HONOLULU – The University of Hawai`i softball team (6-11) won the Bank of Hawaii Invitational tournament tonight with a 13-4 win over Tokyo Women's College of Physical Education (3-2). UH defeated Mount St. Mary's earlier in the day, 20-0, to advance to the championship game. Freshman pitcher Stephanie Ricketts was named the tourney's most valuable pitcher, after going 2-0 with a 0.91 ERA and two complete game shut-outs.

 

In the first game, UH racked up 15 hits en route to a 20-0 win over Mount St. Mary's (0-4). Ricketts fired a one-hit shutout over the Mountaineers for her second career win. Dara Pagaduan went 3-for-4 and hit her first collegiate home run, while Tanisha Milca added her first career grand slam.

 

Tanisha Milca scored the first run of the game on an RBI single by Clare Warwick in the bottom of the first. In the third inning, UH batted around, erupting for seven runs. Amanda Tauali`i drew a walk to start the inning. Makani Duhaylonsod-Kaleimamahu then drilled a double to left-centerfield to put runners at second and third. #Kanani Pu`u-Warren then walked and Mikalemi Tagab-Cruz also walked to force Taualii home. Julie Franklin# then hit a single to right-centerfield to drive in both Duhaylonsod-Kaleimamahu and Pu`u-Warren. Another walk, this time to Katie Grimes loaded the bases. Back-to-back RBI singles from Milca and Dara Pagaduan drove in Tagab-Cruz and Franklin. Warwick drove another run home with a sacrifice fly to left. Then Tauali`i hit a single to left-centerfield to score Milca for the inning's seventh run.

 

In the fourth, UH put the game far out of reach, amassing 12 earned runs. The 'Bows tallied nine hits in the inning and also drew three walks. The inning was highlighted by Pagaduan's first collegiate home run over the leftfield fence that drove in three runs. Then to cap it off, Milca crushed a grand slam over the leftfield fence.

 

It was the biggest offensive output for the 'Bows this season with 10 players getting at least one hit in the game. In all, UH tallied nine singles, four doubles and two home runs. It marked the largest run output since a 20-1 win at San Jose State on March 31, 2007. Hawai`i was led by Milca who went 4-for-3, scored four runs; with a home run and six RBI. Pagaduan was 2-for-3 with four RBI; Duhaylonsod-Kaleimamahu went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored; and Alex Aguirre was 2-for-2 with two runs and an RBI.

 

The Mountaineers threw three pitchers at the 'Bows. Amanda Sadowl gave up seven runs on just three hits in two innings. Amanda Hanson then came in relief, but gave up 13 runs on 12 hits in 1.2 innings, and Beth hEverist closed the game, getting the final out of the bottom of the fourth.

 

For Hawaii, Ricketts (2-3) fired a one-hit shut-out for her second win of the season. She threw five innings with a walk and eight strike outs.

 

 

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
HAWAI`I 13, TOKYO W.C.P.E. 4
BOX SCORE

In the Bank of Hawaii Invitational Championship game, Tokyo jumped out to a quick two run lead in the bottom of the first on a two-run home run crushed by Tokyo first baseman Kaoru Oyanagi. The home run flew over the outfield netting and onto the tennis courts behind the centerfield fence.

 

In the top of the second, UH answered right back and took the lead by scoring four runs of their own. Duhaylonsod-Kaleimamahu led the inning off with a double to right-centerfield. UH then hit three consecutive singles by Pu`u-Warren, Aguirre, and Franklin. Aguirre's single to right-center drove in a pair of runs. Late with two outs, Warwick came through with a shot that hit just inside the foul line painted on the leftfield fence for a two-run double that scored Aguirre and Franklin.

 

Hawaii tacked on three more runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth inning a piece. In the fourth, Milca started the inning with a single back to the pitcher. Pagaduan then executed a sacrifice bunt, but on the play, the throw from the first baseman sailed past the first baseman, allowing Milca to hustle to third. Traci Yoshikawa then followed with an RBI single to left to score Milca. Duhalonsod-Kaleimamahu then hit into a ground out to short that allowed Pagaduan to score and Pu`u-Warren came through with a foul sacrifice fly to right to score Yoshikawa for the third run of the inning and a 10-2 lead.

 

Tokyo got two runs back on Oyanagi's second monster home run into the tennis courts, cutting UH's lead to 10-4.

 

Hawaii then put the game away in the sixth, to earn the eight-run mercy rule win. Aguirre started the sixth by getting an infield single to short. Franklin then hit another grounder to short, but the throw to second was muffed, allowing runners at first and second for the 'Bows. Aguirre then scored on an error off a grounder from Yamada. Later, Richie-Anne Titcomb picked up her second hit of the game that drove in Franklin, and Yoshikawa followed with a sacrifice fly to right to score Yamada for the game's last run.

 

Tokyo's Mayu Hayashi took the loss, throwing the first 1.2 innings. She gave up four runs on five hits with a walk. Ryo Nishina then threw the final 4.1 innings, giving up nine runs on 10 hits with a walk and two strike outs.

 

For Hawaii, Courtney Baughman got the win, throwing 3.2 innings, giving up two runs on three hits with two walks. Ricketts closed the game, firing the final 2.1 innings. She also gave up two runs on four hits with three strike outs. Rickets entered the game with the bases loaded and was able to get the last out on a ground out to third.

Final scores for Bank of Hawaii Invitational Day 3
Bracket Game 1: Seed #2: Tokyo 21, Seed #3: Western Carolina 9 (Box Score)
Bracket Game 2: Seed #4: Mount St. Mary's 0, Seed #1: Hawai`i 20 (Box Score)
Third Place Game: Mount St. Mary's 10, Western Carolina 5 (Box Score)
Championship Game: Hawaii 13, Tokyo 4 (Box Score)

Infield – Kaoru Oyanagi, Tokyo

Infield – Amanda Burk, Mount St. Mary's

Infield – Stephanie Beatty, Western Carolina

Outfield – Kristen Gay, Western Carolina

Utility – Sayaka Mori, Tokyo

 

Most Valuable Player: Manami Harano, Tokyo

 

*Six Rainbow Wahine earned a spot on the all-tournament team, including the Most Outstanding Pitcher, Ricketts and three other freshman: Pagduan, Aguirre, and Duhaylonsod-Kaleimamahu.

 

 

                                                                                              -UH-