Box Score

RUSTON, La. - The Rainbow Wahine softball team (17-13, 3-0 WAC) swept its first WAC series with a win over Louisiana Tech, 8-1. Pitcher Justine Smethurst (8-7, 2-0) earned her second win against the Lady Techsters, giving up only one run, scattering four hits and striking out six. Centerfielder Kaulana Gould went 3-4 with an RBI double on the day to lead Hawai`i on offense.

In the first inning, UH posted its first run of the game when Tanisha Milca hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield, allowing Clare Warwick to score from third.

In the second inning, Gould started a Hawai`i rally with a single hit to right-centerfield. The next batter, Kristi Yoshizawa was hit by an inside pitch to put runners at first and second. Audrey Andrade then hit into a fielder's choice, with the pitcher cutting down Gould at third off a grounder. Still, the Rainbow Wahine had runners on first and second. Next, Richie-Anne Titcomb hit a single that went through to leftfield to load the bases for Valana Manuma who then hit a sharp two-run single right up the middle, scoring both Yoshizawa and Malamaisaua Manuma. Both Titcomb and Valana Manuma advanced on the Louisiana Tech throw home. With runners at second and third, Clare Warwick then hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield to score Titcomb from third on the tag-up to make the score 3-0 in favor of Hawai`i after an inning-and-a-half played.

In the third, UH added two more runs. Tyleen Tausaga got her second hit of the day to start it off. Milca followed with a ground ball to the shortstop. On the play, the shortstop tried to cut down Tausaga, the lead runner, at second, but her throw was high and pulled the covering second baseman off the bag, and the throw rolled into rightfield which allowed Tausaga to advance to third. With runners at the corners, a wild pitch scored Tausaga from third and moved Milca into scoring position. The next batter, Gould, smacked a base hit into right to move Milca to third. With runners at first and third again, Gould faked a steal that drew the throw of the catcher to second. On the throw, Milca scored from third to push the Hawai`i lead to 6-0.

In the bottom half of the inning, Louisiana Tech tried to respond. Emma Barnes led the inning off with a base hit to left. She moved to second when Danielle Sheridan hit behind her with a ground ball to Titcomb who threw to first to get the first out of the inning. The next batter, Rochelle Sandberg got another single to left to score Barnes from second, cutting the UH lead to 6-1.

In the top of the fifth, UH added two more runs to the score. After reaching on a fielding error by the Louisiana Tech third baseman, Tausaga sprinted all the way from first to score on a double hit by Gould up the middle. The ball was hit past a diving attempt by the second baseman, and it squirted into the outfield allowing Tausaga to hustle home. The next batter, Yoshizawa, hit a single to right, but the rightfielder booted that ball, and Gould came home on the error to push Hawai`i to a lead of 8-1.

That would be how the game finish. Smethurst was strong down the stretch, mowing down 13 straight Louisana Tech batters with the help of her defense and good calling by Yoshizawa. She almost retired the last 14 batters in the game, but with two outs in the seventh, Lady Techster Sandy Carroll, hit a blooper to left to break up Smethurst's string of outs.

For Hawai`i on offense, leading hitter Gould, was followed by Warwick who was 2-3 with a run scored and one RBI and Tausaga went 2-4 and scored two runs.

The Rainbow Wahine will take Grambling State tomorrow afternoon in a non-conference double header starting at 1:00 p.m.

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