There’s No Comparisons for Canyon’s Kahaku

Talk about high expectations.

When Justina Kahaku was a freshman at Canyon High, she was compared favorably by her coach to Crystl Bustos, a former Cowboy and one of the best softball players ever to play in the region.

Bustos, a former Times Valley player of the year and junior college All-American, is expected to start this summer for the United States in the Olympic Games at Sydney, Australia.

Kahaku, a senior, never quite lived up to that lofty billing. That was no crime because no one could have.

She has survived the comparisons, as well as three coaches in four seasons, to become one of the region’s best outfielders.

With a silky-smooth left-handed swing, Kahaku bats third and is hitting .393 to lead the Cowboys to a 10-6 record entering a Foothill League game Tuesday at Saugus.

“I never minded the comparisons,” said Kahaku, who has accepted a scholarship to Hawaii. “Crystl was always my idol. It was an honor to be mentioned with her.”

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In most cases, the level of pitching in Division VI is nowhere comparable to Division I or II, but few Division VI batters have ever had the kind of day enjoyed last week by Connie Smith of Highland Hall.

The sophomore third baseman was four for four with four home runs and five runs batted in during the Hawks’ 14-4 victory over Le Lycee.

“She was clobbering the ball,” Coach Humberto Ramirez said.

Smith, who transferred from Valencia midway through her freshman year, has five home runs and 16 RBIs for Highland Hall (5-2).

Of course, Le Lycee pitching will never be confused with Crescenta Valley’s or Camarillo’s.

“They were serving them in there pretty nice,” Ramirez said.

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Opponents can no longer pitch around All-City catcher Christina Enea.

El Camino Real moved her from cleanup to third last week and Enea has begun looking like the hitter who drove in a City-best 46 runs last season as a sophomore.

It doesn’t hurt that Kelsey Walker, who is batting .417, and Melissa Coogan, at .310, are hitting behind Enea, who has 18 home runs and 81 RBIs in her career.

“If we didn’t put them behind her, everybody would be pitching around her,” assistant Bob Fisher said.

“I certainly know I would.”

Enea, who hit her third home run and had five RBIs on Monday against Cleveland, has driven in 16 runs this season.