They say a walk is as good as a hit.

Well, the new Oahu Interscholastic Association White baseball champions are not about to argue.

Waipahu benefited from six walks and a hit batter to beat Kalaheo 5-1 and capture the OIA White championship on Saturday at Hans L’Orange.

Conversely, Waipahu pitcher Dylan Sugimoto didn’t give away anything.

The sophomore went the distance, striking out eight batters, walking none. He allowed four hits.

“He’s a sophomore but he is a seasoned sophomore,” Waipahu coach Milton Takenaka said. “He was on the varsity last year. He was the guy all the way.”

Sugimoto had only given up one run all season — with 30 strikeouts in 20 innings. He continued his mastery to start the OIA title game. Sugimoto was perfect the first time through the order until Matthew Lee jumped on the second pitch he saw in the fourth for Kalaheo’s first hit. He would later score on an RBI double by Alika Andres.

Kalaheo would not threaten the home team again.

“I knew it, I knew I had a perfect game, but it didn’t matter,” Sugimoto said. “All that mattered was that we were not hitting and I had to shut them down if we were going to win.”

Waipahu, which boasts of four starters hitting over .400, managed only five hits against three Kalaheo pitchers. No matter, the Marauders scored their runs off six walks and a few breaks on the bases.

“We’re a better hitting team than that,” Takenaka said. “Their pitchers did a good job. We made up for it by hustling on the bases. We are looking forward to states, when we can show we can hit better.”

Waipahu scored its first two runs when Kalaheo pitcher Nathan Milca threw a wild pitch with runners on the corners. Catcher Godfrey Craighead hustled to the backstop for the ball, but his throw to the plate caught Milca unaware and hit Waipahu’s Justin Pagba after he crossed the plate. The ball bounced toward Kalaheo’s dugout, and Rustin Ho, who started the play on first, scored right behind him. Gabriel Dacuycuy scored Waipahu’s third run of the inning on a passed ball.

Milca only made it through 10 batters before being replaced by Matt Lee. Lee went 10 batters and gave up two runs before Chris Palmer took the mound and shut Waipahu down the rest of the way.

Kalaheo had only 12 players available for the game. Both teams had already clinched a spot in the state tournament, which begins May 9 at Hans L’Orange. Waipahu goes in unbeaten at 12-0, while Kalaheo is 9-4.

“Before the season, our first goal was OIAs. It means a lot,” Sugimoto said. “This is great, but we have our second goal ahead of us now.”

At Hans L’Orange

Nathan Milca, Matthew Lee (2), Chris Palmer (4) and Godfrey Craighead. Dylan Sugimoto and Matapua Tulafale.

W—Sugimoto. L—Milca.

Leading hitters—Kala: Alika Andres 2B; Chris Palmer 2B. Waip: Micah Luke 2-3; Jarinn Afaga-Abreu 1-3, RBI.

Waialua 11, Radford 10, 9 inn.

A bases-loaded walk in the top of the ninth proved to be the game-winning run as the Bulldogs defeated the Rams in the OIA White third-place game and punched their ticket into the Division II State Tournament.

At Radford field

Kekai Rivera-Albeso, Justin Tantog (3), Mykal Guigui (6) and Robert Ladia. Kevin-Tyler Owens, Paul Cavallaro (2), Wesleigh Simier (5), Harley Thompson (6) and Michael Vito.

W—Guigui. L—Thompson.

Leading hitters—Waialua: Hunter Quilinderino 3-3; Kimo Onizuka 3-4; Tala Fuatiga 3-5; Rivera-Albeso 2-5; Guigui 2-6. Radford: Jesus Tenorio 4-4, 2b; Cavallaro 3-5; Matthew Rojas 2-4, 3b; Thompson 2-6, 2b.