Alexis Paulo-Meyers reacts on second after her double. Sean Nakamura | SL

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Kiani Kamakea, left, is congratulated by a teammate at home after hitting a home run in the sixth to break a 4-4 tie against Nanakuli. Sean Nakamura | SL

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Nanakuli softball team poses together with the Datahouse/HHSAA Division II Softball State Championship trophy after their 8-5 win over Waimea at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. Scott Nishi | SL

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The Meyers family had a big hand in helping Nanakuli rally past Waimea, 8-5, for the Golden Hawks' second consecutive DataHouse Division II state softball crown Friday night.

Alexis Paulo-Meyers and niece Raynette Meyers-Kahalehoe combined to drive in five runs for the Golden Hawks (18-0), who rallied from a 3-1 and 5-4 deficits with a four-run top of the seventh inning to hand the Menehune (13-1-1) their first loss of the season.

There was no shortage of enthusiasm from both teams' cheering sections at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. The standing-room only crowd saw the teams combine for 10 runs in the final three innings.

Aunty Alexis set the tone with a lead-off homer to center to start the game and capped the four-run seventh with a two-run double. Niece Raynette smoked a pinch-hit two-run homer to center in the sixth to tie the game at 4.

Even Alexis' sister, Prescious walked with one out in the seventh to start the rally.

"I'm proud of my niece and my sister," Alexis said. "Knowing my niece came in for pinch hitting, I'm so proud of her."

For a moment, it looked like Waimea pitcher Kiani Kamakea would be the star after hitting a solo homer to left-center in the bottom of the sixth gave Waimea, 5-4 lead.

But things got wild - literally - in the top of the seventh.

After Emma Kawaiaea lined out to right, Precious Paulo-Meyers, walked, but Chyanne Koko flied to center for the second out. Ashley Van Gieson walked on four pitches to put runners at first and second. Meyers-Kahalehoe re-entered the game as a pinch hitter and the first pitch to her was wild, moving the runners into scoring position.

Waimea coach Teddy Perreira came out to argue that a pinch hitter could not re-enter the game after the player she hit for had re-entered the game on defense. After some discussion among the umpires, it was ruled Meyers-Kahalehoe could in fact re-enter.

"I didn't know you could come into the game, go back out, and come back into the game again for non-starting players," Perreira said. "I just found out tonight. That took us out of the game. That should've been our game."

Perreira said if that was ruled an illegal substitution, the batter would have been called out; that would have been the third out with Waimea winning, 5-4.

Four pitches later, it looked like the decision was going to be irrelevant, as Meyers-Kahalehoe swung and missed on a 2-2 count on a pitch in the dirt, allowing the tying run to score and put runners at the corners with two out.

Charallen Mahoe singled to left to score the go-ahead run and put runners at first and second. Kaila Burnett walked to load the bases and Alexis Paulo-Meyers' two-run double to left-center insured the lead before Shaina Souza grounded out to end the inning.

The Menehune did not go down with a fight. Alyssa Miyamoto led off with a single and took second when Saecha Padasdao grounded out to the pitcher. A passed ball moved Miyamoto to third before Taylor Lazaro walked.

With runners at the corners and the tying run at the plate, Koko struck out the next two batters to end the game.

Nanakuli stormed out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Igniting the charge was Alexis, who drilled 1-2 pitch over the center field wall. The Golden Hawks would load the bases with a single, error and walk. But Kamakea got Koko to ground to first for a force at home for the first out. She then fanned Van Gieson for the second out, but walked Daria Kawaauhau to force in the second run before striking out Mahoe to end the inning.

"In the beginning, I knew I had to bring up my team in some way," Alexis said. "Base hit was good for me, but I got the home run."

The Menehune chipped way starting in the third inning without a batted ball out of the infield.

Sienna Santiago led off with a walk, Kamakea was hit by a pitch and Bailey San Agustin-Nordmeier reached on a bunt single to first to load the bases. After Miyamoto popped out to second, Santiago was allowed to score on an illegal pitch before Padasdao walked to reload the bases. But Koko struck out Lazaro to strand the runners.

Waimea took the lead in the fifth. Kamakea led off with a walk and took second on San Agustin-Nordmeier's bunt single. The runners advanced on Miyamoto's sacrifice and Kamakea scored when Padasdao reached safely on a squeeze play to put runners at the corners. Lazaro double home a run and Jacelynn Sabala-Rapanot followed with another squeeze play to make it 4-2 before Karlyee Rye Malapit struck out.

Nanakuli tied the game in the top of the sixth when Van Gieson reached on an error and scored on Meyers-Kahalehoe's pinch homer that tied the game at 4.

"It felt amazing," Meyers-Kahalehoe said of the pinch homer.

"She brought us back in the game," Gusman said.

Kamakea's two-out homer gave Waimea a momentary 5-4 lead before the Golden Hawks started their rally.

"We tried our best," Perreira said. "They're a good team. i don't take anything away from my girls; they're just as good as them."