This time, Daria Kawaauhau was ready.

The senior shortstop drilled a single to left with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, scoring Kaila Burnett from second base as unbeaten Nanakuli rallied for a 3-2 win over Aiea in the championship game of the OIA Division II softball playoff tournament at McKinley’s Tiger Stadium.

In two state-title games, coach Ricky Gusman pulled Kawaauhau in key situations in favor of a pinch hitter, he said.

“She wasn’t swinging the bat well enough,” he recalled. “This year, she pulled through. She was due.”

Nanakuli (15-0), ranked No. 8 in the Star-Advertiser Softball Top 10, is the defending D-II state champion. However, the Golden Hawks never quite got over losing in last year’s OIA D-II title game against Aiea. It is still their lone loss in nearly two seasons of OIA and state-tourney competition.

“They don’t forget. It’s not revenge. It’s a little bit of redemption,” Gusman said.

“They’re Nanakuli, always well coached, good defense and hitting,” Aiea coach Alan Higuchi said. “You have to bring your ‘A’ game to compete with them.”

Nanakuli’s normally potent hitting attack was held under control for six innings because of the guile and control of Aiea ace Poamai Tuli. The junior had missed six weeks due to a calf/knee injury, but showed no signs of it with an effective 76 pitches, four strikeouts and no walks through six frames.

In the bottom of the seventh, though, leadoff hitter Alohi Hauhio worked the count full, then fouled off four more pitches before striking out. That seemed to take a bit of a toll on Tuli, but she got pinch hitter Chalyssa-Ann Belford to swing at her first pitch, a pop-up to short for the second out.

Tuli, a lanky southpaw, then had the count at 2-2 against Kika Mahoe, who had earlier struck out and singled.

“I was looking outside, but it was an inside pitch,” Mahoe said of the breaking pitch.

She ripped the ball on one hop to the third-base bag, where infielder Tiana Ono made a backhanded stab and throw, but it was too late to nab Mahoe. Nanakuli’s hopes were revived.

“Thank God I got on base. I was praying that Kaila would move me,” Mahoe said.

Burnett, the leadoff hitter in the lineup, was 1-1 in the count and looking for more of Tuli’s outside-plate benders.

“I’m just looking for my pitch. She threw her curve and it broke in,” said Burnett, who nearly got all of it, blasting a drive to the fence in right-center for a double.

Mahoe hustled home on the play to tie the game at 2. Tuli then hit Keani Sonognini-Keopuhiwa with a pitch. Then, it was Kawaauhau’s turn.

“She’s OK. We faced so many pitchers and she’s not fast,” Kawaauhau said. “I was looking for my pitch.”

That was a curveball that broke over the plate on a 1-1 count, and she lined it to left. Outfielder Brie Valenciano, playing in, tried to short-hop the ball, but it squirted away. It would’ve been a long shot to catch the speedy Burnett at home plate anyway.

That was enough to reward starting pitcher Kanalei McCoy with the gritty win. The junior struck out seven and walked four for the complete-game win.

“I should’ve been better,” the junior said. “I needed to push myself between every inning and focus.”