One caught fire midway through the season, leading her team to a state title.

The other was simply the finest power hitter and arguably the best defensive first baseman in the islands.

Jaci Young was practically unhittable in the second half of the season, finishing with a 17-2 record and a 0.74 ERA for state champion Punahou. Media and coaches selected the fireballer as the Star-Advertiser softball pitcher of the year.

Alex Masaquel of ‘Iolani was voted position player of the year despite the absence of her team in the state tournament. Masaquel, at 5 feet 10, was a towering presence with a .524 batting average, seven home runs, 24 RBIs and 16 runs scored.

The panel selected Punahou’s Bob Makahilahila as coach of the year as his team finished second in the ILH, then overtook top-seeded Kamehameha for the state title.

"What made this happen for us was how well they all played as a team. When individuals come together as a team, they can do remarkable things," he said.

The coaching honor for Makahilahila wasn’t a big surprise to his ace.

"He listens to us. He really understands us and he takes into account what we have to say," Young said. "He has a great coaching staff, too, so that really made the difference, too."

Young’s performance under pressure was unmatched. She struck out 115 batters in 842/3

innings while walking a mere 18. She outdueled Kamehameha’s Kamalani Dung, the other All-State first-team pitcher, in the state final. Young struck out nine and walked two in a two-hit shutout of the Warriors.

Young was constant and consistent during the tourney, winning all four games. She didn’t give up an earned run in a two-hitter against Waipahu, whiffing 14 and walking just one. In 42/3 scoreless innings against Baldwin, she fanned eight and walked three.

She ousted Campbell in the semifinals with a four-hitter, permitting one earned run with 12 strikeouts and one walk.

In all, she allowed just one earned run and nine hits in 252/3 innings at the state tournament with 43 strikeouts and seven walks. Her ERA: 0.27.

"She’s a seasoned vet who knows when she needs to step it up," ‘Iolani coach Corey Okamura said. "She owned the playoffs and even on the days when she didn’t have her best stuff, she was very savvy. I’m very happy for them and for Jaci."

Okamura also credited Young’s catcher, Kylie Popovich. He wasn’t the only one to praise her.

"That’s Kylie calling the pitches," Young said. "We played Kamehameha twice already (before the state tourney), so we kind of knew what to expect. The championship game it was a whole different game for us. Everybody stepped it up."

Makahilahila saw a new strength in his ace this season.

"The second half, after we lost to Maryknoll here 4-0, from that point on she kinda didn’t want to lose. She had the capability of coming back. That was the one thing this year in her performance, she finished, whereas in her sophomore and junior years, she had leads and lost them. But this year, she finished every game. She worked out in the offseason to become the better pitcher she was this year."

For Young, who will play at Puget Sound, those offseason workouts included running on the bleacher steps at Alexander Field.

Masaquel’s monster numbers were impressive enough, but she amassed them despite a broken leg suffered a little more than a year earlier on the basketball court. A titanium rod is still in her right leg with the scars to prove it.

"It’s definitely very surprising," she said of the All-State honor. "There’s days when (the leg) was kind of sore. The doctor said it’ll get better after two years. During basketball, it would get sore and I iced it afterward. Even during softball because my cleats didn’t give a lot of support."

It’s her second trip to the All-State first team. The first came during her sophomore season. She missed last year with the injury.

"She didn’t play softball in the offseason. She didn’t touch a bat for 18 months and she didn’t miss a beat," Okamura said. "If she had played (as a junior), I think more colleges would’ve recognized her talent. But basketball is her passion. I’m very proud of her about that, but in my opinion she could play Division I college softball."

Masaquel, a three-time All-State hoopster, will attend William & Mary on a basketball scholarship. The school doesn’t have a softball program.