SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The University of Hawai'i softball team (24-21, 10-5 WAC) swept today's doubleheader against Santa Clara (5-42, 0-15 PCSC) at West Valley College Softball Field. Stephanie Ricketts fired a one-hit shut-out in a five-inning, 12-0 win in the first game and Courtney Baughman threw four innings to earn the win by a 9-0 margin to end the day. Hawai'i's offense launched seven home runs on the day.

It was the Rainbow Wahine's final non-conference games of the season.

 

The offense tallied 21 runs on 31 hits—including six doubles and seven home runs—in the two combined games. Amanda Tauali'i and Tanisha Milca both launched a pair of homers, while Traci Yoshikawa (grand slam), Clare Warwick, and Kanani Pu'u-Warren all hit one a piece.

 

Tauali'i's two home runs moved her in a tie for fourth place all-time for the UH single-season home run record with 15. She is now tied with former UH All-Americans Stacey Porter and Tyleen Tausaga. The all-time, single-season record of 21 was set last season by another All-American, Kate Robinson.

 

Milca's pair of homers pushed her past former UH All-American Dana Degen on the career home run list. Milca now has 10 round-trippers this season and 31 in her career which is fourth all-time. Degen hit 29 in her stellar career. Milca is now just two shy of tying Tausaga's 33 home runs for third all-time.

The 'Bows were led on offense by Tauali'i who was 5-for-8 with three runs scored, four RBI, a double and two home runs. Warwick also went 5-for-8 with three runs scored with a double and one home run. Audrey Andrade and Yoshikawa both hit .667. Andrade was 4-for-6 with a double and a run, while Yoshikawa was 2-for-3 with a grand slam. Milca was 4-for-9 with three runs scored on two home runs, an dPu`u-Warren was 2-for-5 with a team-high four runs scored, a double and a home run.

 

Box Score

Ricketts (17-8, 9-3 WAC) fired her fifth one-hit shut-out in her 21st complete game of the season. She retired the first five batters before Amanda Edmonson reached on an error and Breann Netto got the Bronco's only hit in the game with a single to right-centerfield. Ricketts then proceeded to retire the last 10 batters straight to end the game. She had no walks and seven strike outs in the five inning game.

 

Santa Clara's Jenna Fong (3-16) threw 0.1 innings and gave up seven runs on five hits with a walk. Kaitlyn Raushnot threw the final 4.2 innings, giving up five runs on 12 hits with two strike outs and no walks.

 

The 'Bows started off with a bang, batting around the order, racking up five hits—including two home runs, and posting seven runs in the top of the first inning. Milca led the game off with a home run to leftfield. It was Milca's ninth home run of the year and it marked the fifth time in her career that she's led a game off with a home run. The last time she accomplished that feat was last season against San Jose State in the second game of the three game series on April 12, 2008.

 

Warwick continued things in the first with a single up the middle, then tagged and hustled to second on a foul fly out to leftfield. Amanda Tauali'i drove in Warwick with another single up the middle for UH”s second run. The 'Bows then loaded the bases after Audrey Andrade drew a walk and Kanani Pu'u-Warren was hit by a pitch. Dara Pagaduan then came through with a single to left that scored Tauali'i from third. Yoshikawa then came to the plate and hit her first career grand slam over the centerfield fence. The Broncos then changed pitchers, replacing Jenna Fong with Kaitlyn Rauschnot. Rauschnot retired the first two batters she faced to end the inning, but the damage had been done with UH leading 7-0 after the first half-inning.

 

The Rainbow Wahine rallied and scored one run in the third. After a pop-up to first, UH linked four singles in a row by Traci Yoshikawa, Stacey Yamada, Milca, and Warwick's single to center with the bases loaded drove in Yoshikawa to push Hawai'i's lead to 8-0.

 

The 'Bows then closed the game out by scoring four runs in the top of the fifth to push their lead to 12-0. With one out in the inning, Milca started the rally with a single to left. A double to the left-centerfield gap by Warwick put both runners into scoring position. Makani Duhaylonsod-Kaleimamahu then drove a hit up the middle to score both Milca and Warwick. Tauali'i then hit her 14th home run of the year to centerfield to drive in pinch-runner Mikalemi Tagab-Cruz.

 

Box Score

In the second game of the doubleheader, the 'Bows started off slowly but ended up on a strong note, hitting four home runs in the last three innings.

 

Hawai'i's Courtney Baughman (6-8) combined with Ricketts for the shut-out. Baughman earned the win, throwing 4.0 innings giving up just one hit while fanning three. Ricketts closed the game, throwing the final 3.0 innings. She yielded just one hit and struck out one. Both did not issue a walk.

 

Baughman retired the first seven batters in a row before Jackie Nicora got a single to left. Baughman then got the following four batters out in a row. Ricketts continued the string by retiring eight in a row before Brianna Knight got a single to center with two outs in the seventh inning.

 

Santa Clara's Rauschnot came back after throwing all but one out in the first game to toss a complete game in the second game of the day. She gave up nine runs on 14 hits with three walks and two strike outs.

 

The 'Bows scored one run in the second. Andrade led the inning off with a single up the middle. She moved to second on Pu'u-Warren's walk. A passed ball moved Andrade to third, but she was thrown out at third on a fielder's choice hit to third by Pagaduan. After a strike out, Richie-Anne Titcomb drew a walk to load the bases. Pu'u-Warren then scored on a wild pitch to give UH an early 1-0 lead.

 

In the fourth, Pu'u-Warren reached on an error to start the inning. Pagaduan then smacked a double down the leftfield line, putting both runners into scoring position for Katie Grimes. Grimes then got an infield hit to second that scored both Pu'u-Warren and Pagaduan to increase Hawai'i's lead to 3-0 after three-and-a-half innings.

 

Warwick launched her fourth home run of the season over the centerfield fence to start the fifth inning, and in the sixth, Milca hit her second homer of the day to increase the 'Bows' lead to 5-0.

 

In the top of the seventh, Hawai'i pulled away from the Broncos, scoring four runs—all off home runs—to widen their lead to 9-0. Pinch hitter Melissa Gonzalez led the inning off with a single to first. Tauali'i then hit her second homer of the day to centerfield. Andrade followed with an opposite field single to rightfield, and Pu'u-Warren ended the scoring with her third home run of the season.

 

Hawai'i returns home to host two conference series to end the regular season. First, the 'Bows take on New Mexico State this Friday and Saturday in a crucial, three-game WAC series. UH then hosts Boise State to end the regular season the following weekend.

                                                                                                                                                     -UH-