HONOLULU - Hawai`i turned a triple play in the top of the seventh inning to win Game 1, 2-0, and ignite a series sweep of Tulsa in a Western Athletic Conference doubleheader at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium this afternoon as UH followed it up with a 2-1 victory in Game 2.
It was a pitcher's duel in Game 1 as both Melissa Coogan (23-9) and UT's Ami Day (12-11) pitched shutout ball into the sixth inning. Coogan pitched a scoreless sixth, but Day gave up a leadoff blast by Stacey Porter to straightaway center field, to give UH a 1-0 lead. It was Porter's 10th round-tripper of the season. Trisha Ramos hit a one-out single up the middle. Pinch-runner Erica Bonilla came in to run and first and promptly stole second and scored on Ashley Ruff's single to center.
Tulsa (29-22) threatened twice in the game. Once in the top of the first inning when leadoff batter Heather Hiar got aboard on a single up the middle and advanced to second when Marie Jackson threw errantly into second base. Hiar then moved to third on Stephanie Sliepen's sacrifice bunt, but Coogan retired both Crissy Strimple and Katie Torres on pop-ups to the outfield.
The Golden Hurricane mounted its biggest threat in the top of the seventh when Katie Torres and Brandi McGuire hit back-to-back singles. Danielle Olsen and Ashlea Montgomery entered as pinch-runners at second and first, respectively. Then Stacey Walkingstick lined a ball to second baseman Ruff for one out, who flipped to Porter at first for out two, who then fired to shortstop Kate Judd to turn UH's second triple play of the season.
In Game 2, Shannon Tabion got the nod in the circle and shut down the Tusla bats until the top of the sixth when she ran into trouble and Coogan finished the final two innings to get credit for the win.
The game was scoreless until UH broke the tie in the fourth. Porter led off with a triple inside the first base bag and came home on Judd's sacrifice fly to shallow right-center field that was caught by UT second baseman Julie Shafer.
Tulsa tied it up in the fifth as Shafer hit Tabion's first pitch of the inning over the left-center field fence, her first homer of the season. A single by Hiar chased Tabion as Coogan entered from the bullpen. The first batter Coogan faced was Sliepen who sacrificed Hiar to second. Crissy Strimple then drove a Coogan pitch to deep left center that Marie Jackson caught up against the fence. Hiar, who had already rounded third base, was doubled off to end the inning.
In the bottom of the sixth, April Crowell reached on an error by second baseman Shafer and moved to second on Porter's single through the left side. Hannah Butler came in to pinch-run for Crowell at second as both runners moved up a base on Judd's sacrifice bunt. Ramos then drove a Genow pitch to deep right that was caught as Butler came home with the game-winner.
Hawai`i improves to 29-16 overall and are atop the WAC with a 10-2 mark. Tulsa falls to 29-22 and 4-6.
