Kamehameha’s girls softball team didn’t dabble in drama much during its groundbreaking BIIF season. However, there still was one honor up for grabs when the Warriors took the field in the championships series.
With six hits in a sweep of Kohala that clinched a fourth consecutive Division II title, Mykala Tokunaga earned the team batting title with a .647 average that trumped Kekai Wong Yeun (.641) and Kiarra Lincoln (.550).
Not that the junior needed the late lift to be voted Player of the Year for a third time. In fact, her 22 hits and 13 RBIs were just gravy. For the third consecutive season, she shined in the circle, and this time she led Kamehameha to its first unbeaten league campaign with a sparkling 0.88 ERA, winning 11 games during the Warriors’ 14-0 season.
“I really like to do both,” Tokunaga said. “Without my hitting, I wouldn’t be complete. I’d rather be an all-around player.
“I think hitting comes more naturally for me.”
It’s been that way for Tokunaga ever since she played Little League and PONY League with and against the boys growing up. She didn’t stop until she reached high school.
Tokunaga pointed out that some of the BIIFs best players – Wong Yuen, Waiakea’s Skylar Thomas and Konawaena’s Bethany Batangan, just to name a few – cut their teeth playing baseball.
“It really helped.” Tokunaga said. “The boys are way more competitive and aggressive.
“Playing with boys helped make the speed of the softball seem a little slower.”
She was joined on the all-BIIF team by four teammates: freshman first baseman Taylor Sullivan, outfielder Jaysha Alonzo-Estrada, second baseman Lincoln and Wong Yuen, a catcher. Konawaena had three selections in outfielder Jayssa Asuncion-Grace, third baseman Lihue Wessel and Batangan at shortstop. Honokaa third baseman Taylor Tabucbuc and utility player Keesha Matsuoka were voted on by the BIIF coaches, and league runner-up Kohala was represented by outfielder Jurnee Keawe.
Kamehameha’s Garry Ahu was selected as Coach of the Year. Ahu authored a turnaround in his first season at the helm in 2012 after Kamehameha had missed the HHSAA tournament the previous year. The past three seasons, he’s had the luxury of handing the ball to Tokunaga, and she and the Warriors have turned into an island juggernaut with little end in sight.
Her strikeouts (63 in 63 1/3 innings) were down this season in part because she knew she could depend on her defense more.
“We’re just improved,” she said. “I know I don’t have to make the outs myself.”
The closest BIIF game Kamehameha played all season was a 14-9 victory at Kealakehe in which Tokunaga got the victory in relief, and the Warriors are only set to lose two starters. After 16 victories to start the season, Tokunaga’s favorite moments came when the Warriors got to play at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium in the HHSAA semifinals. They lost to Nanakuli, which went on to win its third consecutive title, before beating Waimea in the third-place game to match the program’s best finish at states.
“There were doubts, but the girls began to believe they could actually do it,” she said.
A year ago at this time, Tokunaga said she was beginning to feel anxious about her college prospects and an assistant coach offered a frank assessment that the 5-foot-9, lanky right-hander needed to add some fat to maximize her college potential.
Tokunaga said she felt much better about her future Saturday and was in San Francisco checking out colleges.
“I cant’ tell you which ones, ” she said, “I don’t want to jinx it.”
And as for weight gain, phat could be used to described to describe Tokunaga, but only in relation to her statisitcs.
“So far, I’ve only added muscle,” she said. “I’d like to gain more mass, but it just doesn’t happen.”