Honolulu- The Crimson Tide (23-3) defeated the Rainbow Wahine (8-7), 3-1 in the Pepsi-Cola Malihini Kipa Aloha Tournament. Alabama pitcher Jennifer Wright spaced seven hits and got enough offensive support to get the win.
Alabama got on the board first when Capper Reed drove a shot over the left field wall in the second inning.
Hawai'i came back in the bottom half of the inning when Kaulana Gould whacked a line shot to center that scored Denise Dahlberg who led off the inning with a single through the middle of the infield to tie the game at 1-1.
The Crimson Tide took the lead back in the top of the third when Dominique Acciturro singled home Ashley Courtney from second base. They added to their lead in the fifth when Jackie Wilkins was RBI'd home from second by Staci Ramsey. Both runners were pushed to second by sacrifice bunts, and both scored on two-out singles.
UH actually out hit `Bama, seven to six, but wasn't able to string them together to produce any runs. For Alabama, Courtney was their leading hitter going 2-3 and scoring one run. Hawai'i was led by Tyleen Tausaga who went 2-4 and Tara Harbert who was 2-4.
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IN EARLIER GAMES...
Mount St. Mary's 1, Delaware State 0
The Mountaineers' Maria Lutz and Delaware State's Janice Savage battled it out in a pitcher's dual. Both pitched complete games, both scattered seven hits, and both held the opposition scoreless until the seventh inning. But that was when Mount St. Mary's was able to push a run across to pick up their first win of the season, 1-0.
In the top of the seventh, the Mountaineers (1-3) broke the scoreless tie when shortstop Kathleen Housmann smacked a double to the leftfield wall. She moved to third on a passed ball, and was driven home by centerfielder Lisa Worden who hit a sharp single up the middle, past a drawn-in infield that was trying to defend a slap.
Worden went 2-3 on the day, picking up her first hits of the season, and Housman was 2-2 at the plate, with a double and a walk. For Delaware State, Katy Powell gathered two hits in four at-bats. Kristina Keck led-off the fourth inning with a double down the third baseline, which was followed by a single to the pitcher by Courtney Sams. But with two on and no outs, the Hornets were unable to move them across the plate.
The Hornet's pitcher Savage picked up her second loss of the tournament while fanning twelve Mountaineers on the day and walking only two. For Mount St. Mary's, Lutz got her first win while striking out seven and walking none.
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California 12, Mount St. Mary's 0
After a slow start, the No.2 California Golden Bears (15-1) powered their way past the
Mountaineers of Mount St. Mary's (1-4) 12-0 in seven innings. MSM held Cal scoreless for the first four innings, but in the fifth, the Golden Bears exploded for three runs. They then added four more runs in the sixth and five in the seventh.
Sarah Adams got the start for Cal, but was relieved in the third inning by Kelly Anderson who picked up her sixth win of the season against one loss. She threw five innings, allowing one hit, striking out six, and walking none.
MSM pitcher Reanna Tuczynski (1-1) held California to three hits through four innings while striking out three. Jamie Johnson came in relief in the sixth inning.
Cal catcher Haley Woods hit her third home run of the tournament. She went 4-4 (two singles and a double in addition to her home run) and drove in five runs. Kaleo Eldredge, Jessica Pamanian, Emily Friedman, and Erika Racklin all had two hits a piece. Eldredge also scored two runs and had two RBI. Racklin scored two runs as well.
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Portland State 11, Delaware State 0
The Vikings' Mandy Hill fired a one-hit shut-out while striking out six and walking one Delaware State batter for the 11-0 win in six innings. The Hornets kept the game close early. But in the sixth inning, Portland State exploded for eight runs, getting five hits, four walks, one hit-by-pitch, and sending 13 batters to the plate.
Three Vikings had two hits a piece: Kimi Daniel, Lacey Gorman, and Rose Rutledge. Daniel, Gorman, and Kayla Lewis all scored two runs each. Hill, in addition to her pitching performance also led off the sixth inning with a triple. Lewis cranked a home run in the second inning.
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No.2 California 3, No.7 Alabama 2
In a battle of two Top 10 teams, No.2 California (14-1)and No.7 Alabama (21-1) did not disappoint. Cal's Kristine Thorson and Alabama's Stephanie VanBrakle both threw complete games for their teams and battled through tight situations.
California got on the scoreboard first. Julie Meyer reached first after striking out swinging and a wildpitch, and eventually scored on a wild pitch by VanBrakle.
The Crimson Tide's Leah White hit a two-out double to the right-center fence in the bottom of the fifth inning. The ensuing batter, Jackie White promptly hit a clutch single to leftfield. White actually stopped at third base, but a fielding error by Cal's leftfielder allowed her to cross the plate safely to knot the game at one.
In the top of the seventh, Chelsea Spencer led off the inning with a walk. Next, Julie Meyer reached safely on a hit that squibbed down the first base line but never went foul, moving Meyer to second. Jeana Gevas sacrificed the two runners over. Pinch hitter Emily Friedman then hit a ground ball to short, Spencer broke for home and Alabama shortstop Dominique Accetturo threw to cut down the runner at home, but in a bang-bang play she slid in just under the tag of Ashley Courtney. The next batter bunted a base hit that scored Meyer, extending their lead to 3-1.
But Alabama would not go down without a fight. They quickly got the first two batters on safely with two hits, then loaded the bases when White added another infield hit. Jackie Wilkins hit a sac fly to left to plate Jordan Praytor, but that was all the Crimson Tide would be able to score.
The Golden Bears had runners on base every inning. They also had loaded bases in four out of seven innings (1, 2, 6, and 7), but could only capitalize in two of those innings and left 14 runners on base.
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