Box Score

HONOLULU - Justine Smethurst earned her fifth win on the season as the Rainbow Wahine (9-7) defeated Florida International (6-12), 4-1 in the 2005 Pepsi Malihini Kipa Aloha Tournament. Between the second and sixth innings, Smethurst retired 15 Golden Panthers in a row. She threw the complete game, giving up one run, scattering three hits, walking two, and striking out three.

Hawai`i scored first, posting a single run in the bottom of the second. Brandi Peiler drew a walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Valana Manuma. Audrey Andrade was then hit by a pitch, leaving runners at the corners. Andrade started a double steal, getting in a run-down between first and second. Peiler broke for home and slid in front of the tag to put UH up 1-0.

In the fourth, Hawai`i tacked on two more runs. Peiler led the inning off with a single. Two batters later, Kristi Yoshizawa had an infield hit to second, pushing Peiler into scoring position. A wild pitch moved both runners to second and third for Audrey Andrade. Andrade hit a hard ground ball that went off the second baseman into the outfield. Peiler scored easily from third, and Yoshizawa raced around the bases to score from second to extend their lead to 3-0.

UH added one more run in the bottom of the sixth inning. With one out, Yoshizawa reached safely on an infield single to short. Andrade followed with a single up the middle. Titcomb then hit a ground ball to the second baseman who got the force out at second, leaving runners at the corners again. Titcomb got in a run-down long enough for Yoshizawa to score from third to make the score 4-0.

The Golden Panthers tried to make a come back in the top of the seventh. Jennifer Powell led the inning off with a double down the leftfield line. Powell moved to third on a ground out to short, and scored when Kim Rodrizgues hit a ground ball behind the runner to second for the second out of the inning. But Smethurst got the final out a ground out to Tausaga at first.

For FIU, Kerri Houck took the loss, throwing 3.0 innings, giving up one run on two hits with two walks. Sarah Belanger came in relief and threw 3.0 innings, yielding three runs on six hits with one strike out.

The Rainbow Wahine will face Big Ten opponent Penn State tomorrow, March 6, in a possible double header. They will then start the Hawaiian Airlines Spring Fling Tournament that runs from March 8-11. The tourney features Penn State, Detroit-Mercy, UC Santa Barbara, Longwood, and UNLV).

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