Ryder Okimoto doubled and scored the winning run on a single by Tanner Chun in the bottom of the eighth inning as No. 1 Saint Louis edged No. 8 Maryknoll, 4-3, on Thursday at Ala Wai Field.

Saint Louis improved to 4-1 (9-3 overall) and has sole possession of first place in the ILH standings.

In the eighth, Okimoto led off with a double over third base. Kolby Gushiken moved him over to third base with a sacrifice bunt. The outfield and infield were in, and Chun had an 0-2 count against Maryknoll’s third pitcher, Noah Bernal. Chun singled to right-center, plating Okimoto for another dramatic Saint Louis win.

“Cardiac kids,” Crusaders coach George Gusman said.

“I was looking for something over the plate,” Chun said. “Open up my zone, protect the plate and get something to the outfield.”

Saint Louis held on for a 4-1 win over No. 2 ‘Iolani on Tuesday. Thursday’s battle on a sunny afternoon was closer, but Saint Louis also stranded 13 base runners.

“We’re playing together as a team, backing each other up. If I don’t get the job done, I trust in Seanie (Yamaguchi) and Chance (Kuhlmann) and everybody else to pick me up,” Chun said.

Maryknoll was coming off a 2-1 victory over Punahou, also in eight innings. The Spartans are tied for second place in the ILH standings at 3-2 (8-5 overall).

“I told them to continue to trust it. There’s a lot of coachable things that we have to clean up. Continue to just trust the process,” Spartans coach Alaka‘i Aglipay said. “How do you respond after that? I told them, let’s have a good practice tomorrow and focus on what we’ve got to fix. We’ll be all right.”

Saint Louis starting pitcher Lincoln Pang went five innings, permitting two runs (one earned) on two hits with one strikeout, two walks and one hit batter.

Maryknoll starter Cade Hedani went four innings, allowing three runs on seven hits with two strikeouts, two walks and one hit batter.

The Spartans drew first blood with an unearned run in the top of the first inning. With one out, Bernal was hit by pitch and advanced to second base on a Kory Chu groundout. Bernal came home when Saint Louis second baseman Chyler DeSilva misfired on Luke Swartman’s ground ball.

Against Hedani, the Crusaders left two runners on base in each of the first two innings without scoring. In the bottom of the third, Chun singled with one out and stole second base. After Hedani struck out Yamaguchi, Kuhlmann singled, scoring Chun to tie the game.

DeSilva followed with an opposite-field triple to right, plating Kuhlmann for a 2-1 Saint Louis lead. DeSilva then scored on a single to center by Kahanu Martinez for a two-run cushion.

Facing Pang in the top of the fifth inning, Tanner Fujino walked and Kaui Kekauoha singled to right. Pang’s errant pickoff throw to second base advanced the runners, and Fujino then scored on a sacrifice fly by Allin Yap to bring Maryknoll within 3-2.

In the sixth, the Spartans scored a run to tie the game against Gushiken, who had moved from left field to the mound. Chu walked, advanced to second base on a groundout by Luke Swartman, and reached third base on a passed ball. Noah Nakaoka’s two-out single brought Chu home and it was 3-all.

Jake Remily moved from first base to the mound in the fifth inning, firing two scoreless innings.

In the seventh frame, Maryknoll had a runner at third base with one out, but Gushiken retired Jace Noda and Bernal to extinguish the threat.

Saint Louis had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the seventh. Yamaguchi reached base on a throwing error by Fujino, the Spartans shortstop. However, Yamaguchi was picked off second base by Bernal. Saint Louis still managed to load the bases, but Ezekiel Ribuca grounded into a force out to end the inning.

Maryknoll had its own baserunning boo-boo in the top of the eighth. Swartman singled with one out, and pinch runner Kolo Kaululaau got picked off first base by Gushiken for a 1-6-3-4-1 putout.

Gushiken’s versatility, especially in crucial scenarios, is invaluable. He went three innings, allowing one run on two hits to earn the win in relief.

“I just try to keep working, take a deep breath, knowing you have your team right behind you,” Gushiken said. “Just throw strikes and put the ball in play. They’ll make the play.”

Saint Louis will return to Ala Wai on Saturday, 9 a.m., to play Pac-Five.

Maryknoll will meet Kamehameha on Saturday, 9 a.m., at Patsy Mink Central Oahu Regional Park.