Box Score

HONOLULU—The No. 14/17 University of Hawai`i softball team (20-5) pulled away from Miami (Ohio), 8-2 to capture the 2011 Pepsi Malihini Kipa Aloha Tournament on Sunday night. Pitcher Kaia Parnaby earned the complete-game win while the offense was powered by Jessica Iwata and Alex Aguirre home runs.

 

Parnaby (7-1) threw seven innings, allowing two runs on six hits with a walk and 10 strike outs in the win.

 

The Redhawks got on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning. The lead off batter, Jordan McElroy got a single to left to start the game. After a pop-out bunt, Meghan Mawn singled to right to put runners at the corners. An illegal pitch called on Parnaby forced the run home.

 

In the top of the third, MU's McElroy got things going again with a single and then came home on a Kayla Ledbetter triple over the rightfielder's head to give Miami an early 2-0 lead.

 

In the bottom of the fourth inning, the 'Bows knotted the score at 2-2. Sharla Kliebenstein led the inning off with a walk but was erased at second on a fielder's choice hit by Jenna Rodriguez. Melissa Gonzalez then singled to right to put runners at first and second. After a strike out, Kelly Majam drilled an opposite-field double to the left-centerfield gap. The Redhawks' leftfielder was on a full sprint to the fence and had it just in her glove as she collided with the fence, jarring the ball loose four a two-run double as Rodriguez and Gonzalez raced around the bases.

 

Dara Pagaduan led the fifth inning off with a walk and was quickly driven home on Iwata's towering blast to leftfield that went over the high outfield netting onto the tennis courts. It was Iwata's team-leading 10th home run of the season. Aguirre followed with another walk and moved to second on a ground out to second by Kliebenstein. Aguirre then scored from second on a Jenna Rodriguez double that was ripped down the leftfield line to push UH's lead to 5-2.

 

Hawai`i extended their lead to 8-2 in the sixth. After a fly out to left, pinch hitter Tara Anguiano reached first on a fielding error on the first baseman. Iwata was walked and then Aguirre battled at the plate with a nine-pitch at-bat before launching her fourth home run of the season over the leftfield fence that drove in three runs more UH runs.

 

Miami's Jessica Simpson (10-4) suffered the loss in a complete game effort. She gave up eight runs on seven hits—four of which were of the extra base variety. Simpson hadn't given up a run in the tournament before facing Hawai`i and had earned a complete game win earlier in the day against Longwood, 1-0. She walked five and struck out three batters against the 'Bows.

 

Hawai`i will play Longwood on Monday, March 14 at 6:00 pm following a Longwood vs. Tokyo Women's College of Physical Education game at 4:00 pm.

 

2011 Pepsi Malihini Kipa Aloha All-Tournament Team