Box Score

HONOLULU - The Hawai`i softball team (26-7) defeated Nevada, 8-3 to move into today's Bank of Hawaii Invitational championship game. It was UH's second straight win over the Wolf Pack. The Rainbow Wahine's offensive attack was highlighted by two solo home runs by Alana Power and Tyleen Tausaga and freshman catcher Katie Grimes went 2-for-3 with three RBI. Sophomore pitcher Justine Smethurst (12-5) picked up the win with her 11th complete game.

The game was scoreless until the top of the fourth. Valana Manuma drew a two out walk, then Power blasted her fourth home run of the season over the leftfield fence for a 2-0 lead.

Hawai`i extended their lead in the top of the sixth, scoring three runs. With one out, Brandi Peiler hit a ground ball to short for an error to start the rally. Manuma then got a single to center, putting runners at first and second. Power then hit another ground ball to short, for another error that scored Peiler from second and moved both Manuma and Power into scoring position. Grimes then stepped to the plate and got an RBI base hit to left to score Manuma. With runners at the corners, Grimes was caught stealing for the second out of the inning. Pinch hitter Audrey Andrade followed by drawing a walk. Then Clare Warwick hustled out an infield single to third that drove in Power for the final run of the inning, putting UH up, 5-0.

Nevada responded in the bottom half of the inning, by breaking Smethurst's bid for her fourth career perfect game. She retired the first 15 batters in a row, before Kristen Stith hit a single to right. A walk put runners at first and second. Amanda Wise then hit into a fielder's choice at short, with Manuma getting the lead runner with a force at three. Nevada then loaded the bases with a base hit to short by Tyler Schafer. Next, Kim Silagyi got a hit to left to score Katie Stith from third. Wise scored on a wild pitch followed by a sacrifice fly to center that scored Schafer for the Wolf Pack's third run, cutting UH's lead to 5-3.

But UH got the three runs back in the top of the seventh. Tausaga led the inning off with a home run to center. It was her eighth of the season. After a ground out to the pitcher, Peiler got a single up the middle. Manuma then got her second walk of the game to put two runners on. Power then hit a fly to leftfield, but the leftfielder dropped it to load the bases. Grimes then drove in both Peiler and Manuma with a single to center. That pushed Hawai`i back to a five run lead going into the bottom of the seventh.

The Wolf Pack's Jordan McPherson took the loss, dropping her record to 5-9. She threw 6.0 innings and gave up four runs on five hits with a pair of walks and six strike outs. McPherson started the game, got relieved by Tiffany Hoeft-Bass, but re-entered again in the seventh to close the game. Hoeft-Bass threw one inning, but gave up four runs on four hits with two walks.

Hawai`i's Smethurst threw a complete game three-hitter. She gave up three runs on three hits with one walk. She matched her season high with nine strike outs.

The Rainbow Wahine will now battle either No.14/10 Baylor or No.25 California in the championship game.

-UH-