Box Score

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - The University of Hawai`i softball team (50-12, 16-2 WAC) held off No. 1 and fifth-seeded Tennessee (58-6), 9-6 to stay alive in the Super Regionals at Tyson Park in Knoxville, Tenn. Hawai`i hit three home runs and Kate Robinson (17-1) earned the win on the mound and went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI. Hawai`i will now play Tennessee in the Super Regional's winner-take-all third game.

Hawai`i got on the scoreboard first in the first inning. Tanisha Milca led the game off by getting hit by a pitch. Clare Warwick got a push bunt past a charging first baseman and beat the second baseman to the bag for a hit. After a strike out, Tyleen Tausaga was intentionally walked to load the bases. Robinson then got a base hit up the middle, driving in both Milca and Warwick for the game's first two runs. Tennessee lifted starting pitcher Monica Abbott for Megan Rhodes who then got two quick outs to end the rally.

In the third, the Lady Vols tied the score at 2-2. Kenora Posey started the rally with a base hit to shallow right field. Lindsay Schutzler then drew a walk. A pop-up to gave UH and out, but Tiffany Huff then got a base hit to the 5-6 hole to load the bases. Tonya Callahan then hit a ground ball to short, but Valana Manuma's throw was wild to first, allowing Tennessee to score both Posey and Shutzler to knot the score at 2-2.

In the fourth, UH extended its lead to 5-2. Robinson led the inning off with a home run over the leftfield fence. After a strike out swinging, Julie Franklin who came in for Manuma, then hit a double off the left center field fence. Alana Power then cranked her seventh home run of the year over the left-centerfield fence, driving in Franklin.

Hawai`i then added three more runs in the fifth inning. Kaulana Gould led things off with a single up the middle. Tausaga then drew her second walk of the day. Lady Vols' pitcher, Rhodes then got the next two batters out on a pop-up to second and a strike out looking. But, Franklin then stepped up and got her first career home run over the right-centerfield fence, pushing UH's lead to 8-2.

In the bottom of the sixth, Hawai`i added a single when Tausaga got her first hit of the Super Regionals. It was an RBI single that drove in Warwick.

Tennessee then erupted in the top of the seventh, scoring four runs. Lianne Horiuchi led the inning off with a double to the rightfield corner. Posey followed with a single back to the pitcher to put runners at the corners. Shutzler then hit a line drive up the middle, but second baseman, Power, made a diving catch for the out. Robinson then got the second out of the inning on a strike out. But Huff attacked again with her third single of the day, that drove in Horiuchi from third. Callahan then drilled a three-run home run over the leftfield fence to cut the lead to 9-6. The next batter, Shannon Doepking, then hit a double to rightfield. Robinson then was relieved by Courtney Baughman who got the final out on a fly ball to leftfield to end the game.

Robinson threw 6.2 innings, allowing six runs on 10 hits with two walks and three strike outs.

Abbot threw 0.1 innings, giving up two runs on two hits with a walk and a strike out. Reliever Rhodes went the rest of the way, throwing 5.2 innings, giving up seven runs on nine hits with one walk and nine strike outs.

Hawai`i will now battle Tennesse in 30 minutes to win the Super Regional.

-UH-