David ‘Boy’ Eldredge had a decision to make in the summer of 2017.

He was asked to take over the Punahou softball program, but he also had a son, Koa, beginning his sophomore year of high school and wanted to watch him play baseball in the spring.

Then he heard about Punahou’s girls softball drought — 12 years without an ILH title at the time — and decided the challenge was worth taking on.

Two years later, the drought is over, as the Buffanblu hammered five home runs in a 12-9 victory over visiting ‘Iolani on Tuesday to win the ILH postseason tournament and clinch the school’s first league softball crown since 2005.

“It was that challenge that made me want to take over the program and see if we could bring some trophies back to the school,” Eldredge said. “We had to replace six starters from last year’s team … and we didn’t know what we were going to get out of this crew.”

He’s got that elusive league trophy so far, and now has a chance to return to the state final as the seeded ILH team.

>> View more photos from the game in our gallery.

D’Asha Saiki and Maya Matsubara both homered twice against the Raiders and Ashanti Martinez, who got the win and save after reentering the game in the seventh, added a three-run homer to put Punahou (16-3) ahead 10-6 in the fourth inning.

“Ashanti has been a huge surprise too,” Eldredge said. “Ashanti has had to carry the load, and she has done an unbelievable job and is really one of the main reasons why we’re where we’re at.”

The teams combined to hit nine homers with little wind to hold up fly balls. Saiki homered in her first two at-bats and started double plays in each of the final two innings to kill potential ‘Iolani rallies.

With runners on first and second and nobody out in the sixth, Saiki took a bad hop on a grounder off her chest and still managed to start a 6-4-3 double play.

With the bases loaded and one out in the seventh, Saiki snared a line drive off the bat of Ailana Agbayani and doubled off the runner with a quick throw to third to end it.

“Our defense is pretty solid. Definitely something we work on in practice, just making the fundamental plays and being focused with every pitch,” Saiki said.

‘Iolani catcher Kai Barrett put the Raiders (15-5) ahead 5-1 in the third inning with a two-run homer, but the Buffanblu tied the game on Asia Lee’s RBI single after Saiki’s second homer brought in two runs.

Matsubara, the leadoff hitter, blasted a two-run homer in the fourth inning and added a two-run shot in the fifth for a 12-9 lead after ‘Iolani had pulled within a run.

“I have not hit home runs like this ever,” Matsubara said. “I don’t know who I am. I don’t know. Something felt right today.”

Ailana Agbayani tripled and scored to open the top of the first and Aleia Agbayani added a homer and two runs scored.

Allie Capello and Tori Maeda joined Barrett with homers in the game for the Raiders, who are in the state tournament for just the second time since 2009.

“Very proud for the seniors because the last time they went is when they were freshmen,” ‘Iolani coach Benny Agbayani said. “I told them this season let’s work toward that and I think they have guided this team and they got what they wanted.”