Box Score

LAS VEGAS - Junior pitcher Kate Robinson had an exceptional day both on the mound and at the plate. She retired the first nine batters of the game and took a no-hitter going into the fifth inning. Robinson helped herself out by hitting two, two-run home runs, plus a two-run double. Hawai`i (10-2) scored 16 runs on 14 hits for a 16-0 win over Southern Utah on the final day of the Louisville-Slugger Desert Classic in Las Vegas.

For Robinson (2-0), it was the second time in the tournament that she cranked a pair of home runs in a game. On the first day of the tournament, she hit a solo and a two-run home run in a 9-5 win over Colorado State. So far this season, Robinson, who when not pitching has plays first base, has a .375 average with three doubles, four home runs and a team-high 14 RBI. She was voted pre-season all-WAC as a utility player.

Other notable highlights of today's game: Sophomore third baseman Clare Warwick went 4-for-4 and scored four runs. For the tournament, Warwick hit an amazing .619 (13-for-21) with six runs scored, a double, and a home run. Senior second baseman, Alana Power hit her first career grand slam. It was her second home run of the tournament in which she hit at a .353 clip. Sophomore outfielder Tanisha Milca returned to the field in the middle of the game for the first time since getting injured in the first game of the tourney against CS Fullerton. Milca went 2-for-2 with an RBI double and three runs scored. And freshman Kanani Warren got her first collegiate hit, which was a two-RBI double to the rightfield fence. On the play, the rightfielder had a hard time coming up with the ball and Warren legged it all the way to third base.

Hawai`i got off to a quick start and never looked back. The only inning that SUU was unscathed was the second in which they had three up and three down. In the top of the first, Warwick got a sharp one-out single to left. Kaulana Gould followed by drawing a walk that put runners at first and second. Tyleen Tausaga then hit a check swing chopper to the pitcher that moved both runners into scoring position. With two outs, Robinson then smacked a double to rightfield, scoring both runners easily.

Warwick led off the third inning with another single to left. She moved to second on a ground out to the first baseman. Then Tausaga ripped a double to right to score Warwick. Traci Yoshikawa then pinch ran for Tausaga and was driven in with Robinson's first home run of the day. It was hit high over the leftfield fence into the parking lot behind Eller Media Stadium. Brandi Peiler then hit a single to right. Next, Valana Manuma was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second. Milca then pinch ran for Peiler at second. Power then stepped to the plate and hit a single to right to score Milca from second. After three-and-a-half innings, UH was up 6-0.

Warwick again started the Rainbow Wahine rally in the top of the fourth. She had a single to left and then was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt executed by Gould. After a strike out, Robinson came to the plate with two outs and smacked her second home run of the game to straight-away center. Milca continued the two-out rally with a single to left. Manuma then hit a ground ball to the shortstop. But the SUU shortstop couldn't field it cleanly and Manuma reached on the error. Warren then pinch-hit for catcher Kathryn Grimes and drew a walk. Then Power came up and smashed the grand slam right inside the third base foul line. Going into the bottom of the fourth, UH had a 12-0 lead.

In the final inning, Warwick, for the fourth time of the game, started the rally with a single to left. Two outs later, Southern Utah walked Robinson. With runners at first and second, Milca then hit a double to right to score Warwick. With runners at second and third, the Thunderbird catcher tried a back-door pick off of Robinson at third, but her throw was off-line and squirted into leftfield, allowing Robinson to score and Milca to move to third. Shortstop Julie Franklin, who had come in on defense for Manuma, drew a walk. Warren followed by drilling a double to right. On the play, both runners scored, but the rightfielder fumbled with the ball and Warren scooted easily to third. Going into the bottom of the fifth, UH had a commanding 16-0 lead.

Robinson faced sixteen batters. She induced eight ground balls, two infield pop-ups, one fly ball to left and four strike outs. Only two runners reached base. In the bottom of the fourth, Marci Pratt led the inning off with a ground ball to short, but there was a fielding error that snapped Robinson's bid for a second career perfect game. The runner moved to second on a wild pitch, and then to third on a ground ball to the right-side hit by Cassie Cresswell. The next batter hit a ground ball to third that Warwick threw out at first, but held Pratt at third. Then, Pratt tried to score off a passed ball, but Warren flipped to Robinson who was covering the plate to cut down Pratt from scoring, preserving the shut-out.

In the bottom of the fifth, Bobbie Jo Merrill broke the no-hitter with a double to left-center. But Robinson then settled down and struck out the final three batters of the game.

Hawai`i now heads to Los Angeles, Calif. for a Wednesday double header against Loyola Marymount. The Rainbow Wahine will return home on Thursday.

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