Box Score

HONOLULU - The 17th-ranked University of Hawai`i softball team (22-9) bounced back to beat Colorado State, 8-4 to complete the first day's action in the Bank of Hawaii Invitational tournament. Senior pitcher Kate Robinson (9-3) earned the win with a complete-game effort, while CSU's Cayte Billman's record dropped to 7-2 with the loss.

Robinson gave up four runs on seven hits with no walks and 10 strike outs. Three pitchers threw for the Rams, Billman threw 1.2 innings. She gave up four runs on four hits with a walk and a strike out. Rebecca Penland threw 3.2 innings, giving up four runs on five hits with a walk and four strike outs. And Eranne Daugharthy closed the game, holding the 'Bows scoreless for the final 1.2 innings.

Hawai`i posted three runs in the top of the first. Tanisha Milca led the game off with a single to left. Clare Warwick then moved her to second on a sacrifice bunt. Kaulana Gould followed with a single up the middle to put runners at the corners for Robinson who then hit a single to center to drive in Milca from third. Brandi Peiler then hit a grounder to second. On the play, the second baseman tried to tag Robinson, but she dodged it and that left Hawai`i with the bases loaded. Melissa Gonzalez was then hit by a pitch to force Gould home from third. Robinson then scored on a wild pitch to complete UH's scoring for the inning with an early 3-0 lead.

Colorado State then started their half of the inning with major fireworks. Lauren Cusek and Caitlan Stem led the game off with back-to-back home runs. A fly out to center gave the 'Bows their first out on defense, but Majum followed with a single to center. Robinson then settled down with a pair of strike outs to end the inning.

In the top of the second, Gould drove a high fly ball that sailed over the left-centerfield fence for her first home run of the season and sixth in her career, lifting UH to a 4-2 lead.

Hawai`i mounted rallies in both the third and fourth inning, but were unable to post any runs. But in the fifth, the 'Bows increased their lead to 7-2. With one out, Valana Manuma drew a walk to start things going. Audrey Andrade then hit a ground ball to short, but the throw to get the lead runner, Manuma, was in the dirt and wide, leaving both runners on first and second. Katie Grimes then stepped up and drilled a three-run home run over the leftfield fence. It was her second in 2008.

The 'Bows got another run in the top of the sixth when Peiler hit her third home run of the year to leftfield.

The Rams rallied in the bottom of the sixth to cut UH's lead to 7-3 when Rebecca Penland drove in Caitlan Stem with an RBI-single. Then, in the bottom of the seventh, Kayla Kreutzman hit a solo shot to left for CSU's third home run of the game. That made the final score 8-4 in favor of Hawai`i.

With the revised schedule, the Rainbow Wahine have just one game tomorrow. The 'Bows will face Colorado State in a re-match tomorrow night at 6:00 pm.

Scores from earlier games
St. Mary's 3, California 5
Colorado State 0, California 5

Thursday, March 20 - Game Schedule
2:00 pm - St. Mary's vs. Colorado State
4:00 pm - St. Mary's vs. California
6:00 pm - HAWAI'I vs. COLORADO STATE

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