Box Score

HONOLULU—The No. 21/25 University of Hawai`i softball team (23-9, 1-0 WAC) opened the Western Athletic Conference season with a 5-2 win over Utah State (5-24, 0-1 WAC). Starting pitcher Stephanie Ricketts picked up her 14th win and hit her first home run of the season on Friday night at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

 

Ricketts (14-7. 1-0 WAC) fired her 20th complete game of 2011, allowing two runs on six hits with a walk and eight strike outs.

 

The Aggies jumped out to an early 1-0 on a solo home run by Kelley Kaneshiro off a change-up that sailed over the leftfield fence.

 

But the 'Bows answered right back in the bottom of the frame as they loaded the bases with no outs. Kelly Majam got plunked by a pitch to lead the inning off. Jessica Iwata then followed by drilling a double down the leftfield line and Sharla Kliebenstein walked to load the bases. Jenna Rodriguez then picked up an RBI by drawing a full count walk that forced Majam across the plate. Alexandra Aguirre then hit a single through the leftside of Aggie infield to score Iwata from third. Melissa Gonzalez then hit a ground ball to third for a fielder's choice that allowed Kliebenstein to score but erased Rodriguez at third for UH's third run of the inning. Utah State starter, Mandy Harmon then settled down to end the inning on a pair of strike outs.

 

The Aggies tried to mount a rally in the top of the third putting runners on first and third on back-to-back singles by Kassandra Uchida and Krista Bava with one out. But Ricketts got Kaneshiro to pop out foul on a bunt attempt and then got a ground out to first to end the inning.

 

Utah State then cut their deficit to one run on a Megan McDonald solo home to leftfield, making the score 3-2 in favor of UH.

 

UH then added two runs in the bottom of the sixth to extend their lead to 5-2 on back-to-back home runs by Ricketts and pinch hitter Jasey Jensen. Ricketts shot was a bomb that zoomed over the high netting beyond the leftfield fence. It was both Ricketts and Jensen's first home run of the season. For Ricketts, it was the second homer of her career. For Jensen, a senior transfer from the University of Utah, it was her eighth round-tripper of her collegiate career. Jensen hit three homer runs while playing at Salt Lake Community College before launching four during her two-year career as Ute.

 

Aggies' starter Harmon fired 5.1 innings, giving up five runs on seven hits with three walks and seven strike outs. Reliever Shelbi Tyteca faced two batters and got both out on a pair of pop-outs.

 

Hawai`i and Utah State square off in a series-ending doubleheader tomorrow starting at 4:00 pm at the RWSS.

 

                                                                                          -UH-