Punahou batter Amber Popovich (11) slams this pitch by Mid-Pacific's Kayla Au to bring Nicole Nishizawa (3) home and end the game, 1-0, at the bottom of the seventh. Sean Nakamura | SL

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Punahou teammates surround Amber Popovich (11) after her RBI hit that brought Nicole Nishikawa (3) home for a run in the seventh. Sean Nakamura | SL

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Mid-Pacific pitcher Kayla Au (6) pitched for six innings, with six hits and one run, walked one and struck out six Punahou batters. Sean Nakamura | SL

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A Punahou relief runner for Kylie Popovich is tagged out at home while attempting to squeeze a run at the bottom of the third. Sean Nakamura | SL

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Punahou pitcher Jaci Young (9) pitched all seven innings, with no hits and no runs, walked two and struck out four Mid-Pacific batters. Sean Nakamura | SL

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In a intense pitchers duel to the end, Jaci Young held down the Mid-Pacific offense long enough for Amber Popovich to bring Nicole Nishizawa home in the seventh and defeat the Owls, 1-0, in a mid-morning game at Punahou School.

After hitting a leadoff double in the seventh, Nishizawa advanced to third on Arianna Hashimoto’s sacrifice bunt and then came home with the winning run on a drive to left field by Popovich.

"We told the girls to relax and just have fun, and enjoy it (the game)," said Punahou head coach Bobby Makahilahila. "It's a team and they know how to count on each other. A good example of that is Amber Popovich, that was our number seven batter hitting in that run."

The Buffanblu (6-2) are now tied with the Maryknoll Spartans (6-2) for second in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu while the Owls (5-3) fall to fourth.

Punahou and Mid-Pacific pitted their aces, seniors Jaci Young and Kayla Au respectively, in a game that was very much a defensive struggle throughout.

In the second, Young was pressured by Owls' baserunner Taylor Ann Oda - one of two batters Young walked in the beginning of the inning - who stole third while facing Kiley Oeda at the plate.

However, Young quickly distinguished a potential Mid-Pacific scoring opportunity by striking Oeda out to end the threat.

"It was kind of rough," said Young who credited her team for her performance on the mound. "But I knew my team had my back so I just have to trust them; it was really all them."

Au found herself in a similar jam when Punahou’s Kylie Popovich attempted to come home off of a Sarah Sumida's squeeze bunt in the third. Popovich was tagged out just in time by Mid-Pacific catcher Nicole Lopez to keep a run off the scoreboard.

Both team's head coaches praised the opposing pitchers performance the game.

"She (Au) did a great job," Makahilahila said of Mid-Pacific's pitcher.

Mid-Pacific head coach Alan Inaba returned a similar opinion for Punahou's pitcher.

"She (Young) kept us off-balance, balls in and out, changed speeds on us, she did good."

Young threw seven hitless and scoreless innings in the circle for the Buffanblu, walking just two while registering four strikeouts.

Au allowed six hits and one run in six innings of work, with a walk and six strikeouts for the Owls.