HONOLULU- The Rainbow Wahine defeated the IPFW Mastadons 8-0 in the feature game of the Oceanic Time Warner Cable Paradise Classic. The game was called after the fifth inning due to the eight-run rule.
Senior rightfielder Tracie Uchima started the scoring in the top of the first inning. She led off with a fly ball to the leftfielder who missed the ball. Uchima raced around the bases and slid into third on the three-base error. Senior second baseman Noelle Izumi then promptly hit a carbon-copy of Uchima's play, with IPFW's leftfielder making another three-base error on a similar fly ball which scored Uchima from third base. But that's where Izumi would be stranded as IPFW's Jenna Connelly proceeded to strike out the next two batters and then got the final out on a ground out to third.
In the top of the second inning, IPFW's defensive woes continued with another error on a fly ball to left, leaving freshman Kate Robinson standing up at second base with two outs. Tara Harbert promptly drove Robinson in with a two-out single to the infield.
Hawai'i then erupted for four runs in the fourth, highlighted by a 2-run double off Robinson's bat which scored Jennifer Hackett and Kristi Yoshizawa. Later in the fouth, Uchima knocked in two more runs on a base hit to right field, driving in Izumi and Denise Dahlberg.
Ashley Ruff drilled a home-run over the left-field fence in the top of the fifth to make the score 7-0. And the scoring was capped with pinch-hitter Dena DePompa coming home off a single to right by Izumi.
Melissa Coogan pitched a complete game shut-out for her first win of the season. She gave up three hits, walked one, and fanned five over the five-innings of play.
Harbert, the Rainbow Wahine centerfielder made the defensive play of the game, chasing down a deep fly ball to straight-away center on a dead run.
Hawai'I will play a double dip on Friday, first facing No. 14 Oregon at 6 pm followed by Jacksonville at 8 pm.
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Earlier action in the OTWC Paradise Classic:
Jacksonville 0, Washington 12
The ninth-ranked Washington Huskies opened the OTWC Paradise Classic with a strong 12-0 win over the Jacksonville Dolphins.
The Huskies exploded in the top of the first inning with six runs highlighted by a deep, grand-slam over the centerfield fence by senior designated player, Callie Bergan.
Senior hurler Ashley Boek shut down the Dolphins, giving up only 5 hits, walking one, and striking out nine in five innings of work.
Game Statistics
Oregon 14, IPFW 0
Oregon's Alicia Cook, Ani Nyhus, and Lindsey Kontra combined on a 5-inning, 14-0 shut-out of the IPFW Mastadons in the second game of the day. The Ducks took a perfect-game into the bottom of the fourth before IPFW's Heather DeVore broke it up with a single to rightfield. The pitching trio faced only 17 Mastadons, gave up two singles, walked none, and struck out five.
The Ducks struck early and often, scoring six runs in the top of the first, topped off by a two-run double by freshman Joanna Gail.
Oregon's Dani Baird drove a shot over the outfield wall in the second inning, and Erin Goodell hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield that scored Hudson in the third frame to make the score 8-0. In the fourth, Gail, in her first colligiate game, crushed a grand slam home run to cap the scoring at 14-0 and bring her RBI total for the game to 6.
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