Mid-Pacific's Kyle Layugan exclaims at the Owls' dugout after knocking a one-out triple to score the game's first run. Michael Lasquero | SL

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Mid-Pacific's Jet Uechi takes a ball to the back to get on base in the bottom of the first inning. Michael Lasquero | SL

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Mid-Pacific ace Shion Matsushita prepares to throw a pitch against Iolani in the top of the fourth inning. Michael Lasquero | SL

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WAIPAHU — Mid-Pacific is once again on top of the baseball hierarchy in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu.

The Owls busted out the bats in a huge first inning to back Shion Matsushita's two-hitter and capture their 21st league championship with a 12-1 win over Iolani in the second round final at Hans L'Orange Park Friday afternoon.

Mid-Pacific (15-3), the No. 2 team in the ScoringLive/Hawaiian Electric Power Rankings, posted 10 runs in the opening frame and recorded 11 hits in all in a game that was called in the fifth inning due to the mercy rule.

"Oh gosh, that's never happened in my entire life," Owls' 32nd-year coach Dunn Muramaru said of the opening frame. "I was hoping we'd get six (runs), then we got seven, we got eight, nine … oh my gosh."

A season after failing to qualify for the state tournament — which ended a string of five consecutive ILH crowns from 2012 to 2016 — Muramaru's squad seized the league's seeded berth and a first-round bye in next month's Wally Yonamine Foundation State Championships.

"I think for the kids to win the ILH, that is something else. It's special. It's been a tough year. Offseason and stuff, it's been really tough, so I'm glad they got something to show for it," Muramaru said. "I tell the kids that the ILH is much harder to win than the state tournament because the state tournament is three, four days, but this is two months of going hard all the time and having to beat Kamehameha, Punahou, Iolani, finally Saint Louis, so it's a grind."

Cameron Ching batted 3 for 3 with a double, two RBI and a run scored, Kyle Layugan went 2 for 2 with a triple, three RBI and two runs and Mackenzee Higuchi was 2 for 3 with two RBI and a run scored.

Mid-Pacific sent 15 batters to the plate in the bottom of the first inning. It posted six hits and was aided by three walks and two hit batsmen in the frame.

Layugan's one-out triple to right field scored Jacob Yoshino from second to open the scoring. Micah Pi hit into a fielder's choice that allowed Layugan to score and a Ching double to right brought Pi home. Higuchi then singled to plate Ching and give the Owls a 4-0 lead just six batters into the game.

Uechi was then hit by a pitch by Micah Miyahira, who walked Cale Yoshino to load the bases. Miyahira issued back-to-back free passes to Hunter Hirayama and Wyatt Young to score Higuchi and Uechi, respectively. Cale Yoshino scored a batter later on Jacob Yoshino's RBI-sacrifice fly to stretch it to a seven-run lead with only two outs recorded.

Mid-Pacific got back-to-back-to-back RBI-singles from Layugan, Pi and Ching before Iolani finally got out of the inning.

"It was good for us because we were kind of expecting what pitches they'd throw from the last three games (against Iolani)," Layugan said. "I think looking at the pitches and all the charts we have helped us to anticipate what pitch was coming when and it was just about driving in some runs after that."

Layugan drove in another run on his third-inning sac fly. Three batters later Higuchi singled on a ground ball past an outstretched Shaydon Kubo at shortstop to scored Jacob Yoshino for the Owls' 12th run off the ball game.

Matsushita took a no-hitter into the fifth inning. The senior right-hander allowed only a double to Cade Yonamine and a Jacob Hinderleider RBI-single in the final frame. Matsushita recorded three strikeouts against one walk in a 66-pitch effort. He walked one and improved to 8-1 on the season with a 1.64 ERA.

"It feels very good. From the beginning we had the 10-0 lead and it didn't really feel like it was a super tense match, but I just kept trying to throw strikes, trying to let my defense work," Matsushita said. "Basically I was just trying to aim it down the middle, just let them hit the ball and let the defense work because it's hard to get 10 runs on hits, that's what my coaches say."

The Owls' ace was pitching on three days' rest. In a 3-1 win over Saint Louis Monday, Matsushita scattered four hits without a walk in a 55-pitch complete-game victory.

"I think I was a little tired, but I just had to make adjustments throughout the game and try to throw strikes and let the defense work," Matsushita said.

It was the fourth meeting between the teams this season. Mid-Pacific has won each time, three of them coming on Matsushita starts.

"I think the first three (games against Iolani), winning those was more of a confidence booster for us. Having Shion throw (Friday) was good for us because all we needed was a bunch of strikes and to mix up his fastball speeds and that's all we needed," Layugan said. "Today we didn't really throw anything but fastballs so we were pounding the strike zone and that was good for him."

Iolani was playing its sixth game in eight days. It used four pitchers in the loss. Starter Micah Miyahira was charged with 10 runs in just a third of an inning to go down as the losing pitcher.

"It's not an excuse, but six games in eight days is tough for us and we took it on the chin, straight up, and it's just a matter of how we bounce back, but I'm proud of these kids," Raiders coach Kurt Miyahira said. "They come off of back-to-back five-win seasons and they're half a game out of the regular-season ILH championship and they're playing for the ILH tournament championship and that's 100 percent a credit to them. I can't be more proud of them for believing in each other and doing it for each other."

Iolani needed a win Friday to force a rematch Saturday for the second-round title. A win Saturday would have forced a playoff for the overall league championship on Monday.

The Raiders (14-5-1) were seeking their first league title since 2009. Four of their five losses this season have come against Mid-Pacific.

Both teams, along with third-place Punahou, will represent the ILH in the state tournament, which will take place at Les Murakami from May 8-11.