HONOLULU—The University of Hawai`i softball team­ (2-1, 0-0 Big West) split its games on the second day of the Oceanic Time Warner Cable Paradise Classic. Hawai`i defeated Delaware 7-0 but fell in eight innings to No. 16/13 UCLA, 7-2 in the final game of the night at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium on Friday night.

Hawai`i 7, Delaware 0
Box Score (html)

Hawai`i jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the first inning on an opposite-field double to the left-centerfield gap by Leisha Li`ilil`i. The double drove in Keiki Carlos all the way from first.
 
Then in the second inning, the 'Bows tacked on three more runs. Lindsey Willmon started rally with a one-out infield single to short. Kaile Nakao followed by ripping a double off the left-centerfield fence to put runners at second and third. Kayla Wartner worked her way on with a walk to load the bases. Jazmine Zamora then looped a single behind the shortstop. Willmon scored easily from third, but on the play, the throw home sailed to the backstop allowing Nakao to score and then the flip back to the pitcher covering home bounced back into the infield to let Wartner hustle across the plate to give the Rainbow Wahine a 4-0
 
UH then added one more run in the bottom of the third inning on an RBI-single by Willmon that drove in Akiona who had reached on a fielder's choice giving UH a 5-0 lead.
 
In the fifth, the 'Bows added another run after loading the bases with no outs. Kristina Akiona led off with a double and was followed by Sharla Kliebenstein who walked and Willmon who was hit by the pitch. Blue Hens' pitcher Carolyn Szymanski then got a strike out for the first out. Wartner then lifted a sacrifice fly to left to score Akiona from third, extending UH's lead to 6-0.

Akiona struck again in the sixth inning, with her second straight double, driving in pinch runner Jordan Burton from first base to give the 'Bows a 7-0 lead.

Morales earned her second career complete game shutout. She threw seven complete innings, allowing just two hits with three walks and three strike outs. She faced just 26 batters.
 
For Delaware, starter Szymanski  threw five complete innings, allowing six runs on eight hits with five walks and four strike outs. Reliever Taylor Curran threw the final frame, giving up on run on one hit with a walk and a strike out.
 
No. 16/13 UCLA 7, Hawai`i 2
Box Score (html)

The game between the Bruins and the Rainbow Wahine was a pitchers' duel between UCLA's starter Paige McDuffee and UH starter Loie Kesterson through the first seven innings with both defenses playing solidly. But in the bottom of the sixth, Willmon broke UCLA's McDuffee's bid for a no-hitter by launching a lead-off, solo home run over the NFCA All-American sign on the left-centerfield fence. It was the freshman outfielder's first career home run and it gave the 'Bows a 1-0 lead going to the top of the seventh.

But in the top of the seventh, with two outs and a runner at first, UCLA's Ally Carda drove a fly ball to rightfield that the rightfielder got crossed up on and the ball went in and out of her glove, falling to the turf for an error. On the play, Gabbie Maurice raced around the bases from first to knot the game at 1-1.

The game went into extra innings with the international tie-breaker in effect. UH's Kesterson until that point, had given up just four hits and an unearned run. But, UCLA then erupted for six runs in the top of the eighth, highlighted by two RBI doubles and a two-run home run by Alyssa Tiumalu.
 
Hawai`I got one run back in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI ground-out by Willmon, but it was not enough to catch the Bruins.
 
Kesterson threw a complete eight inning game, allowing seven runs on 11 hits with six walks and three strike outs in the loss.

UCLA's McDuffie gave up just two runs on two hits with no walks and six strike outs in her complete-game effort.

For UCLA, it was the first game in the tournament that they went a full seven innings after run-ruling both Delaware and Hampton in their first two games.

Earlier in the day, Hampton defeated Delaware, 7-2 and UCLA overwhelmed Hampton, 17-0 in five innings.


The Paradise Classic concludes on Saturday, Feb. 8. Below is the schedule…
10:00 am – No. 2 seed Hawai`i (2-1) vs. No. 3 seed Hampton (1-2)
12:00 pm – No. 1 seed UCLA (3-0) vs. No. 4 seed Delaware (0-3)
2:00 pm – Loser Gm. 1 vs. Loser Gm. 2
4:00 pm – Winner Gm. 1 vs. Winner Gm. 2 (Championship Game)