Box Score

HONOLULU - Junior pitcher Kate Robinson picked up her 10th win of the season with a complete-game shut-out of Louisiana Tech, 9-0 in five innings. She also hit a three-run homer in the fourth to push Hawai`i over the eight-run mark to enforce the mercy rule. Hawai`i (32-7, 5-0 WAC) will play La Tech (16-16, 0-2 WAC) in the series finale at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium at 4:00 pm.

The Rainbow Wahine's offense got going early. All nine in the line-up came to the plate in the first inning. After a lead-off ground out, UH got five consecutive singles to get the offense started. Clare Warwick and Kaulana Gould both had single to left. Tyleen Tausaga then stepped up and drilled a single up the middle to drive in Warwick. Kate Robinson then got a base hit to left to drive in Gould from third. A single by Brandi Peiler loaded the bases. Valana Manuma then hit into a fielder's choice back to the pitcher who got the lead runner, Tausaga, at home. But Alana Power then hit a two-out, two-run single to right-center to score both Robinson and Peiler to push Hawai`i's lead to 4-0.

In the second, UH added another run when Tausaga drove in Warwick from second on a hit to rightfield. Warwick had reached on a single up the middle earlier.

In the third, Manuma drew a one out walk. A passed ball moved her into scoring position for Power, who picked up her third RBI of the game with a single to the outfield to score Manuma for UH's sixth run of the game.

In the top of the fourth, Louisiana Tech threatened to score after both Rochelle Sandberg and Regan Clark started the inning with two straight singles. A wild pitch pushed both of them into scoring position. But Robinson got two swinging strike outs and a ground out back to her to end the inning without any damage done.

Hawai`i responded in the bottom half of inning. Warwick led the inning off with her third single of the game. after a fly out to right, Tausaga hit a double to the rightfield corner. Then Robinson hit her team-leading 12th home run of the season over the leftfield fence. The homer drove in both Warwick, and Tausagato put UH up 9-0 after four complete innings.

Robinson (10-0, 3-0 WAC) threw the complete-game shut-out while scattering five hits, walking one and striking out five. It was her 10th complete game and sixth shut-out this season.

For the Lady Techsters, Mandi Bertsch (4-4, 0-1) took the loss, throwing 3.1 innings, giving up nine runs on 13 hits with one walk. Courtney Avery finished the game, throwing the final 0.2 innings. She gave up two hits with one strike out.

Hawai`i's bats were hot in this first game. Warwick went 3-for-3 with three runs scored; Tausaga was 3-for-3 with a pair of RBI and a run scored; Robinson was 2-for-3 with a home run, two runs scored, and four RBI; Peiler went 2-for-3 with a run; and Power went 2-for-3 with three RBI.

-UH-