HONOLULU –The University of Hawai`i softball team (8-13) fought hard, but eventually fell in their two games tonight in the Pepsi Malihini Kipa Aloha Tournament. First, UH's five game win streak was snapped with a 14-11 loss to No. 25 Mississippi State, then the 'Bows fell to Florida Gulf Coast, 5-4 at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

 

Box Score
The Bulldogs bolted out to an 11-0 lead, racking up seven hits and capitalizing on three costly UH errors after just the first inning-and-a-half. But the 'Bows showed their moxie as they battled back to mount a comeback that almost erased the seemingly insurmountable lead. UH smacked three home runs in the game by Richie-Anne Titcomb, Traci Yoshikawa and Makani Duhaylonsod-Kaleimamahu. But in the end, the Bulldogs pulled away and the difference was too much to overcome.

 

In the top of the first, the Bulldogs jumped out to a quick, 1-0 lead. Lead off batter Chelsea Bramlett reached on a fielding error on the shortstop. She stole second and scored on a double to the left-centerfield gap by Ali Bainbridge.

 

After holding Mississippi State scoreless in the second, the Bulldogs exploded for 10 runs in the third to go up 11-0. Bramlett led the inning off with a bunt single to first and advanced to second on a wild throw to first. Allie Heon then executed a sacrifice bunt to first to move Bramlett to third. Bainbridge then reached safely when on a ground ball to short, the throw came home but not in time to catch the speedy Bramlett. Courtney Moore then hit a ball back to Ricketts on the mound. She went to turn two, but the throw sailed into centerfield, allowing both runners to be safe. Courtney Nesbitt then hit an RBI double to centerfield, scoring Bainbridge. Jessie Bailey then hit a single through the leftside of the infield to score Moore. Then the big blow came on a three-run home run by Brittany Bell that chased UH's starter, Stephanie Ricketts. Duhaylonsod-Kaleimamahu, the starting designated player, then entered the game on defense in her first collegiate appearance on the mound. Brittany Gates then was hit by a pitch. Bramlett grounded out to the pitcher for the second out of the inning. A fielding error at short allowed both runners to be safe at the corners on a grounder hit by Heon. Heon then moved into scoring position on a wild pitch and Bainbridge capitalized with a two-run double. Moore followed with another double to score Bainbridge for the 10^th run of the inning. Duhaylonsod-Kaleimamahu then got the final out on a swinging strike out.

 

Down 11-0, the 'Bows began to battle back, responding with four runs of their own in the bottom of the third. Yoshikawa led the inning off by drawing a walk. Katie Grimes followed with a single to rightfield. On the play, Yoshikawa hustled to third drawing the throw. Yoshikawa slid in safely and Grimes moved to second on the throw. Tanisha Milca then doubled to left to score Yoshikawa and Grimes. Pinch-hitter Titcomb then entered the game and drilled a two-run home run to cut the lead to 11-4.

 

Ricketts re-entered the game at pitcher and held the Bulldogs off the board in the fifth and the 'Bows fed off that and scored four more runs in the fourth. After a strike out, Malamaisaua Manuma walked and Yoshikawa then crushed her first career-home run over the leftfield fence. Next, Grimes drew a walk, Milca singled to left, and Titcomb drew another walk. Clare Warwick then hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Grimes from third. The next batter, #Amanda Tauali`i# struck out swinging but the pitch went skidding past the catcher and Tauali`i hustled to first to load the bases. Duhaylonsod-Kaleimamahu then drew the fourth walk of the inning to push Milca across the plate to cut the MS lead to 11-8, after four complete innings.

 

The Bulldogs pushed their lead to 13-8 when they added two runs in the sixth. After a strike out, Nesbit got her second double, this time to right field. A single to left by Bailey put runners at second and third, after Bailey sprinted to second on the throw to third. Ka`ili Smith then hit a single to left to drive in Nesbit and Bailey also crossed the plate on a throwing error on the leftfielder.

 

In the bottom of the sixth, UH rallied to get three of the runs back. Warwick walked with one out to start the rally, Tauali`i then got a single to right, and then Duhaylonsod-Kaleimamahu launched a high fly ball over the netting in leftfield, on top of the batting cages in leftfield. UH trailed 13-11 with an inning to play.

 

The Bulldogs though put the game away with an insurance run in the top of the seventh on an RBI single to center by pinch hitter Sammie Jo Bailey that drove home Bramlett from second.

 

Both starting pitchers left and re-entered the game and figured in the decisions. For Mississippi State, Kelsey Nurnberg (8-0) earned the win, throwing a total of 3.2 innings. She gave up four runs on five hits with two walks and four strike outs. Elizabeth Woolven threw 1.1 innings, giving up three runs on two hits with two walks and one strike out, and Lindsey Dunlap threw 2.0 innings, giving up four runs on five hits with three walks and two strike outs.

 

Hawai`i's Ricketts took the loss, throwing a combined 6.1 innings, yielding 11 runs on 11 hits with no walks and nine strike outs. Duhaylonsod-Kaleimamahu threw .2 innings. She gave up three runs on two hits with a strike out.

 

The Mississippi State win snapped the 'Bows' five-game winning streak that dated back to their last game against then No. 1 Alabama in the Palm Springs Classic, when they fell to the Crimson Tide, 1-0 in extra innings.

 

The Eagles of Florida Gulf Coast (22-4) extended their win streak to 14 with a 5-4 victory over UH in the final game of day three of the Pepsi tourney. Three of Hawai`i's four runs were attributed to a pair of home runs—a solo shot by Tauali`i and a two run bomb by Milca.

 

In the second straight game, the 'Bows fell behind early and tried to mount come backs, but were in the end were unable to over take their opponents.

 

In the bottom of the first, UH's Warwick almost had a home run with Dara Pagaduan on base. She hit a shot to left-centerfield and the centerfielder leaped at the fence knocking the ball off the top of the fence and back into play where the leftfielder caught it. After the confusion cleared, it was ruled that the defense cannot knock a ball back into play off the top of the fence to be caught by a teammate. So it was a hit, but because Pagaduan had strayed from second and the defense threw the ball back into second, it was ruled that she was forced out at two.

 

The Eagles scored first, posting two run in the top of the second. FGCU started the inning with three straight singles, with the third by Carter, driving in the game's first two runs.

 

UH answered in the bottom of the third. Julie Franklin led off with a double to left. After a strike out, Milca drilled a hit right through the legs of the pitcher. On the play, Franklin sprinted around third to score, while Milca scooted to second on the throw home.

 

FGCU immediately responded by getting the run back in the top of the fourth on a solo home run by Carter to left field.

 

In the bottom of the fourth, UH cut the lead to 3-2, on an opposite-field home run by Amanda Tauali`i.

 

The Eagles didn't back down and proceeded to score two more crucial runs in the top of the six off back-to-back doubles and a wild pitch. Ricketts came in with no outs and a runner on third and did an outstanding job of putting out the fire. She got a pair of strike outs and a fly out to right to squelch the rally.

 

Then in the bottom of the seventh, UH made things interesting after Milca's two run bomb to leftfield that cut the Eagles' lead to 5-4, but that would be as close as the 'Bows would come.

 

Radford 3, Mount St. Mary's 1

 

Mount St. Mary's 1, Santa Clara 5

 

Radford 5, Santa Clara 3

 

Oregon State 2, Mississippi State 0

3/7/2009	Oregon State vs. Santa Clara	Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium	9:00 a.m.	Details
3/7/2009	Mount St. Mary's vs. Mississippi State	Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium	11:00 a.m.	Details
3/7/2009	Mount St. Mary's vs. Florida Gulf Coast	Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium	1:00 p.m.	Details
3/7/2009	Radford vs. Florida Gulf Coast	Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium	3:00 p.m.	Details
3/7/2009	HAWAI`I vs. RADFORD	Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium	5:00 p.m.	Details

 

                                                                                                                                                      -UH-