Box Score

San Jose, Calif. - The No. 21 University of Hawai`i softball team (35-8, 8-1 WAC) used a five-run fifth inning to pull away from conference foe San Jose State, 9-2 in the deciding game of the three-game series. Kate Robinson and Tyleen Tausaga both hit home runs and Alana Power went 3-for-3 with two doubles to help the UH offense to push past the Spartans. Jessica Morton (8-1, 2-0 WAC) picked up the win in relief of Robinson.

The Spartans threatened to score in the bottom of the first with a two-out rally. Brittany McConnell hit a double that landed right on the first baseline. Sarah Smith followed with a single up the middle, to put runners at the corners, but Kate Robinson got Natasha Hawkins to hit a ground out to end the inning.

The first three innings were scoreless until Clare Warwick led the top of the fourth off with a single up the middle. Kaulana Gould moved her to second on a sacrifice bunt. Then with two outs, Robinson helped herself out by cranking her 14th home run of the year, putting UH up 2-0.

The Spartans answered right back, scoring two runs on four straight singles in the bottom of the fourth, all with two outs. Natasha Hawkins started the rally with a single to left-center. Liz Robertson followed with a hit to left to put runners at first and second. Hawkins was running on two outs when Mandy Hinkley knocked in SJSU's first run of the game with a single to right. Then Tomiko Matsuno hit a single to left to drive in the Spartans' tying run from third. After four innings, the score was tied 2-2.

The score remained knotted until the top of the sixth. San Jose State retired the first two batters of the inning, but then, a determined Tausaga came to the plate and stroked a line drive solo home run over the right-centerfield fence. Robinson followed by drawing a walk. Brandi Peiler then got a single to center and Valana Manuma loaded the bases with a walk. Power then stepped to the plate and drilled her second double of the game to the left-centerfield gap that drove in both Robinson and Traci Yoshikawa who was pinch running for Peiler. Next, pinch hitter Audrey Andrade,/biolink> came through with a two-RBI single to left that drove in Manuma and Power for a 7-2 lead.

The 'Bows added two more runs in the top of the seventh. Warwick led the inning off with a single up the middle. Then with one out, Tausaga hit a high-chopper back to the pitcher that ricocheted into shallow right that allowed Warwick to hustle to third. Next, Robinson hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Warwick from third. Hawai`i finished their scoring when Peiler smacked a two-out double to right-center to drive in pinch runner, Kanani Warren all the way from first. Hawai`i entered the bottom half of the eighth leading 9-2.

Robinson got the start, but did not figure in the decision. She threw 3.2 innings, giving up two runs on five hits with three strike outs. Morton picked up her eighth win of the season, all coming in relief. She threw the final 3.1 innings and held the Spartans scoreless giving up only two hits with a walk and a pair of strike outs.

Miscellaneous notes...
Tausaga's homer marked her 10th of the season, for her career it was her 28th as a Rainbow Wahine and it ties her with Kate Judd for third in UH's all-time career record book...Robinson's 14 home runs is the third highest single-season total behind Stacey Porter's 15 in 2002 and 17 in 2003...the Rainbow Wahine now have hit 57 home runs this year, continuing to shatter the previous record of 42 set last season...the 'Bows have outscored their opponents 251-91 in 2007...Warwick has 60 hits on the season, it's the highest total since 2003 when Porter hit 80 on the season.

The Rainbow Wahine have a day off before they take on the Santa Clara Broncos (7-30) in a double header at Marsalli Park in Santa Clara, Calif.

-UH-