Baldwin's Kawena Alo-Kaonohi went the distance for the win over the Sabers, allowing two runs on eight hits. Brien Ing | SL

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Baldwin Haloa Dudoit connects with a pitch against Maui. Dudoit was 3-for-4 from the plate with 2 RBIs and a run scored in a win over the Sabers. Brien Ing | SL

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WAILUKU, Maui — Haloa Dudoit had a game to forget Wednesday night. Thursday, however, was a different story.

Dudoit batted 3 for 4, drove in two runs and scored another to help Baldwin to a 5-2 win over Maui in the middle game of a three-game set before an afternoon crowd of about 300 at Iron Maehara Stadium.

With the win, the Bears improved to 10-1 on the year and secured a spot in next month's 12-team Division I state tournament. The Sabers, who handed their rivals their first loss of the season — by a score of 5-3 in eight innings — Wednesday night, fell to 8-3.

Baldwin entered the series with a two-game lead on Maui and needed to win just one of three to claim the Maui Interscholastic League regular-season title and the top seed in the league tournament.

"It's always nice to have a state berth in hand," Bears' coach Jon Viela said. "When we started the year, we had the kids do some goal-setting and their primary goal is to win the MIL and their ultimate goal is to win the state championship, so they took a step today towards meeting that ultimate goal and solidifying that first berth to the state tournament is huge for them to reach their ultimate goal."

The Bears, who are ranked fourth in the ScoringLive/OC16 Baseball Power Rankings, will be one of two MIL representatives at the state tournament. If they fail to win the league tournament, they will play the tournament champion for the overall MIL title and a coveted seeded berth at states.

Dudoit, a junior third baseman, committed three of Baldwin's nine errors in Wednesday's loss, which snapped a nine-game win streak.

"(Wednesday) night we didn't have a great game, but we came out today and our coaches gave us some wise advice to leave it behind and that yesterday is yesterday and to just come out with a better attitude and that's what we did," Dudoit said, who scored the game's first run Thursday in the top of the fourth.

Baldwin struck with three runs in the inning to break a scoreless tie. Dudoit reached base on a single and Shadd Santos drew a walk before Michael Hooper reached on a Maui error that allowed both base runners to score. Hooper advanced to third on a balk and scored on a Nawai Ah Yen sacrifice fly.

"He had a tough night last night — he had three defensive errors — and we didn't hit well last night at all, but tonight he clutched up and that's why he's hitting in the two-spot," Viela said of Dudoit. "He's got good hands and he's been working with us for year, prior to high school he's been working with us, so the potential he has is a lot and I like to have high expectations for him so he can try and meet them."

Maui got on the board in the bottom of the fourth when Kainoa Davis scored on a double steal to cut the Bears' lead to 3-1.

The Bears got the run back on Dudoit's RBI-single that plated Linden Kanamu in the top of the fifth, but the Sabers answered with Kingsley Ballao's RBI-single that scored Micah Jio in the next half-inning.

Baldwin added an insurance run in the top of the seventh when Dudoit singled in Kanamu.

"Tonight I saw the ball well and it wasn't just me, it was my team," Dudoit said. "My team got on base for me and I just had to do what I had to do. I saw the ball well, hit the ball well. Maui High is a good pitching team and good all-around, I just put the ball where I had to."

Kawena Alo-Kaonohi went the distance on the mound for the Bears and scattered eight hits. He struck out four batters and walked two to improve to 4-0 in league play.

"My curveball and my fastball were working good. (Maui) like(s) to hit the ball, but I got them on the inside and that's what it takes against a good team," said Alo-Kaonohi, a junior right-hander. "I felt good with my defense behind me. They backed me up all the way, I threw strikes. I did my best. Last night we had a tough game but we overcame it today and came out with a better attitude, took care of the ball and came away with the ‘W.'"

In addition to its defensive struggles Wednesday, Baldwin left 10 runners on base. Thursday, just four Bears were left stranded.

"(Wednesday) night was a game that I've never seen in my entire coaching career, you know, nine errors and all of them in the infield, so I talked to the boys about building character," Viela said. "We talked to the boys about facing adversity and what they needed to do, so they came out today and they worked hard and that's something we always talk about the whole year, is to do the things to get better and that's what they did tonight."

Kao Mindoro, Jio and Ballao each paired hits for the Sabers. Logan Cabrera, who was making his first pitching appearance of the season, allowed four runs (three unearned) on two hits in 4 2/3 innings and took the loss.

"He did great," Maui coach Chase Corniel said. "He threw a lot of strikes and battled for us as long as he could and he'll be one of the guys that we're counting on now, too."

Maui had already clinched at least second place and will be the second seed in the MIL tournament.

"I think just moving forward, we're looking at this as a clean slate," Corniel said. "We still have a chance to win the MIL title. It's up for grabs."

The Bears and Sabers will meet in the final game of the series at 6 p.m. Friday at Maehara Stadium.