Box Score

HONOLULU—The No. 14/16 University of Hawai`i softball team (15-4) scored five runs in the fourth inning en route to an 8-0 win in five innings over St. Bonaventure (0-3). Jenna Rodriguez went two-for-three with a two-run home run while Stephanie Ricketts earned the win with a complete game effort on Sunday at the Bank of Hawaii Invitational.

 

Ricketts fired five complete innings, spacing three hits with a walk and three strike outs to raise her record to 9-3.

 

The 'Bows scored a single run on a two-out rally in the bottom of the first. Melissa Gonzalez and Sharla Kliebenstein had back-to-back singles to put runners at first and second with two outs. Kelly Majam then hit a high pop up between the pitcher and first baseman, but on the play there was miscommunication and the ball glanced off the pitcher glove and rolled away allowing Gonzalez to hustle all the way home for the early, 1-0 lead.

 

Hawai`i then batted around and erupted five runs in the fourth. Majam led off with a walk quickly came home on the Rodriguez home run over the leftfield fence. After a strike out, Tara Anguiano—in her first career start—got her second hit of the game with a single to center. Jasey Jensen then laid down a beautiful bunt single to put runners at first and second. After an infield fly, Jessica Iwata reached on an infield hit back to the pitcher to load the bases. Gonzalez then got her second hit of the game on a slow roller to second that forced Anguiano across the plate and Kliebenstein followed with a hard-hit single through the left-side of the infield to drive in both Jensen and Iwata to give UH a 6-0 lead after four innings.

 

In the fifth, the 'Bows put the game away with the mercy rule in effect. Rodriguez and Robinson started off with back to back singles and both moved into scoring position on a ground out to the rightside of the infield by Anguiano. Jensen then came through with a solid double to centerfield to drive in both pinch-runner Brynne Buchana and Robinson to end the game, 8-0.

 

St. Bonaventure's Jen Sansano (0-2) suffered the loss, giving up six runs on nine hits with a walk and three strike outs in 4.0 innings pitched. Diana Phalon closed the game, throwing in the final inning, she able to get just one out, while giving up two runs on three hits.

 

Hawai`i closes the tournament tonight against Weber State around 6:00 pm in the Championship Game of the Bank of Hawaii Invitational.