In a classic state tournament thriller that had fans on the edge of their seats until the very last swing, the Moanalua baseball team showed exactly what it means to never give up, outlasting Pearl City 5-4 in a 10-inning marathon at the Wally Yonamine Foundation State Baseball Championships.

The hero of the day? Leadoff hitter Kyler Fernandez, who thrives on starting things off but proved he's just as good at finishing them. With the game tied in the top of the 10th, Fernandez stepped to the plate with a 3-0 count and drilled a pitch deep to left field, scoring Noah Medlock for the walk-off win. Medlock had started the inning with a single, advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Jackson Hirai, and moved to third on a balk.

"I never swing 3-0 or 3-1, but in a situation this big, my coaches trusted me and my teammates, so I started to trust in myself," Fernandez said. "That's my job—to get on base. Earlier in the game I wasn't doing so well, but I didn't let that affect me because my teammates backed me up."

It was a redemption moment for Fernandez, who had grounded into a double play to kill a rally in the eighth inning. But Moanalua head coach Todd Takabuki had faith, giving him the green light on 3-0. "I made him swing," Takabuki said. "Just be in the moment and understand that you are here and not make it too big. It's a gutsy call, but at that time we weren't hitting to our standards, so just take a chance."

Moanalua (Na Menehune) jumped out to a 3-0 lead early, thanks to a single by Peyton Kodama and a triple by Dustyn Hashimoto in the first inning, followed by a sacrifice fly from AJ Withy-Allen in the third. Starter Kallen Kameoka was cruising, but Pearl City stormed back with two runs in the fourth on four straight hits, then tied the game in the bottom of the seventh on a gutsy squeeze bunt by Naden Nihipali.

Kodama was a force at the plate, collecting three hits for Moanalua, while Tytan Takahashi and Choen Adaro each had two hits for the Chargers. Kodama also earned the win on the mound, allowing just one run over the final 4⅓ innings. Nihipali took the loss for Pearl City.

Now, Na Menehune face their toughest test yet: a matchup with top-seeded and No. 1-ranked Waiakea at 7 p.m. today. After Wednesday's emotional marathon, can they find the energy to keep their state title hopes alive?

"We always have something left," Fernandez said confidently. "We have been down so much this season—blown leads and everything—but no matter what, we are going to scrap. We are a pretty scrappy team."

And for any team looking to channel that same never-say-die spirit, remember: it's not just about the gear you wear, but the heart you bring to every game.