Box Score

Las Vegas, Nev. - Hawai`i (5-3) bounced back in the second game of today's double header to defeat Southern Utah in a slugfest, 11-6. The teams combined for 27 hits on the game. The score was close until the seventh, when UH scored four runs to pull away from the Thunderbirds. Courtney Baughman picked up her second win on the season. Paula Blanning and Jessica Morton preserved the victory in relief.

The Thunderbirds posted a run up on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first. With two outs, Marci Pratt hit a single to third. She was immediately followed by Tiffany Burt who smacked a triple to the rightfield wall, scoring Pratt from first to go up 1-0.

In the top of the second, UH answered right back. With one out, Malamaisaua Manuma reached safely on an infield hit to the shortstop. Alana Power came up next and executed a perfect bunt for a base hit that moved M. Manuma all the way to third when SUU did not cover the base on the bunt. Kristi Yoshizawa then hit to the rightside, reaching on a fielding error on the second baseman, but more importantly driving in Malamaisaua Manuma from third to knot the score at 1-1.

Hawai`i then extended its lead to 5-1 in the next inning. Malamaisaua came up to plate with full base and hit a deep fly ball that was misplayed by the centerfielder, scoring Tyleen Tausaga and Kate Robinson. With two outs, Kristi Yoshizawa hit a looping single down the rightfield line that knocked in two more runs.

In the fifth, the SUU bats caught fire. With two outs, the Thunderbirds hit back-to-back home runs. First, Jentry Johnson took a ball deep over the left-centerfield fence for a two run home run. Next, Kortney Hall came up and launched one almost to the same spot over the fence. Blanning then came in relief of Baughman and proceeded to get the next batter to ground out to third.

With the score 5-4 in favor of the Rainbow Wahine, Yoshizawa started off the inning by drawing a walk. Malamaisaua Manuma then hit a sharp single up the middle, pushing Yoshizawa to second. A wild pitch shifted the two runners into scoring position, and Tausaga responded by hitting a single to right that scored both runners to make the score 7-4.

But, the Thunderbirds were not done yet. With two outs and two runner on, Blanning hit a batter to load the bases. The next batter, Burt, came up with a single to left to score one run. Then Johnson drew a walk to force their sixth run across the plate. Morton came in relief of Blanning and retired the side with a comebacker that she threw to first to get the final out

Hawai`i then pulled away in the top of the seventh, scoring four runs, starting with a single by Malamaisaua Manuma to center. The centerfielder misfielded the ball and she advanced to second on the error. Power then laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runner to third for Yoshizawa who smacked a double to right-centerfield to score one run. With Yoshizawa at second, Valana Manuma came up to the plate and hit a single to drive in another run, and advanced to second on the throw home. Two batters later, Brandi Peiler came up with a hard-hit double over the centerfielder that scored Valana Manuma from second. Then Tausaga hit a sharp single past a diving leftfielder that bounced to the fence. Peiler scored easily from second, and Tausaga raced around the bases for what appeared to be the fifth run of the inning, but it was ruled that she did not touch second base, therefore was called out on the appeal.

SUU tried to mount a rally in the bottom of the seventh, but Morton held them off. With two runners on, she got two swinging strike outs and got the last out on a ground ball to Tausaga at first.

For the game, Peiler went 4-5 with a run scored, a double, and three RBI; Malamaisaua Manuma was 2-3 with three runs scored, Yoshizawa was 2-3 with two runs, a double and four RBI; Valana Manuma was 2-5 with two runs scored,; and Tausaga went 2-4 with a run scored and an RBI.

SUU's Hall was 2-4 with a home run; Johnson was 1-3 with a homer and two RBI; Burt was 3-4 with a run and an RBI; Neiderhauser went 2-5 with a run and an RBI; and Amy Sauer was 3-4.

The Rainbow Wahine will now take on a pair of Mountain West opponents:Utah at 11:00 a.m. and New Mexico at 1:00 p.m. tomorrow in the UNLV Louisville Slugger Desert Classic.

 

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