Box Score

LAS VEGAS, Nev.—The No. 9/12 University of Hawai`i softball team (6-0) scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh to defeat Utah, 8-7. Both Jessica Iwata and Alex Aguirre came up huge with two home runs a piece, with Aguirre hitting a walk-off home run to lift UH to the win on the opening day of the Louisville-Slugger Desert Classic in Las Vegas, Nev.

 

Down three runs with three outs to go in the game, the 'Bows got things started on a Jenna Rodriguez single up the middle to start the seventh inning. After a strike out, Kelly Majam drew a walk and was followed by Iwata, who battled with a full count fouling off a couple pitches before she crushed the tying, three-run home run over two fences onto the side of the mountain behind the field. It was her second straight home run of the game. Aguirre then launched the walk-off, solo home run to lift UH to the 8-7 win.

 

Rodriguez earned her first win of the season in relief of starter Stephanie Ricketts. Rodriguez fired the final 2.2 innings, giving up a pair of runs on six hits with no walks and two strike outs. Ricketts started the game and threw the first 4.1 innings. She gave up five runs on nine hits with a walk and seven strike outs.

 

Utah got on the scoreboard first with a solo home run over the right-centerfield fence by Jackie Sweet to start the third inning.

 

In the top of the fourth, the Utes added another run to go up, 2-0. Tia Palauni led off by drawing a walk. Pinch runner moved to second on a ground out to second. Later, with two outs, Kayla Hoopiiaiana hit a grounder to second. On the play, the second baseman bobbled the ball allowing the batter to be safe at first and the runner at second hustled all the way home.

 

Hawai`i responded and cut their deficit in half on an opposite-field, solo home run by Aguirre to right field in the bottom of the fourth.

 

But in the top of the fifth, the Utes tacked on three runs to go up 5-1. Sweet struck again, with a lead-off double to the leftfield corner. Tara Glover followed with a single up the middle that pushed Sweet to second. Glover sprinted to second on the throw home from center to put both runners in scoring position. Ricketts then got a strike out, but the following batter laid down a bunt single to drive in Sweet from third and leave runners at the corners. Whitney Holm then hit another single up the middle that scored Glover from third. Palauni then got a singled to right to load the bases and chase Ricketts from the game. Jenna Rodriguez then entered and later, Utah scored their third run of the inning on a sacrifice fly hit by Hannah Clements that scored Myers from third.

 

Utah added another run in the sixth on an RBI single with the bases loaded by Myers to score Austin—who had reached on a fielding error to start the inning. Utah led, 6-1 with UH coming up for the bottom of the sixth.

 

Hawai`i answered back by posting three runs in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Kelly Majam was hit by a pitch and Jessica Iwata followed with an opposite field home run that sailed over the rightfield fence. After a ground out to second, Melissa Gonzalez got her second hit of the game with a single up the middle. Sharla Kliebenstein then hit into a fielder's choice that erased Gonzalez at second. Dara Pagaduan then came through with a double that hit off the leftfield fence to score a hustling Kliebenstein all the way from first.

Utah answered right back with another run in the top of the seventh on an RBI single by Taylor Austin who drove in Clements to a 7-4 lead going into the bottom of the seventh.

 

But in the bottom of the seventh, Utah changed their pitcher and inserted Generra Nielson after Naomi Amu had held the 'Bows at bay for the most part through the first six innings. Amu gave up four runs on six hits with a walk and a strike out. Nielson suffered the loss and dropped her record to 3-3 on the season. She was able to get just one out in the seventh, and gave up four runs on three hits with a walk and a strike out.

Iwata went 2-for-4 with two homers and five RBI; Aguirre was 3-for-4 with two home runs and two RBI, and Gonzalez was 2-for-3.

Hawai`i has one more game on the slate for today against Long Beach State.

 

 

                                                                                                                           -UH-