The Buffanblu improved to 8-2 in ILH play, 2-0 in the second round. The Raiders fell to 9-3, 1-1.

'Iolani had defeated Punahou, 6-1, in the first round and 4-2 in a special tiebreaker playoff this past Monday. But yesterday, the Buffanblu matched that run total after the first three batters.

Reina Furuya led off the game with a single, Kylie Popovich reached on an error and Mysha Sataraka followed with a three-run homer before even the first out was recorded.

"We felt unsatisfied the past couple times we played them," said Furuya, a junior shortstop. "Today we wanted to come out strong."

The Buffanblu added five runs on five hits in the fourth, highlighted by Furuya's RBI triple, Popovich's run-scoring double and Kayla Shimoda's RBI single. The Raiders also hurt themselves with two errors and a wild pitch.

"We didn't play well defensively, but I gotta give credit to Punahou," 'Iolani coach Chris Shimabukuro said. "They came ready to play offensively and defensively."

The Raiders finally broke through in the bottom of the fourth, with Kaleen Terayama's run-scoring triple and Ula Reis-Moniz's RBI single sandwiched around an infield error that brought in another run.

Alex Masaquel's two-run double closed it to 8-5 in the sixth, but Buffanblu starter Jaci Young got a popup to end the rally and then set down 'Iolani in order in the seventh. She was also helped by Furuya's two diving stops at short plus a diving catch in right field by Nicole Tamura with a runner on third in the fifth.

"Reina made some crucial plays, and we've seen Nicole do that before," Punahou coach Bob Makahilahila said. "The girls were ready, they were wanting this game. When they're focused, they can play like how we saw them today."

Popovich went 2 for 3, Furuya went 2 for 5 and Alexis DeFries and Vanessa Va'a each went 2 for 4. Kim Souza went 2 for 3 and Terayama went 2 for 4 for the Raiders.