Box Score
HONOLULU - The Rainbow Wahine Softball team UH (8-7)defeated Mississippi Vally State (1-13) today in their first game of the day, 16-1. UH was led by first baseman
Tyleen Tausaga who went 3-3 and crushed two home runs over the rightfield fence. Pitcher
Jessica Morton picked up the win, throwing a complete, five inning game. She spaced five hits, walked none, and struck out seven.
Hawai`i jumped on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first. Rightfielder Tanisha Milca led the game off with a walk. Third baseman Clare Warwick came up next and laid down a bunt that was fielded cleanly, but muffed by the second baseman. With one out and runners on first and second, Tausaga hit her first homer of the game to right center to give Hawai`i an early 3-0 lead.
In the second inning, it was deja vu all over again, with Tausaga coming to the plate with runners at first and second. And, once again she hit a bomb high over the rightfield fence for her second three-run home run of the day, to extend their lead to 6-0. The next batter, leftfielder Brandi Peiler, then stepped up to the plate and promptly smacked her third home run of the season, for back-to-back jacks. The score after two innings was 7-0.
The third inning saw 11 Rainbow Wahine come to the plate, adding seven more runs to the score. Second baseman Alana Power led the inning off by getting hit by a pitch. With Richie Ann Titcomb pinch running for Power, catcher Kristi Yoshizawa followed her and after battling the pitcher at the plate, she hit shot down the rightfield line for a run scoring double. A wild pitch moved Yoshizawa to third, then Milca walked, then stole second to leave runners at second and third for Warwick who hit her second home run on the year, over the leftfield fence for another three-run home run. With one out, Tausaga picked up her third hit of the game with a opposite field single. Kalina Kama came in to pinch run for Tausaga. Peiler drew a walk, then Valana Manuma drove a single up the middle to score Kama from second. Malamaisaua Manuma, who was in pinch running for Peiler, and Valana Manuma both advance to second and third respectively on the throw home. Malamaisaua Manuma scored on a looping hit to right by designated player Kate Robinson, and Valana Manuma finished the scoring for the inning when she crossed the plate of a single up the middle by Yoshizawa to push the score to 14-0.
In the top of the third, Mississippi Valley State posted their first run of the game. Traci Roper reached safely on a single. She moved to second on a sacrifice bunt executed by Cristal Holmes. Roper then stole third and eventually scored on a bunt base hit by Balencia Young.
Hawai`i added two more runs in the fourth when Valana Manuma hit a single to right to score centerfielder Kaulana Gould, and later Kate Robinson hit a sacrifce fly to score pinch hitter Audrey Andrade who had reached earlier in the inning on a single up the middle.
Hawai`i will now take on Florida International in the 4:00 p.m. game
Leading Hitters
Hawai`i: Warwick - 2-3, home run, three runs, three RBI; Tausaga - 3-3, two home runs, six RBI; Peiler - 2-2, home run; V. Manuma - 4-4, double, two RBI; Yoshizawa - 2-3, double, two RBI.
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In earlier action...
Mercer 3, UC Riverside 6
The Highlands scored a single run in the first inning, but they broke the game open in the bottom of the third, slamming two home runs for five runs. First, shortstop Kristie Martinez hit a two-run shot over the centerfield fence. Three batters later, it was Katie Curtis who hit a long fly over the 200' sign in left center, extending their lead to 6-0.
Mercer chipped away in the top of the fourth scoring two runs. The Bears' Jamie Madruga started the rally with a single to center with one out. She moved to second on a wild pitch, and Kristin Talamantes walked to have runners on first and second. Sarah Harding then hit a single to right to load the bases for April Cunnigham who continued the hits with a single to right centerfield to drive in Madruga from third. Pinch hitter Korina Fryslie then hit to the first baseman, whose only play was to get the batter out at first, which scored Talamentes from third.
The game was then called with one out in the top of the fifth because the field was ruled unplayable by the umpires.
The game continued on Sunday morning. Mercer's biggest rally came in the top of the seventh. The Bears loaded the bases on a single and two hit batters, and with two outs a walk to Harding forced a run home to narrow the gap to 6-3. But that was all Mercer was able to come up with in the last frame of the game.
The Highlanders' Christen Songer got the complete game victory, giving up three runs on eight hits with three walks and seven strike outs. For Mercer, it was a combined effort with Rosentreter getting the loss. She threw 4.0 innings giving up six runs on four hits with five strike outs and walking only one. Stephanie Rossman came in relief in the fifth and threw 2.0 innings. She gave up no runs on two hits while striking out three.
UC Riverside 2, Mississippi Valley State 5
Mississippi Valley State picked up its first win of the season with a 5-2 victory over UC Riverside (9-3). Jalana Brown pitched a complete game, giving up only two runs on scattering six hits with a walk and five strike outs. For UCR, Sara Radabaugh also threw a complete game, giving up five runs on seven hits with two walks and seven K's. Mississippi Valley State came out on fire, scoring four runs in the bottom of first against UCR. Erica Davis led the game off with an infield single. Next up was Balencia Young who ripped a triple down the rightfield line to score a sprinting Davis all the way from first. After a strike out, Candy Shumpert walked. With runners at the corners, Young caught the Highlanders' defense off guard and scored by stealing home to make the score 2-0. Two batters later, Natasha McFadden crushed a two-run shot over the leftfield fence to extend the Delta Devilettes lead to 4-0.
UCR came back in the top of the third. Jamie Yee started a rally on two by hitting a sharp line drive off the third baseman that squirted away allowing Yee to get all the way to second for a double. She was followed by Melissa Sanchez who promptly hit a home run over the left centerfield fence to cut the lead to 4-2.
The Delta Devilettes added a run in the bottom of the fifth with Young, who reached on a single, scored on a Shumpert single to center, extending their lead to 5-2.
That was all Brown needed as she retired the last seven Highlanders in a row.
