The Kamehameha-Hawaii softball team moved one step closer to closing out their first undefeated season Friday evening with a win over Kohala in the first game of the BIIF Division II championship series at Old Airport Park. Defense managed to keep Kohala in the game early, but they struggled offensively against Warriors ace Mykala Tokunaga. Kamehameha took the game, 7-1.
The Kamehameha-Hawaii softball team moved one step closer to closing out their first undefeated season Friday evening with a win over Kohala in the first game of the BIIF Division II championship series at Old Airport Park. Defense managed to keep Kohala in the game early, but they struggled offensively against Warriors ace Mykala Tokunaga. Kamehameha took the game, 7-1.
“It was a tough game. Kohala brought their A-game and we got off to a slow start,” said Kamehameha assistant coach Akea Kiyuna. “Mykala prepared for the game and the whole team backed her up. We all came together and everybody was hitting.”
The Warriors are looking to become four time champions and can accomplish this feat Saturday. The second game of the series is scheduled for 10 a.m.
Kamehameha jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Kiarra Lincoln led off with a double down the left field line. Kekai Wong Yuen walked and the duo pulled off a double steal. With a pair of runners in scoring position and one out, Tokunaga picked up a bloop hit to left, scoring Lincoln. The second run scored when the Cowgirls catcher dropped a third strike and had to throw down to first.
Kohala put a runner on third in the top of the third inning when Kiana Alejandro-Cazimero reached on a bloop single to left and advanced around on a pair of groundouts. Tokunaga, the Kamehameha ace in the circle, struck out the next batter to end the threat.
The Warriors added one run in the third, fourth and fifth innings.
In the third, Lincoln reached on a walk and stole second. She scored on a single to center by Tokunaga. Taylor Sullivan walked with one out in the fourth inning, stole second, and reached third on a throwing error by the catcher. She scored on a Jaysha Alonzo-Estrada sacrifice bunt down the first base line. In the fifth, Wong Yuen lined a shot down the right field line for an in-the-park home run.
Kamehameha pushed two more runs across the plate in the bottom of the sixth. Tokunaga and Sullivan both walked and moved up a base on a wild pitch. Alonzo-Estrada lined out to center, but Tokunaga scored on the sac fly. Sullivan was caught in a run down between second and third. While advancing the throw bounced off the Sullivan’s helmet, allowing her to score for a 7-0 lead.
Tokunaga was dominant in the circle, not allowing Kohala to pick up more than one hit or have more than one base runner in each inning until the seventh when the Cowgirls scored their only run off a triple by Jurnee Keawe and an error by the shortstop.
“The mound felt weird but my pitchers were good,” Tokunaga said. “Kekai called all the pitches like usual and the defense was able to cut down on the mental mistakes, we just have to work on our physical mistakes.”
Alejandro-Cazimero took the loss for Kohala. She allowed four runs over 3 2/3 innings.
Kohala 000 0001 / 1 5 4
Kamehameha 201 112 / 7 6 2