Box Score

LOS ANGELES - After getting only two hits in the first game against Loyola Marymount (9-6), Hawai`i's bats caught fire, hitting six home runs, two by Tanisha Milca, to defeat LMU 14-1 in five innings. Courtney Baughman earned the victory, allowing one run on four hits with a walk and a pair of strike outs.

Milca led the game off with a home run that drifted over the leftfield fence, to take a quick 1-0 lead.

In the top of the second, Brandi Peiler led the inning off with a home run high over the leftfield fence. The next batter, Valana Manuma was hit by a pitch. Then after a strike out, Alana Power hit a sharp single to left to put two runners aboard. Milca then hit her second home run of the game. This one was a line-shot to left for a three-run homer. Still with just one out, Clare Warwick got her second hit of the game with a single up the middle. Kaulana Gould then drew a walk, and after a ground out, Kate Robinson drew another walk. Batting around the order, Peiler then hustled out an infield single to drive in Warwick from third. With the bases still loaded, Manuma then stepped to the plate and hit a grand slam over the leftfield fence. After one-and-a-half innings, UH led 10-0.

The top of the third, UH added a single run when Milca scored her third run of the game. She got on base on a fielder's choice, moved to second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on a ground ball to the pitcher, and scored on a fielding error by the shortstop. The run put UH up 11-0.

Loyola Marymount scored their only run of the game in the bottom of the fourth. Megan Ackerman led the inning off with a single up the middle. An out later, Kirsten Whitt drew a walk to put runners at first and second. A ground-out to third moved both runners into scoring position for Tiffany Gonzales who got a hit to shallow center to score Ackerman from third.

But Hawai`i wasn't finished yet. In the top of the fourth, Gail Matsushima led the inning off with a solo home run to straight away center. It was Matsushima's first career home run. The next batter, Gould, hit a double to centerfield. Then Amanda Taualii got her first career home run on a shot over the centerfield fence. After four-and-a-half innings, Hawai`i was leading 14-1.

LMU's JJ Hartung led the bottom of the fifth off with a double past a diving Gould in center. But Baughman retired the next three batters in a row for the complete game victory.

Hawai`i now heads home and has the weekend off. Their next games will be in the Pepsi Malihini Kipa Aloha Tournament that runs from March 1-4.

-UH-