Opportunity knocked for the Kamehameha Warriors.

Mid-Pacific slammed the door shut. The third-ranked Owls rallied for a 5-2 win at Damon Field on Monday despite committing three errors.

The visiting, sixth-ranked Warriors also committed three miscues, which made the task difficult for starting pitcher Li‘i Pontes, who permitted just four hits and two earned runs. The fireballing right-hander struck out three, walked three and hit one batter.

His counterpart, side-winder Shion Matsushita, allowed two unearned runs on four hits over six innings. He fanned three, walked three and hit three batters. Matt Valencia pitched the seventh in relief of Matsushita to earn a save.

MPI’s defense came up with some key plays, especially by third baseman Jacob Yoshino and shortstop Wyatt Young, in the late going.

“One of those plays was deep (in the hole). Eighty percent of the shortstops would commit an error on that,” MPI coach Dunn Muramaru said.

Young also delivered a run-scoring double in the bottom of the fifth to help the Owls break a 2-all tie. Pontes had pinpointed two early strikes with his fastball before Young battled to even the count at 2-2.

“I was looking fastball in, but he threw a slider and I was able to keep my hands back and hit it to the gap. I thought it was going to be caught, but it kept carrying,” Young said.

The win lifts MPI to 10-2 in the ILH baseball standings. Kamehameha dropped to 7-4-1. Punahou (7-3) and Maryknoll (7-3-1) are very much in the mix.

“It was a little bit ugly, but we won,” Muramaru said. “The boys maintained their poise when it really counted. I just know we’ve got to win the next one, and the next one, and the next one.”

The Warriors left nine runners on base as Matsushita gritted out his stint.

“Shion did really well changing his speeds,” Kamehameha coach Kahi Kaanoi said. “Li‘i pitched well. He did a good job mixing pitches. The leadoff walks put pressure on us, but it’s a learning experience for him.”

The Warriors got a leadoff single by Chasten Chon to start the game, and after an errant pickoff throw by Matsushita, Chon scored from third base on a fielder’s choice grounder by Kalamaku Kuewa.

The Owls took the lead in the second. Mackenzee Higuchi led off with a walk, and Micah Pi singled to left, and both advanced a base on a fielding error by Mark Liberato. Higuchi raced home on a chopper to the mound by Cameron Ching. Jet Uechi then sent a chopper to second, scoring Pi from third for a 2-1 MPI lead.

The Warriors responded in the top of the fourth. Hanu Racoma reached base on an error by Young at short. After an error by second baseman Zane Gushiken, Kamehameha had runners at the corners. Kala Burnett’s sac fly to center brought Racoma in to tie the game at 2.

Kamehameha stranded runners at third and second bases in the first, third and fifth innings. In the fifth, MPI broke the tie with two runs. Cale Yoshino led off with a walk, Hunter Hirayama dropped a sac bunt and Young battled Pontes for the run-scoring double to break the stalemate.

After a passed ball allowed Young to reach third base, Jacob Yoshino followed with a grounder to short, and Young scored for a 4-2 Owls lead.