HONOLULU - Fresno State (23-8, 2-0 WAC) defeated Hawai'i (20-19, 1-4 WAC) in nine innings by the score of 5-3 in the second game of today's doubleheader held at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. Amanda Nesbitt (5-4) got the win for the Bulldogs and Kate Robinson (2-2) got the loss in relief.

Fresno State scored first in the top of the first. Christina Clark hit a shot up the middle to lead-off the game. Jamie Southern then sacrificed her to second. Nichole Willis then hit a double down the leftfield line to score Clark from second. Willis later scored on a wild pitch to make the score 2-0.

Hawai'i responded in the bottom of the first, scoring a run of their own. Tracie Uchima led off with a walk and sprinted to third off a Denise Dahlberg single to rightfield. Tyleen Tausaga then drove in Uchima from third on a base hit to right.

But the Bulldogs added to their lead in the top of the second, when Nesbitt was hit by a pitch with two outs. The next batter, Kristy Villasenor hit a single to centerfield. Then Clark walked to load the bases. Southern then came up to bat and hit a base hit to leftfield. Nesbit scored easily from third, but Villasenor was gunned down at the plate on the throw from leftfielder Kaulana Gould to Dahlberg who was catching.

Gould led off the fourth inning with a single to leftfield. After two consecutive ground outs, Jennifer Hackett walked to create a first-and-third situation. Hackett, who was trying to get into a run-down, drew an errant throw from the Bulldog catcher that bounced into centerfield. That allowed Gould to score from third, making the score 3-2.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Rainbow Wahine tied the game when Izumi scored when Dahlberg bunted and the catcher threw the ball to first, but the first baseman missed it. The ball rolled into rightfield which allowed Izumi to score from second base to take the game into extra innings.

But in the top of the ninth, Fresno State pulled away when Willis hit a two-run double that scored Clark and Villasenor for the win.

Paula Blanning started the game for Hawai'i, going three innings. She gave up three runs on six hits, three walks and one strike out. Robinson came in and threw six innings giving up two runs on five hits with one strike out. Dahlberg led the UH offense, going 2-4 on the game.

For the Bulldogs, Nesbitt pitched all nine innings for the win. Hawai'i had three runs off six hits with four walks and three strike outs. Willis led FSU's offense, she went 2-5 with a double, a run scored, and three RBI. Clark went 2-4 with two runs; Leticia Pacheco was 2-5; and Villasenor was 2-3 with a run scored.

The series finale will be played at 8:30 am tomorrow morning at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

It will still be "Youth League Ticket & Candy Bonanza" at the softball games. The first 100 youth league softball players (13 years old and under), who wear their team jersey when attending one of the UH softball team's WAC games against Fresno State, will receive a free ticket to one of the baseball team's contests against Rice, April 15-17 as well as a free Butterfinger candy bar, compliments of Nestle. Fresno State is the defending WAC champion in softball, while Rice is the defending WAC champion in baseball. Admission to all UH softball games is free and played at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

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