Box Score

SAN JOSE, Calif. - The No. 21 Hawai`i softball team (34-8, 7-1 WAC) pounded 24 hits and 18 RBI in a 20-0 win over San Jose State (16-17, 1-4 WAC) in five innings. Kate Robinson (11-0, 4-0 WAC) picked up the win, with a two-hit, complete game shut-out. At the plate, she went 3-for-5 with a single, an RBI double, and a three-run home run. Richie-Anne Titcomb was 3-for-4 with a single, a double, and a grand slam at the SJSU Softball Field.

In the second inning, UH exploded for 11 runs on 11 hits and three walks. The first 11 batters in the inning all scored. Brandi Peiler started things off with a single to left. She moved to second when Valana Manuma drew a walk. Then Alana Power laid down a bunt and beat out the throw to load the bases. Kathryn Grimes was then walked, driving in Peiler. Titcomb then cranked a grand slam over the leftfield fence. Clare Warwick kept things going with a single to center followed by Kaulana Gould drawing the third walk of the inning. SJSU then changed pitchers for Nicole Luna-Pickens. Both Warwick and Gould moved into scoring position on an illegal pitch. Both runner then scored on a double to right-centerfield by Tyleen Tausaga. Robinson then got her first hit of the day. Still with no outs in the inning, Peiler then got her second hit of the game with a double to left that drove in both runners. Valana Manuma singled to drive in Peiler from second. A sacrifice fly hit by Grimes drove in Power from second for the 11th and final run of the inning.

In the third inning, Tausaga was walked to start with. She moved to second on an illegal pitch. Robinson then drove her in with a double to left, but on the play, she tried to get a triple and was tagged out on the throw from leftfield to third. With two outs in the inning, Manuma then stepped up and hit a double to center. Power then hit a fly ball to center, but a fielding error allowed Manuma to score from second. Grimes then got a single to left, but another fielding error allowed Power to score from first. UH led 14-0 going into the bottom of the third.

In the fourth, Hawai`i started the inning off with four straight hits. Warwick reached on a single to left. Gould followed with a single to center. Tausaga then hit her second double of the game to drive in Warwick from second. Robinson then hit her team-leading 13th homer of the season. This one was over the leftfield fence and drove in three runs. After a fly out to left, pinch hitter Julie Franklin picked up her first hit of the season, a double to left. Power then got her third hit of the afternoon with a single to left to put runners at the corners for Grimes who drove in Franklin with a single down the leftfield line.

The fifth inning saw pinch hitter Gail Matsushima> lead the inning of with a single to left. After a foul fly to left, Robinson then hit another ball to left-center, but a fielding error left Matsushima and Robinson both in scoring position. Peiler then hit a ground ball to the left side to score Matsuhima for Hawai`i's final run of the game, 20-0.

Robinson picked up her 11th win of the season, fourth in conference play. She has an ERA of 0.00 in 23 innings pitched.

The Spartans' Kelly Harrison took the loss, throwing one plus inning. She gave up seven runs on six this with three walks and a pair of strike outs. Luna-Pickens finshed the final 4-plus innings, giving up 13 runs on 18 hits with a walk and a strike out.

Miscellaneous notes...
The 24 hits was one shy of the school's single-game record of 25 set last season at Grambling State...Titcomb's grand slam was the teams' seventh of the season (Peiler has two, Gould, Manuma, Power, Tausaga, and now Titcomb all have one a piece)...Tausaga's two doubles in the game moved her to number three on the career doubles list with 40, she was tied at 38 with Stacey Porter, then past Melissa McGie who had 39.

-UH-