Box Score

HONOLULU—The No. 14/16 University of Hawai`i softball team (16-4) captured the 2011 Bank of Hawaii Invitational with a 5-1 win over Weber State (2-5) on Sunday night. Stephanie Ricketts tossed a complete game to earn her second win of the day and third of the tournament. UH's offense was powered by Jessica Iwata and Dara Pagaduan home runs at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

 

Ricketts, who earned Most Valuable Player of the tournament honors, threw 7.0 innings, scattering five hits with a walk and eight strike outs. For the weekend, she went 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA with a pair of shut outs in 19.0 innings pitched. She walked just three batters while fanning 22 batters. On the season, she is now 10-3 and is 62-24 for her career.

 

The Wildcats jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead over Hawai`i in the top of the first. Erika James got on with a single to center with one out. She stole second and then scored when the throw off a sacrifice bunt from Brooke Silva went through the covering second baseman allowing James to sprint across the plate.

 

Hawai`i answered in the third inning, posting four runs. With one out in the inning, Kelly Majam was hit by a pitch and Iwata followed with her team-leading ninth home run of the season. Weber State then relieved starter Kelsie Vallies with Sarah Clark. Clark then gave up an infield single to Alex Aguirre. Aguirre moved to second on a wild pitch then Sharla Kliebenstein walked. Jenna Rodriguez then hit a shot through the leftside of the infield to drive in Aguirre from second. Melissa Gonzalez then got her second hit of the game with a single up the middle that scored Kliebenstein for UH's fourth run of the inning.

 

In the sixth, Dara Pagaduan drilled her first home run of the season to straight-away centerfield to give UH a 5-1 lead. It marked the junior second baseman's fifth career home run.

 

The Wildcats' Vallies took the loss after giving up two runs in 2.1 innings pitched with two hits, a walk and three strike outs. Clark gave up three runs in 3.0 innings on six hits with a walk and a strike out, while Britnie Hardine closed the final two outs of the game with one strike out.

 

Hawai`i will next face Tokyo Women's College of Physical Education on Thursday, March 10 at 6:00 pm before starting the Pepsi Malihini Kipa Aloha Tournament, March 11-13 with South Dakota State, Longwood, and Miami (Ohio).

BANK OF HAWAII INVITATIONAL ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM