HONOLULU - The University of Hawai`i got defended its No. 1 preseason pick in the Western Athletic Conference with a 7-2 and 6-4 sweep of Loyola Marymount at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium today.
In the nightcap, Hawai`i (14-10) used a 5-run fourth inning to propell them to a 6-4 victory over Loyola Marymount (11-13).
UH's Melissa Coogan (5-4) went the distance allowing nine hits and three of the four runs were earned while striking out six and walking two.
LMU got on the board with two runs in the first inning Christy Cerecedes singled up the middle, then Coogan got the next two batters. Sami Strinz singled to left but left fielder Stacie Hirano misplaced it allowing Cerecedes to score from first and put Strinz on second. Strinz would later advance on a wild pitch and score on Trisha Gomes RBI single to left.
LMU's Jennifer Heliotes (6-3) went 3.1 before running into trouble in the fourth. In that inning, Kate Judd walked with Noelle Izumi pinch-running, then Stacey Porter homered deep over the centerfield fence to tie the game at two apiece. April Crowell then walked, moved to second on Trisha Ramos' sacrifice bunt, moved to third on Denise Dahlberg's double, and then Marie Jackson clobbered a three-run shot over the left field fence to make it 5-2 UH.
LMU closed the gap with two runs in the sixth as Gomes was hit-by-a-pitch and scored on Emily Foltz's two-run homer to center.
UH would cap the scoring in the bottom of the inning as Dahlberg led off with a triple to left and scored on Jackson's single through the left side of the infield.
In the opener, UH's Sheri Oronoz (8-4) got the complete-game victory scattering five hits while striking out four and walking one.
UH set the tone in the first as Natalie Gonzales reached on an error, but was put out by Hirano's fielder's choice bunt attempt. Judd then singled and Porter tripled them both home to make it 2-0. Crowell then drove home Porter on a single up the middle.
UH added two more runs in each of the fourth and fifth innings to lead 7-0 before LMU got two in the seventh.
UH's Porter had one of the biggest days going 4-for-7 with two triples, a home run, four RBI, and scored twice. Dahlberg also was very productive at the plate going 4-for-6 with four runs scored and an RBI.
