Box Score

HONOLULU—The No. 14/17 University of Hawai`i softball team (16-5) was stunned by Longwood (13-3), 1-0 on Friday night at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. Hawai`i starter Stephanie Ricketts (10-4) took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, but then gave up a solo home run to straight-away centerfield to the Lancers' Nichole Simmons for UH's first loss in the Pepsi Malihini Kipa Aloha Tournament.

 

Ricketts fired 6.1 innings of hitless ball, before yielding the one costly hit of the game. Overall she had four walks with nine strike outs and faced just 25 batters.

 

Longwood starter Briana Wells (11-3) stymied the 'Bows at the plate scattering three hits—all singles by Jessica Iwata, Sarah Robinson, and Melissa Gonzalez. Wells did not give up a run with a walk and six strike outs.

 
Iwata had a long fly ball to lead off the fourth inning that had potential, but it was caught by the Longwood centerfielder at the fence. In the fifth inning the 'Bows had their best scoring opportunity when Robinson led the inning off with a solid single to the right-centerfield gap. She moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Gonzalez. Robinson then advanced to third on a ground out to short, but the final out was made on a pop-up to first to end the threat.

It marked the first home loss of the season for Hawai`i, which fell to 9-1 in games in Honolulu. The Rainbow Wahine continue the tournament tomorrow with a doubleheader against Miami (Ohio) and South Dakota State tomorrow at 3:00 and 5:00 pm respectively.

 

 

                                                                                                 -UH-