Using a quick and measured barrage, Kamehameha-Hawaii played its way out of McKinley High’s softball field.
The Warriors scored five runs in the first, Mykala Tokunaga struck out nine and Kamehameha beat Lanai 8-4 at the HHSAA Division II tournament, becoming the first BIIF team to reach the semifinals since the Warriors did so in 2009.
Kamehameha (15-0) will move down the road in Honolulu to Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium at 1 p.m. Thursday to play either top-seeded Pac-Five or two-time champion Nanakuli.
“We knew we had to win to play at UH field,” Tokunaga said. “We’ve never played there.”
Half of the Warriors’ 12 hits went for extra bases, including three in a first inning that coach Gary Ahu would have had a hard time drawing up better. Doubles by Kiarra Lincoln and Kekai Wong Yuen sandwiched Jessica Cameros’s single, Tokunaga delivered a two-run single and Makena Wagner hit a triple as Kamehameha led 4-0 after five batters.
“The inning gave me a lot of confidence,” said Tokunaga, who allowed six hits and four runs – two earned – with four walks in a complete game.
In the fifth inning, the Warriors used Taylor Sullivan’s double, two errors and a walk to tack on three runs for an 8-0 lead.
Cameros (2 for 4) and Elexis Emmsley (2 for 4) also had doubles for Kamehameha. Samantha Simmons and Wong Yuen also went 2 for 4.
Cherie Malacas hit an RBI double for the Pine Lasses (10-3).
True to her coach’s nature, Tokunaga said Ahu’s only message afterward was “good game, girls.”
Of course, Kamehameha has had high aspirations all year as it navigated its first unbeaten BIIF season and won its fourth consecutive title.
KS-Hawaii 500 030 0 – 8 12 4
Lanai 000 031 0 – 4 6 3
Waimea 11, Kohala 1
The second-seeded Menehune slugged three home runs and Kiani Kamakea tossed five strong innings at McKinley, denying the Cowgirls a spot in the DII semifinals.
One day after it broke out for 18 runs against Kalaheo in the first round, BIIF runner-up Kohala (9-7) managed just one against Kamakea when Denae Rivera and Desha Yamasaki singled in the fourth ahead of Kumulani Kaai’s RBI groundout.
But by then, the Cowgirls already trailed 9-1. Freshmen pitchers Antonette Fernandez and Symphony Kauanoe combined to walk seven batters.
KIF champion Waimea (12-2) was outhit 7-6, but three went for home runs. Starlynn Ripley went deep to lead off the second against Fernandez – who pitched two innings and was the loser – Kean Ratcliff-Hogan homered to begin the fourth, and Dea Tafiti’s two-run shot in the fifth made it 11-1.
Setsuko Kimura and Rivera each had two hits for Kohala, which takes the field against St. Francis at 5 p.m. Thursday to try and advance to the fifth-place game.
Waimea 241 22 – 11 6 0
Kohala 000 10 – 1 7 2