HONOLULU—The University of Hawai`i softball team (33-16, 11-7 WAC) completed the sweep of New Mexico State (36-15, 14-4 WAC) taking both ends of today's doubleheader, 5-4 and 5-4 in front of an over-capacity crowd at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium on Senior Night. Relief pitcher
Jenna Rodriguez earned both wins, while
Alexandra Aguirre and
Jessica Iwata provided late-inning heroics to lift UH to the wins.
Game 2: Hawai`i 5, New Mexico State 4
The Aggies got off to a hot start, with lead-off hitter Kylie Randall starting the game with a solo home run over the right-field fence. But UH starting pitcher
Kaia Parnaby then settled down to strrike out the side to end the inning.
The 'Bows got the run back in the bottom half of the inning.
Kelly Majam led off with a single up the middle, but after a fly-out to center,
Jessica Iwata hit a grounder to short who flipped to second to erase the lead runner, Majam.
Jenna Rodriguez then drilled an opposite-field double to the right-centerfield gap to score Iwata from first.
New Mexico State answered in the top of the second, posting two runs on Valerie Swedberg's opposite-field home run over the rightfield fence that gave NMSU a 3-1 lead.
The game see-sawed again In the third, as UH tied the game at 3-3 with a two out rally.
Jasey Jensen got on with a single up the middle and Iwata followed with a towering shot that sailed over the double fence and into the tennis court beyond centerfield. The homer tied Iwata for the team lead with
Sharla Kliebenstein at 12. It was Iwata's 30th home run of her career, tying her for sixth all-time in the UH record books.
NMSU then went back ahead, 4-3 in the top of the sixth on Ashley Maroda's solo home run to centerfield. That hit chased Parnaby from the game, and Rodriguez then entered in relief and was able to retire the next three batters with fly outs.
The Rainbow Wahine responded in the bottom of the inning.
Melissa Gonzalez led off with an opposite-field single to right-centerfield and Aguirre followed by launching her fifth home run of the season over the netting and into the tennis courts past left-centerfield. It was Aguirre's second game-winning hit of the series after driving in the winning run in the series' first game last night. It also marked the junior's 18th home run of her career.
Parnaby tossed 5.0 innings, giving up four runs on seven hits with three walks and six strike outs. Rodriguez (2-0, 1-0 WAC) came into the game and shut down the Aggies, allowing no hits or runs in two innings of work. She had a walk and struck out the Aggies clean-up hitter with a runner on base to end the game.
NMSU's Celisha Walker got the start, throwing the first 3.0 innings. She allowed three runs on six hits with three strike outs. Kelsey Schueler closed the game and took the loss for the Aggies dropping her record to 3-3. She threw the final three innings, giving up two runs on four hits with two strike outs.
Game 3: Hawai`i 5, New Mexico State 4
The Aggies once again got on the scoreboard first in the top of the third. Kandis Jones led off with a single and Tiare Jennings reached on a walk. Jones then scored on an RBI double by Hoku Nohara to the right-centerfield gap to give NMSU an early 1-0 lead.
UH battled back in the third to take a 2-1 lead. Aguirre led off the inning with a single up the middle and moved to second on a ground out to the pitcher.
Dara Pagaduan then hit a grounder to the pitcher, but the first baseman muffed the throw to leave runners at the first and second. After a fly out to right,
Jasey Jensen drove a single through the leftside of the infield to load the bases for Iwata. Iwata then came through with a clutch, line-shot single right up the middle to score both Aguirre and Pagaduan.
Hawai`i struck again in the fourth inning, scoring two more runs to give UH a 4-1 lead. Rodriguez led the inning off by ripping a double down the leftfield line. After a ground out and a foul-fly out to third, Aguirre drew a walk and stole second to put both runners into scoring position.
Makani Duhaylonsod-Kaleimamahu then came through with a single to center to score both pinch runner
Brynne Buchanan from third and the speedy Aguirre from second.
In the fifth inning, Randall led the inning off with a walk, but after two ground outs, Nohara, the nation's leader in home runs and walks, came up and drilled a line shot to straight away center. Centerfielder
Kelly Majam on a sprint made a leaping catch while crashing into the fence to end the inning.
NMSU though would once again battle back, posting three runs in the top of the six to knot the score at 4-4 on Tehani Ka`aihue's three-run blast to leftfield. It was Ka`aihue's fourth home run in seven games from the ninth spot in the order.
But, Hawai`i, as they did all series, rallied late to win the game. Duhaylonsod-Kaleimamahu led the the seventh inning off with a single through the leftside of the infield. After two fly outs, Jensen earned a walk to put runners at first and second for Iwata. Iwata then laced the walk-off single to leftfield to drive in pinch runner,
Jazmine Zamora, who raced home from second and slid just ahead of the tag from the catcher to win the game, 5-4.
Hawai`i scored all five of its runs with two outs in the inning and was efficient on offense, leaving just three runners on base. Iwata led UH by hittin .636 in the series, going 7-for-11 at the plate with a double, a home run, three runs scored and six RBI. Aguirre was also clutch, hitting .500 (4-for-8) with three runs scored, a home run, and three RBI.
Hawai`i starter
Stephanie Ricketts threw the first 5.2 innings in the game, allowing four runs on nine hits with three walks and three strike outs. Rodriguez earned her second win of the night to raise her record to 3-0 on the season. She threw the final 1.1 innings and allowed just one hit with a walk and a strike out. Rodriguez threw just 3.1 intense innings
NMSU's Alex Newman started and closed the game, throwing a total of 3.0 innings. She gave up three runs on four hits with a walk. Alex Villalobos lasted just 2/3 of an inning, giving up a run on one hit with a walk. Schueler threw 3.0 innings, giving up a run on two hits with two walks.
It was the first time NMSU has lost a series in the WAC this year and just the second time this season that they lost three games to one opponent. The other was No. 14 Nebraska earlier this season. The three losses also dropped NMSU into second place, one game behind Boise State after the Broncos swept Fresno State this weekend.
It was “Senior Night” for three Rainbow Wahine who made their final home appearance at the RWSS.
Jasey Jensen,
Jenna Rodriguez, and
Melissa Gonzalez were all honored after the game along with NMSU's senior class of seven.
The 'Bows head on the road for their final WAC series of the year at San Jose State. They will play a single game on Friday, May 6 at 3:00 pm and then a doubleheader starting at 12:00 pm on Saturday, May 7.
-UH-
