Box Score

GRAMBLING, La. - Hawai`i defeated Grambling State 25-0 (five innings), in the first of two games slated for today at the Grambling State Lady Tiger Field. Pitchers Justine Smethurst and Jessica Morton combined for a perfect game while the team set several school records with the win; including most hits, most runs scored, and most RBI. Clare Warwick led UH by going 3-for-3 with four runs scored, five RBI, a double, and a home run.

Smethurst, who threw a perfect game against Longwood last week, started the game, threw 3.0 innings and retired the first nine batters she faced, four of them on strike outs. Morton came in relief in the fourth inning and closed the game by getting all six outs in a row with three strike outs.

On offense, it was a record day. Valana Manuma led the game off by drawing a walk. Warwick came up next and hit a line drive that went off the third baseman for a double to score Manuma who was on third after two wild pitches. Two batters later, Tanisha Milca hit a triple to centerfield. On the relay, the shortstop overthrew the third baseman, and Milca came into score. Reigning WAC Player of the Week, Kaulana Gould then hit a single to short. The next batter, Kristi Yoshizawa ripped a double down the rightfield line to score Gould to push Hawai`i's lead to 4-0 after half an inning.

In the second, it was more of the same. Richie Anne Titcomb led the inning off with a single up the middle. Manuma was hit by a pitch, and Warwick drew a walk to load the bases for Brandi Peiler who hit a double down the leftfield line to score both Titcomb and Manuma. After a pitching change, Peiler moved to third on a ground out to second, and then scored on a wild pitch to post Hawai`i's eighth run of the game.

In the third, Julie Franklin reached on a fielding error by the shortstop. She moved to second on Titcomb's second hit of the game. Another fielding error by the shortstop put Gail Matsushima on first to load the bases for Warwick who came through with a single to score Franklin. Two batters later, Tyleen Tausaga hit a two-run single to right to score Matsushima and Warwick. After two-and-a-half innings, UH had an 11-0 lead.

The fourth inning saw the Rainbow Wahine bat around the order. Gould led the inning off with a single to right. Yoshizawa followed with a sharp single to center to score Gould who advanced to third on wild pitches. After a pitching change, Franklin drove in Yoshizawa, who had also advanced on wild pitches, with a single to center. Alana Power then drew a walk to put runners on first and second. Matsushima hit a single to right, scoring Franklin from second. Then, Warwick hit a three-run home run to straight away center. That was followed by a double by Malamaisaua Manuma, who scored on another double by Kate Robinson. Robinson moved to third on a wild pitch, then scored the eighth run of the inning on a sacrifice fly hit by Gould. That put the run total to 19-0 in favor of UH.

In the top of the fifth, Franklin picked up her second hit of the game with a single to left. Wild pitches moved Franklin to third, and Power drove her in with a single to left. Matsushima then reached safely on a single to center. Stacey Yamada then pinch hit for Warwick and picked up her first hit and first RBI of the season, as she drove in Power from third. Next, Malamaisaua Manuma hit an RBI-single to left to score Matsushima from third. After the fourth pitching change for the Lady Tigers, Robinson go her second hit with a single down the rightfield line to load the bases. Audrey Andrade then hit a single to right that scored Yamada, which was followed by another single, by Paula Blanning to score Malamaisaua Manuma. That concluded the scoring barrage by the Rainbow Wahine to 25-0.

The 25 runs set a new school record for most runs in a game. That broke a 15 year-old record when UH defeated Chaminade with 19 runs (2/21/91). The 25 hits set a new all-time high for a single-game. The prevous high was 20 which was reached twice: against BYU-Hawai`i (2/7/97) and earlier this season against Longwood (3/8/06) during the Hawaiian Airlines Spring Fling tournament. And finally, the record for most runs batted in was shattered today. The old record was 14 which was set twice: Chaminade (2/21/91) and BYU-Hawai`i (2/7/97). Today's total was 24.

The two teams square off in Hawai'i's final game in Louisiana in approximately 20 minutes.

Leading Hitters for Hawai`i
Warwick: 3-3, four runs, five RBI, double, home run
Peiler: 2-2, three RBI, double
M. Manuma: 2-3, three runs, one RBI, double
Robinson: 2-2, two runs, one RBI, double
Yoshizawa: 2-4, two RBI, double
Matsushima: 2-3, three runs, one RBI
Tausaga: 1-3, three RBI
Milca: 1-3, triple, one RBI
Gould: 2-3, two runs, one RBI (sacrifice fly)
Franklin: 2-5, three runs, two RBI
Titcomb: 2-2, one run

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