The Interscholastic League of Honolulu baseball race is winding down and Punahou is in the driver's seat.

The Buffanblu rallied from two deficits against Kamehameha yesterday to pull out a 9-6 victory at Ala Wai Field.

Punahou, which scored five runs in the fifth inning, improved to 9-0. Kamehameha dropped to 4-4.

The only team with a chance to tie or overtake the Buffanblu is 'Iolani (7-2). Each ILH team plays 12 regular-season games.

"Every team is feeling the pressure of the one (state tournament) berth," Punahou coach Eric Kadooka said. "We feed off that pressure and it helps us play well because we know every game is do or die."

Punahou's big inning included four hits, a walk and three errors.

Paul Snieder tied the game at 5 with a two-run single to right off reliever Kapono Chang and Reece Kiriu put the Buffanblu ahead with a two-run double to left.

"Kapono was struggling a little bit; it was bases loaded, so I knew he had to pitch to me," said Snieder, who also pitched a complete game. "I was just sitting on something I could handle and drive into the outfield and I got one and I hit it solid."

Snieder, a junior right-hander, scattered nine hits and threw 70 of his 108 pitches for strikes. He walked three — one intentional — and struck out six.

"I think I started off a little strong and in the middle of the game I struggled getting my off-speed over," Snieder said. "They were sitting on fastballs and getting hits."

In the seventh, the Warriors strung together three consecutive singles to score once and put runners at first and second with no outs, but Snieder got a 6-4-3 double play.

"That was real clutch," Snieder said. "Our defense is really good. They come through a lot."

He got the next batter to foul out to the first baseman to end it.

Kamehameha's Mitchell Kauweloa scored on a passed ball in the first and Keoni Lum's RBI double to left in the second made it 2-0.

Punahou scored three times in the third after two were out. Josh Bninski had an opposite-field, two-run triple to right and Tyler Young drove him in with an infield single to second.

The Warriors scored in the fourth on a fielder's choice and took a 5-3 lead on Ashkon Kuhaulua's two-run single to left. The previous batter, Parker McCready, was intentionally walked.

The Buffanblu sent 10 batters to the plate in the fifth with two of the runs being unearned.

"We just didn't take care of the ball," Kamehameha coach Vern Ramie said. "We needed to make a play to get out of the inning. We just didn't make the play when we needed one."

He added Chang, who replaced Kuhaulua to start the fifth, "deserved a better fate."

Punahou scored an insurance run in the sixth on a wild pitch.

All seven ILH teams will play in a double-elimination postseason tournament. If the regular-season champion wins the tournament, it will represent the league in the state tournament. If another team wins, it would face the regular-season champion for the state berth.

KAMEHAMEHA (4-4) 110 120 1—6 9 4

PUNAHOU (9-0) 003 051 X—9 7 1

Paul Snieder and Zach Kometani. Ashkon Kuhaulua, Kapono Chang (5), John Worthington (5) and Vance Nobriga. W — Snieder. L — Chang.

Leading hitters — Kamehameha: Keoni Lum double; Waylen Sing Chow 2-4, 2 runs; Mitchell Kauweloa 2-3; Worthington 2-4; Kuhaulua 2 RBIs. Punahou: Matt Suiter 2-4, double; Josh Bninski triple, 2 runs, 2 RBIs; Reece Kiriu double, 2 RBIs.

MID-PACIFIC 3, SAINT LOUIS 2

Wade Tamaru scored the winning run on an error in the bottom of the seventh inning to lead the Owls over the Saints. Saint Louis' Jordan Higa tied the game at 2 with a solo homer in the top of the seventh.

SAINT LOUIS (1-8) 010 000 1—2 6 2

MID-PACIFIC (6-3) 101 000 1—3 5 2

Joshua Saio, Jordan Akau (6), Anthony Usui (7) and John Haina. Jeffery Khan, Austin Sloan (5), Michael Nagamine (7) and Aaron Fujiki. W — Nagamine. L — Akau.

Leading hitters — Saint Louis: Haina double; Kaden Kamoe 2-3, RBI; Jordan Higa solo homer. Mid-Pacific: Wade Tamaru 2-3, double.

Reported by Pua Hayashi

DAMIEN 5, PAC-FIVE 2

Kai Higa had a triple and two RBIs, and Darby Ventura doubled twice and drove in two runs as the Monarchs rallied to beat the Wolfpack.

PAC-FIVE (0-10) 000 110 0—2 7 1

DAMIEN (5-5) 100 040 X—5 5 1

Tyler Simao, Samson Aina (5) and Reid Morihara. Duncan Ebert, Johnathan Awa (7) and Darby Ventura W — Ebert. L — Simao. S — Awa.

Leading hitters — Pac-Five: Zach Fujimoto double, run; Ross Yamato 2-4, RBI; Ian Padaken 1-3. Damien: Kai Higa triple, 2 RBIs; Travis Derby 2 runs; Ventura 2-3, two doubles, 2 RBIs; Brennan Alejo 2-2.

Reported by Phil Higa

Reach Kyle Sakamoto at ksakamoto@honoluluadvertiser.com.