HONOLULU—The No. 21/25 University of Hawai`i softball team (25-9; 3-0 WAC) completed a series sweep of Utah State (5-26; 0-3 WAC) to start the Western Athletic Conference season. The 'Bows captured both ends of a doubleheader over the Aggies 8-0 (six innings) and 2-0 on Saturday night at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
No. 21/25 Hawai`i 8, Utah State 0 (6)
Box Score
In the day's opening game, the Rainbow Wahine got on the scoreboard first, posting four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Stephanie Ricketts, the designated player in the opener, led the inning off with a single to right-centerfield. Pinch runner
Brynne Buchanan then entered the game to run at first and hustled all the way to third after the throw from the pitcher off a sacrifice bunt by
Jasey Jensen was dropped at first by the covering second baseman.
Kelly Majam then drilled a double past the centerfielder to the fence to score Buchanan and Jensen, who slid in front of the tag for UH's second run.
Jessica Iwata then launched her team-leading 11th home run of the year high over the leftfield fence. Her two-run bomb game UH a 4-0 lead after three complete innings.
Hawai`i extended their lead to 7-0 in the fifth. Jensen started things by reaching on a fielding error on the second baseman. Later, after a fly out to center, Iwata laced a opposite field single to right-center field to put runners at first and second.
Sharla Kliebenstein worked a full count then blasted her 10th home run of the year over the leftfield fence to drive in three runs.
The Rainbow Wahine then ended the game in the sixth inning when Kliebenstein drew a bases loaded walk to end the game, 8-0 with the mercy rule in effect.
Hawai`i starter
Kaia Parnaby (9-2, 1-0 WAC) fired a three-hit shut to earn her ninth win of the season. She spaced three hits with a walk and 10 strike outs.
Utah State starter Shelbi Tyteca tossed 4.1 innings, giving up seven run on six hits with a walk, while reliever Dani Chaplin threw the last one-plus inning. Chaplin gave up one run on one hit with three walks and a strike out facing eight batters.
Iwata led UH at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored, two RBI and a home run; Kliebenstein was 1-for-3 with a home run and tied her career-high with four RBI; and Majam was 1-for-3 with a double and two RBI.
No. 21/25 Hawai`i 2, Utah State 0
Box Score
Stephanie Ricketts fired a three-hit shut out with no walks and six strike outs to earn her 15th win of the year. Ricketts (15-7) tossed her 21st complete game of the season and seventh shut-out of the season.
Utah State (5-26; 0-3 WAC) utilized their three pitcher arsenal in the series finale. Starter Mandy Harmon started and finished the game, throwing 2.2 innings in all. She gave up no runs and scattered two hits with two walks and three strike outs. Dani Chaplin then came in and fired two shut-out innings, also allowing no runs with two hits a walk and a strike out. The Aggies' third pitcher, Shelbi Tyteca (1-6; 0-2 WAC) suffered the loss, giving up two runs on four hits with a walk and a strike out.
The Rainbow Wahine had a scoring opportunity in the bottom of the fifth when
Jasey Jensen,
Kelly Majam, and
Jessica Iwata led the inning off with three consecutive singles to start the inning. But relief pitcher Shelbi Tyteca then settled down to retire the side in order to escape unscathed.
But in the bottom of the sixth, the 'Bows broke through on the scoreboard, posting two runs.
Melissa Gonzalez drew a walk and
Sarah Robinson was hit by the pitch to start the inning. After a foul-fly out to rightfield,
Jasey Jensen ripped a two run double over the leftfielder to drive in both Gonzalez and Robinson. Jensen went 2-for-3 in the game with the game's only two runs.
The Rainbow Wahine endured three separate rain delays totalling 36 minutes in the first three innings.
The Rainbow Wahine now head off on their second roadtrip of the year to Fresno State where they will face the Bulldogs in a three-game WAC series. The series opener on April 1 will be televised on ESPNU at 7:00 pm (PST).
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