Kahaku Iaea had the ball in his hand with a chance to win the game.

It just wasn’t the way he would have thought.

After pitching six innings of one-run ball, Iaea, who was pulled after loading the bases with nobody out, turned the game-ending double play from third to seal Kailua’s 3-1 victory over Kaiser in the semifinals of the Oahu Interscholastic Association Red playoffs on Friday at Hans L’Orange Park.

Kailua will face defending OIA champion Moanalua in a battle of the top two teams out of the East in the championship game today at 5:30 p.m.

Kea Vierra relieved Iaea after the Cougars loaded the bases on three straight singles.

The Kailua closer struck out Royce Kuromoto before Tyler Lau hit a chopper to third that Iaea fielded quickly. He stepped on the bag at third and whipped a ball to first that was as hard as any of the 84 pitches he threw from the mound, ending the game.

“I caught it on my palm and was lucky to be able to catch it and then just stepped on the base and was able to turn the double play,” said Iaea, who gave up six hits and three walks with three strikeouts.

The Surfriders (13-1) beat Kaiser (10-5) for the third consecutive meeting, but it didn’t resemble Kailua’s two blowout victories during the season.

After beating Kaiser 13-3 and 12-5 to clinch the OIA Red East division, the Surfriders squeaked out a victory on Wyatt D’Alessio’s two-run double in the second inning that proved to be the winning hit.

“I thought we were going to (score) more later on because of how we come back after they score,” D’Alessio said. “We just kept it strong on the defense.”

Neither team committed an error in a well-played game on both sides.

Vierra, who earned his fourth save of the season, went 3-for-3 with an RBI and scored once for the Surfriders, who can win their first OIA championship since 2005.

“We’ve just been fortunate to play in a lot of (close games) and come out on top in most of them,” said Kailua coach Corey Ishigo, who thinks this year’s team is similar to his previous teams that have won titles.

“These guys can match up with them. We don’t show it in the numbers, but these guys got heart and play hard.”

Kaiser starter Michael Austin allowed all three runs on five hits in 4 2⁄3 innings. He kept his team in the game by holding Kailua’s middle of the order in check.

The Surfriders’ 3-6 hitters combined to go 0-for-13.

“(Austin) threw hard and changed speeds and hit his spots and that’s all we asked of him,” Kaiser coach Mark Rasmussen said. “We couldn’t get that clutch hit that we’ve been able to get in a lot of games.”

Makana Lyman drove in Kuromoto with an RBI single for the Cougars’ only run.

All six of Kaiser’s hits came in two innings.

At Hans L’Orange Park

Michael Austin, Kelan Yoshioka (5) and Makana Lyman. Kahaku Iaea, Kea Vierra (7) and Rodney Choy Foo.

W—Iaea. L—Austin. S—Vierra.

Leading hitters—Kail: 3-3, run, RBI; Wyatt D’Alessio 1-3, 2b, 2 RBIs; Bobby Spencer 2-3, 2b, run.

Moanalua 5, Pearl City 3

Austyn Nagamine struck out Sumi Pruett with the tying run on base to earn the win and send Na Menehune (11-3) into the OIA Red final against Kailua.

Kekoa Kaulukukui went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored to lead Moanalua in a rematch of last year’s state final won by the Chargers.

Nagamine and Bryson Yasui hit back-to-back RBI singles to help Moanalua score three runs in the first off of Pearl City starter Sean Milan.

Kamalu Neal answered with an RBI double in the bottom of the first and the Chargers scored two more runs in the fourth on a fielder’s choice and an error to tie the game at 3-all.

Austin Inabata hit the go-ahead RBI double in the sixth and Nagamine drew a bases-loaded walk in the seventh for an insurance run.

Nagamine earned the win, allowing one hit over the final four innings with five strikeouts and a walk.

The Chargers will host Kaiser in the third-place game today at 1.

At Hans L’Orange Park

Bryson Yasui, Austyn Nagamine (4) and Austin Inaba. Sean Milan, Reid Akau (5), Tyler Tokunaga (6) and Kamalu Neal.

W—Nagamine. L—Akau.

Leading hitters—Moan: Kekoa Kaulukukui 2-4, 2b, 2 runs, SB; Inabata 1-3, 2b, run, RBI; Nagamine 2-4, 2 RBIs; Yasui 3-3, run, RBI. PC: Neal 1-2, 2b, RBI; Noah Derby 1-3, 2b, run.

OIA RED PLAYOFFS

Castle 3, Roosevelt 2

The Knights held off the Rough Riders to advance to the fifth-place game.

Castle’s Andre Fraticelli led the team with a double and two RBIs.

At Castle field

Mikaele Caris and Tyris Tominaga. Christian Kapeliela and Manoah Medrano.

W—Kapeliela. L—Caris.

Leading hitters—Roos: Caris 3-3, 3b, RBI, run. Cast: Andre Fraticelli 2b, 2 RBIs.

Campbell 1, Kalani 0

Rayven Kahana went 3-for-3 to lift the Sabers over the Falcons.

Campbell will have home-field advantage as it faces Castle today for the fifth-place game at 1 p.m.  

At Campbell field

Dallas Asuncion, Trevor Ozaki (4) and Chase Sumida. Jasten Smeigh and Kaeo Kapana.

W—Smeigh. L—Asuncion.

Leading hitters—Camp: Rayven Kahana 3-3, RBI.

OIA WHITE PLAYOFFS

Waipahu 5, Waialua 4

The Marauders held off a three-run rally in the top of the sixth to defeat the Bulldogs to advance to the Oahu Interscholastic Association White championship game.

At Waipahu

Michael Guigui, Taleon Lee (4), Justin Tantog (4) and Robby Ladia. Drake Yoshioka and Matatua Tulafale.

W—Yoshioka. L—Guigui.

Leading hitters—Wail: Kekai Rivera-Alveso 3-4; Hunter Quilingeno 1-3, 2 RBIs; Shannon Fisher-Larue 1-3, HR, RBI. Waip: Micah Luke 2-2, 2 2bs, 2 RBIs; Tulafale 2b.

Kalaheo 10, Radford 0

Chris Palmer pitched a no-hitter as the Mustangs shut out the Rams in five innings.

Luke Pauli went 2-for-3 with two triples for Kalaheo.

At Kailua Rec. Center

Wesleigh Simler, Derek Rodrigues (3), Kevin Klein (4) and Michael Vito. Chris Palmer and Geoffrey Craighead.

W—Palmer. L—Simler.

Leading hitters—Kalh: Bryan Silva 3-3, 2b; Jack Bell 2-4 2b; Luke Pauli 2-3, 2 3bs.