Photo Gallery

HONOLULU—The No. 8/13 University of Hawai`i softball team (3-0) swept their doubleheader tonight on the second day of the Oceanic Time Warner Cable Paradise Classic at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. The 'Bows pulled away from UC Davis, 9-1 in six innings, then won 1-0 in eight innings over Texas State in a pitcher's duel of a game in which Stephanie Ricketts fired a one-hit shut-out with a career high 12 strike outs.

 

Sophomore pitcher Kaia Parnaby earned her first win off season, throwing a complete, six inning game. She gave up one run on five hits with a walk and seven strike outs while facing just 26 batters.

 

The 'Bows--who had runners on in every inning--were led at the plate by Jenna Rodriguez 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk; Sharla Kliebenstein was 1-for-3 with a double, two runs scored and a pair of RBI; Kaile Nakao had an RBI double and Jasey Jensen had an RBI triple with a run scored.

 

The Rainbow Wahine took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Jessica Iwata earned a walk and later scored on a fielder's choice at shortstop hit by Alex Aguirre.

 

But it was in the third inning that UH did the most damage, batting around the order and posting five runs. Iwata started the rally by reaching on a fielding error by the Aggies' third baseman. She moved to second on a sharp single up the middle by Melissa Gonzalez and then scored on an RBI single by Jenna Rodriguez. After a pop-up to short, Kliebenstein drilled a double down the leftfield line to score both Gonzalez and pinch runner Rachel Paragas. Jensen, a senior transfer from Utah, then came through with her first hit as a Rainbow Wahine—a triple to the rightfield fence to score Kliebenstein from second. Later, after a strike out, Nakao came through with her first collegiate hit, a double to the left-centerfield gap to drive in Jensen.

 

The Aggies got on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth. Kelly Schultze led the inning off with a fly to right that was misjudged and tipped off the glove for an error. After a foul pop-up to third, Kelly Harman hit a grounder to short, but the throw at first was muffed for an error allowing pinch runner Desiree Chavez to score from second.

 

But Hawai`i bounced right back, adding three runs in the sixth inning. With one out, Aguirre reached on a fielding error of the first baseman. On the play, the first baseman turned to throw, but her toss sailed to the first baseline fence allowing Aguirre to hustle to second. Kliebenstein was then hit by a pitch to put runner at first and second. Then after a pop-up to short, Makani Duhaylonsod-Kaleimamahu hit a solid grounder through the third baseman's legs to score Aguirre. A walk to Nakao loaded the bases and a second walk to Kelly Majam forced in Kliebenstein. The game then ended on an RBI single to left off the bat of Iwata.

 

For UC Davis, Alex Holmes suffered her second loss of the season, throwing 2.2 innings and giving up six runs on seven hits with two walks and four strike outs. Freshman Kasie Cochran came in and tossed the final three innings, holding the 'Bows at bay until the sixth. She gave up three runs on two hits with five walks.

 

 

The Hawai`i's second game of the night was a much different affair. It was a classic pitcher's duel between Ricketts and Texas State's Chandler Hall.

 

Ricketts retired the first 12 batters she faced in a row before giving up a single up the middle to Haley Lemons. Ricketts ended the game with a career high 12 strike outs—one more than her previous high of 11 set on Apr. 16 against Louisiana Tech last season. She faced just 26 batters in eight innings of work. In the top of the eighth, with the International Tie Breaker in place, the first batter attempted to bunt the runner at second to third. But the batter was called out on interference for running in the basepath for the first out and the runner at second had to return to her original base. Ricketts then struck out three batters—including one that ran a swinging strike three out to first.

 

Texas State's pitcher, Hall, fired 7.1 innings in the loss, holding UH's offense to just two hits with a walk and seven strike outs.

 

Hawai`i scored the winning run in the bottom of the eighth. Jensen was placed at second and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by pinch-hitter Jazmine Zamora which was mishandled by the first baseman for an error. Zamora promptly stole second to leave first open for Nakao, who drove in the winning run in on a sacrifice fly to left for the 1-0 win.

 

Hawai`i, with three wins in the tourney, is the top seed in tomorrow's bracket play. Texas State is second with a 2-1 record; UC Davis is third with a 1-2 mark and Southern Utah is the fourth seed after going 0-3.

 

10:00 am: #2 Seed – Texas State vs. #3 Seed - UC Davis

2:00 pm: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2

4:00 pm: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 (Championship Game)


                                                                                                 -UH-