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Punahou earned the third and final berth into next week's DataHouse/HHSAA Softball Championships in dramatic fashion, rallying back from an early 3-0 deficit, then ending the game on a walk-off single by Mysha Sataraka to top 'Iolani, 5-4.

"We wanted it (to make the state tournament) so bad this year... our seniors, everyone on this team deserves it. So to just have that... its just an amazing feeling." said Punahou starting pitcher Jaci Young.

The Buffanblu would have an uphill battle from the outset, as Young would struggle to find her groove early on, spotting 'Iolani a three-run lead in the first.

She would issue two walks and two hits in the inning, including a double by Miki Sylva that would drive in two runs.

"When they ('Iolani) got the 3-0 lead, everybody came in and it was kind of like... so what, its 3-0, we still got seven innings to go." said Buffanblu head coach Bob Makahilahila.

And as if on cue, Punahou would get an immediate lift in the bottom of the first, provided off the bat of shortstop Reina Furuya, who would send a shot deep to left field, clearing the portable fencing for the first run of the game.

"I wasn't really looking for the home run... I was just thinking let's try and win this." said Furuya of her home run.

And her fence-clearing hit certainly conveyed her thoughts to the rest of her teammates loud and clear.

"When Reina hit that home run, the whole bench just picked up... like we're just going to chip away, chip away, chip away."

It also seemed to provide Young a much-needed boost in confidence.

"I think Jaci felt it, and we told her, all you do is just hold them to zeroes, and let us catch up." added Makahilahila.

Buoyed by some strong defensive play behind her, most notably a spectacular catch and throw-out by right fielder Thalen Masada to end the top of the fifth, Young would proceed to hang up five consecutive zeroes following the first inning, scattering just two hits in that span.

In the meantime, Punahou would continue to whittle away at the 'Iolani lead over the middle innings, adding a second solo home run in the third by Sataraka to straight-away center, and knotting the game up at 3-all on a Sarah Sumida triple with two-outs in the fourth.

The Buffanblu would take their first lead of the afternoon at 4-3 in the bottom of the fifth, when Sataraka, who would get on following an intentional walk, would come home on a Masada sacrifice to right.

Not willing to go down without a fight, 'Iolani would mount a rally of their own in the top of the seventh, as Brielle Asato would lead-off with single and would move up to second on a sacrifice bunt.

Then, down to their final out, Ula Reis-Moniz would step up and lace a shot between first and second to bring home Asato for the tying run.

With the game deadlocked at 4-4 with one out in the bottom of the eighth, Kaylin Okuma would reach first with a ground ball single, and move to second during the next at-bat on a wild pitch. Consecutive walks would load the bases, setting the stage for Sataraka's heroics at the plate.

"I just wanted to do this for my team cause I know how hard they worked and basically I said anything close I'm going to swing and try to hit it hard anywhere and luckily it went that way." said an elated Sataraka.

Sataraka's shot would carry just over the reach of the right fielder, and as Okuma came in to score the winning run, the celebration at home plate was already in full swing.

Punahou joins regular-season champion Mid-Pacific and second-place Kamehameha as the three representatives in next week state tournament.