Box Score

FRESNO, Calif. – The third seeded University of Hawai`i softball team (29-23, 15-6 WAC) fell to No. 4 Louisiana Tech in their opening game of the 2009 Western Athletic Conference Tournament, 7-1. Hawai`i's Stephanie Ricketts (21-10, 13-4 WAC) suffered the loss tonight at Bulldog Diamond on the campus of Fresno State.

 

Ricketts threw four complete innings, giving up three runs on four hits with four strike outs. It was just the third time this season that she didn't complete the game. Melissa Gonzalez tossed the final three innings of the game. She gave up four runs on five hits with two strike outs.

 

Louisiana Tech's Megan Krieg earned the complete-game win, giving up the one run while scattering six hits with three walks and eight strike outs. She took a shut-out through six innings before giving up an opposite-field home run by pinch hitter, Julie Franklin

 

Hawai`i started strong, but was unable to capitalize early. In the first inning, Tanisha Milca led off with a double to the right-centerfield gap and Clare Warwick followed with a single back to the pitcher. But Makani Duhaylonsod-Kaleimamahu then hit a sharp grounder right to the Lady Techsters' third baseman who picked it cleanly, stepped on the bag and fired across the infield for a double play. Krieg then ended the inning on a swinging strike out.

 

In the second, UH's first two batters, Audrey Andrade and #Kanani Pu`u-Warren# both drew walks to start the inning. But again, La Tech got out of the jam with a come-backer to the pitcher sandwiched by two swinging strike outs.

 

Louisiana Tech posted two runs in the top of the third. With one out, La Tech's Heather Doiron started things going with a single up the middle. Then, Emma Barnes hit a weak grounder back to Ricketts on the mound, but she was unable to field it, allowing Barnes to reach safely. A ground out by Danielle Sheridan pushed both runners into scoring position for WAC Player of the Year, Amberly Waits who drove a double to the left-centerfield gap, scoring both Doiron and Barnes to take an early 2-0 lead.

 

Jessica Kirby then extended La Tech's lead to 3-0 after she hit a solo home run to left. Ricketts settled down to get the next three straight outs.

In the bottom of the fourth, UH again got runners on first and second with no outs after Andrade got her second walk of the game and Pu`u-Warren got a single to left. Krieg got Pagaduan to pop up and then La Tech turned their second 5-U-3 ground out double play to end the rally and the inning.
 

Gonzalez then entered the game on the mound. She and the 'Bows' defense went “three-up, three down” in the fifth, but in the sixth, Waits struck again, this time with a solo home run to centerfield. And in the seventh, La Tech started with consecutive hits by Krissi Oliver and Valerie Quiroga. Gonzalez then got a strike out and got a ground ball to second, but a fielding error allowed Oliver to come around to score from second. Sheridan then came through with a two-run double over the centerfielder to push the lead to 7-0 with half an inning to play.

 

Franklin led the seventh off with an opposite-field blast that landed on the grassy burm beyond the outfield fence. It was her third home run of the year and fifth of her career.

 

The loss puts Hawai`i into the loser's bracket of the double elimination tournament. They will face the loser of the No. 1 Seed, Fresno State vs. No. 7 Seed, Boise State at 4:45 pm. The Broncos defeated San Jose State to start the tourney day off, 8-4 in eight innings. It was Boise State's first ever victory in the WAC tournament.

 

 

                                                                                                       -UH-