I baseball game called with two out in the bottom of the fifth because of the 10-run differential mercy rule at Goeas Field.

Chance Arakaki batted 3 for 3 with two doubles and scored three times, Matt Yokota batted 2 for 3 with  triple and two RBI and Kekai Rios had the extreme - a bunt single and solo home run over the left-center field fence - to keep the Warriors (3-1) tied for first with idle Mid-Pacific Institute (3-1).

It was the second time this season the Buffanblu (1-3) have had their game end on the mercy rule.

But Ah Choy settled what was looking to be a long day for the Warriors. Starting pitcher Joshua Souza was tagged for two runs, two hits an a walk in the top of the first inning. After giving up a sharp single to Mason Asato to start the top of the second, coach Tom Perkins replaced Souza with Ah Choy, who retired every batter he faced, save for Easton Takamoto, who singled to lead off the third, but was erased on a double play grounder to second. Ah Choy had two strikeouts with no walks allowed.

While Ah Choy restored order for the Warriors, Noah Goss could not hold on to Punahou's short-lived lead. Goss lasted three innings, allowing seven runs (one unearned), seven hits and two walks.

"He came in, he did his job," Perkins said of Ah Choy. "Joshua got off to a slow start. He started to get there, but I felt it was time for a change. Ladd Ah Choy settled the game down, got us back into our game."

Rios, the catcher, said the team has faith in its pitchers picking up for the others.

"Once one guy goes down, we plan for the next guy to step up and throw strikes, no matter what," said Rios, who has signed with the University of Hawaii.

The Buffanblu scored in the first on Goss' RBI single and and run-scoring ground out to shortstop by David Whittaker.

The Warriors tied the game in the bottom of the second on an RBI single by Makoa Mau, who later scored on a fielding error by shortstop Takamoto on a grounder by Kahoea Akau.

Kamehameha blew open the game when it sent eight batters up in a five-run third against Goss. Codie Paiva's RBI single and an error by center fielder Cole Cabrera brought in another run on the play. The three other runs scored on Arakaki's double, Yokota's triple and Mau's sacrifice fly to left to make it 7-2.

Rios' two out, solo home run off Evan Tsuruda made it 8-2 in the fourth.

"I wasn't hitting too good earlier in the season, so I just tried to shorten up, loosen my hands, not think about at-bats that much and just go out and do what i can do."

The Warriors continued to hit the ball hard in the fifth. Arakaki led off with a double to right and took third when Brandon Henderson reached on an error. Yokota's RBI single moved Henderson to second and chased Tsuruda from the game for Kekoa Vieira. After Mau's ground out to first moved the runners, Henderson scored on Micah McNicoll's flare double to right that moved Yokota to third. Yokota then scored on a wild pitch that sent McNicoll to third before Akau walked. The game ended when McNicoll scored on pinch hitter Revan Wong's sacrifice fly to right.

The Warriors are off Saturday, but the Buffanblu return to action against Mid-Pacific, 2 p.m. at Hans L'Orange Park.