Box Score

HONOLULU - Sophomore pitcher Justine Smethurst threw a two-hit, complete game shut-out over No.14 Oregon State, 3-0. Hawai`i (21-5) scored all three runs in the bottom of the fourth. The Bows improved to 4-0 in the tournament and earned the No.1 seed of the bracket play portion of the Hawaiian Airlines Spring Fling Tournament. Tomorrow Hawai`i will battle Boston College, the fifth seed at 7:00 pm at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

Smethurst (8-3) threw 7.0 innings and gave up only two singles, one in the second and one in the seventh. Oregon State's Sherina Galvan got the first hit, but was gunned down trying to steal second on a good throw by Stacey Yamada and a great tag by shortstop Valana Manuma. Smethurst walked only one and struck out two. The UH defense was solid and kept the Beavers at bay with 10 ground outs and eight fly balls--seven of which were to the infield. Only three balls made it to the outfield. Smethurst faced only 23 batters with 21 official at bats (because of the walk and a sacrifice bunt).

Smethurst got all the offensive support she would need in the bottom of the fourth. Kaulana Gould started the inning off with a line shot almost directly to the rightfielder, who missed the ball for a fielding error. Next, Tyleen Tausaga walked to put runners at first and second. Traci Yoshikawa came in to pinch run for Tausaga. With runners at first and second, Kate Robinson hit a liner to the right-centerfield gap which drove home Gould who sprinted around from second to score the game's first run. Next with both runners in scoring position and no outs, Brandi Peiler hit a ground ball to the right side of the infield, which allowed Yoshikawa to score easily from third and moved Robinson to third. Valana Manuma then hit a grounder to short. On the play, Robinson tried to score, but was gunned down by OSU shortstop Mia Longfellow. With two outs, UH then loaded the bases after Alana Power got a single to left and Stacey Yamada drew a walk. Tanisha Milca then stepped to the plate. She was waiting for the pitcher to get her signals, but after a little while, she tried to call time to the home plate umpire and stepped away from the plate. Time was not granted, but Beavers' pitcher Ta'Tyana McElroy's hands came together and sort of started her motion before stopping before she began her windmill. An illegal pitch was called, and a ball was awarded to Milca, but more importantly, all the runners moved up a base, which allowed Manuma to score Hawai`i's third and final run of the game.

Oregon State's McElroy also threw a complete game, giving up three runs on four hits with three walks and three strike outs.

Tomorrow's game schedule
3:00 pm - GAME 1: Seed #3 UOP (2-2) vs. Seed #4 Liberty (1-3)

5:00 pm - GAME 2: Seed #2 Oregon State (3-1) vs. Winner of GAME 1

7:00 pm - GAME 3: Seed #1 Hawai`i (4-0) vs. Seed #5 Boston College (0-4)

-UH-