Box Score

FRESNO, Calif. - Hawai`i (28-20, 10-7 WAC) came out firing in its first at bat of the protested Nevada game. They scored four quick runs and did not look back. The contest resumed at the point of the Nevada protest from April 29, in the middle of the fourth inning, with Hawai`i down 2-1. Pitcher Justine Smethurst ended up with a complete game victory, throwing four short innings. UH is now the No.3 seed in the WAC Tournament and will face No. 6 seed Seed Louisiana Tech Thursday at noon.

Hawai`i scored early and often in the top of the fifth. The UH offense capitalized on three base hits and three costly Nevada errors to propel themselves past the Wolfpack. Kristi Yoshizawa led the top of the fifth off with a hard hit ground ball that went right through the second baseman. On the play, Yoshizawa ended up on second base. The next batter, Kate Robinson, got an opposite field single to right, but the rightfielder booted it, allowing Yoshizawa to score from third to knot the score at 2-2. Alana Power then laid down a sacrifice bunt. The catcher fielded it and made the throw, but the Wolf Pack's second baseman muffed the throw, moving both Robinson and Power into scoring position. Two batters later, Clare Warwick broke the tie with a two-run double to the left-centerfield gap, scoring Robinson and Power. Nevada walked UH's clean-up hitter, Tyleen Tausaga to get to Tanisha Milca. Milca came through with a single up the middle to score Warwick who was sprinting around third. That put UH up 5-2 with two-and-a-half innings to play.

In the top of the seventh, UH added another run to push the score to 6-1. Warwick got on off a one-out single. Eventually, she scored with two outs on a sharp single that went right up the middle by Milca for her second RBI of the day.

For the game, Smethurst threw 7.0 innings, allowing two runs on four hits. She walked two and struck out eight. Today, Smethurst faced only 13 batters in four innings pitched. She retired the last 10 in a row--four on strike outs and the other 12 on pop-ups or fly outs to the outfield.

Nevada's Jordan McPherson did not return after the fifth inning. Her final lines had her throwing 5.0 innings, giving up five runs on six hits, walking one and striking out four. Candice Rainwater moved from first base to relief pitcher and threw the final two innings. She gave up one run on two hits with a walk and two strike outs.

Tomorrow, Hawai`i will play Louisiana Tech at 12:00 p.m. If UH wins, they will face No.2 Seed San Jose State at 5:00 p.m. If they lose, they will play on Friday at 2:30 p.m. against the loser of Nevada/New Mexico State vs. No.1 Fresno State.

Leading Hitters
Hawai`i
Warwick: 3-4, three runs, two RBI, two doubles
Tausaga: 2-3, double, RBI
Milca: 2-4, two RBI

Nevada
Brittany Puzey: 2-3, two RBI

-uh-