D’Asha Saiki went 4-for-4 and Asia Lee drove in three runs as No. 7 Punahou held on for a 7-6 win over No. 4 Maryknoll on Monday afternoon at Sand Island Recreation Area.

There was a four-way tie for first place in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu softball standings prior to Monday’s games. Punahou improved to 7-2 and Maryknoll dropped to 6-3. Mid-Pacific and ‘Iolani kept pace with Punahou. MPI defeated Pac-Five 8-2 and ‘Iolani overpowered Damien 13-2.

Punahou, which began the season 0-2, never wavered.

“It’s good for us, especially because we lost those first two games,” said Saiki, now batting .850 in ILH play. “We’ve persevered.”

Ashanti Martinez went the distance for Punahou. She struck out two and walked three while allowing 10 hits. Aloha Akaka took the loss for Maryknoll.

“We should be able to take care of our own destiny,” Buffanblu coach Dave “Boy” Eldredge said.

Punahou got on the scoreboard on a two-out, solo home run to right-center by Tiani Wayton in the third inning. Maryknoll outfielders Mahalo Akaka and Breli-Rylin Agbayani-Shibao chased the long fly ball, then inexplicably seemed to lose track of it.

Maryknoll coach John Uekawa said the ball squirted under a gap at the fence and he asked the umpires for help, but they called it a four-bagger. Akaka, the center fielder, told Uekawa she wasn’t sure how the ball ended up beyond the fence.

“Our outfielders should have waved their hands when the ball rolled under the fence,” Uekawa said.

Eldredge saw the play much differently.

“For the ball to go under the fence, it would’ve had to dip,” he said. “That would have been ridiculous.”

In the bottom of the fourth, Mahalo Akaka doubled and Aloha Akaka singled, but with runners at the corners and no outs, the Spartans came up empty. Sydney Kamakaiwi flied out to short right, Aloha Akaka was thrown out trying to steal second base, and Allyze Pagaoa struck out to end the threat.

The Spartans tied the game in the fifth. Logan Gaspar led off with a single, advanced on Lexi Carlos’ sac bunt, and scored on a two-out triple to right by Carys Murakami.

In the top of the sixth, Wayton was hit by pitch, Saiki singled and Liana Heshiki’s sac bunt moved the runners up. Lee then doubled, scoring both runners. After Martinez reached base on an infield single, Jadey Hagiwara doubled to left, plating Lee and courtesy runner Makanalei Lapera for a 5-1 lead.

Maryknoll scored three runs in the bottom half, highlighted by Carlos’ two-run double.

Mahalo Akaka singled and Aloha Akaka walked before Kamakaiwi grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. Pagaoa’s high chopper in front of home plate was fielded by Martinez, whose throw to first glanced off Pagaoa’s left shoulder. That allowed Mahalo Akaka to score from third base.

Gaspar then lined a shot to left field, where Eri Mizuguchi muffed the ball for another error. With two runners on base, Carlos ripped a double, bringing both home, and Maryknoll was within 5-4. Martinez then struck out Agbayani-Shibao to end the inning.

Punahou’s two insurance runs in the top of the seventh proved crucial. Maya Matsubara led off with a single and Saiki singled with one out. Heshiki’s single brought Matsubara home. Lee followed with a single, scoring Saiki for a 7-4 lead.

Murakami led off the bottom of the seventh with a walk, and after a single by Liliana Thomas and a walk by Mahalo Akaka, Maryknoll had the bases loaded. Aloha Akaka’s forceout grounder scored Murakami, and Sydney Kamakaiwi’s infield single brought Thomas home. Maryknoll trailed 7-6 with runners at the corners and one out.

Martinez then got pinch hitter Kaylah Santos on a fly ball to short right field, and Gaspar grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the game.