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VIDEO (Courtesy of Ka Leo)

HONOLULU—The No. 21/24 University of Hawai`i softball team was swept by Tokyo Women's College of Physical Education in an exhibition doubleheader to start the Pepsi Malihini Kipa Aloha Tournament on Thursday night.
  
TWCPE 5, Hawai`i 4
Box Score (pdf)

Tokyo loaded the bases on a hit, a walk and a fielder's choice with two outs in the top of the third for Misuzu Nakandakari who pulled a bases-clearing triple down the rightfield line to score three runs.
 
The 'Bows tried to rally back in the bottom of the frame. Alyssa Villalpando and Kiani Wong led off with back-to-back singles, but the rally stalled as Tokyo retired the next three batters in order.
 
Hawai`i took the lead in the bottom of the fifth, 4-3. Villalpando led off with a double to leftfield. Then after a fly-out to right, pinch hitter Kelly Majam then hit a single to left that advanced Villalpando to third. On the play, Majam hustled into second as the throw went to third. With runners at second and third, Dori Ann Sugai drew a walk to load the bases. Pinch hitter Leisha Li`ili`i then launched an opposite-field grand slam that sailed over the high-netting and into the tennis courts. 
 
Tokyo, however, answered right back in the top of the sixth, tying the score at 4-4. Natsuki Yamada reached on a fielding error and scored on an RBI double by Akane Aoki with two outs.
 
Tokyo then took the lead in the top of the seventh on a Erina Yamamoto solo home run just over the leftfield fence.

Freshman pitcher Loie Kesterson tossed a complete game in the loss. She gave up five runs on seven hits with three strike outs and two walks.

Kasumi Hirahara earned the complete game win, giving up four runs on 10 hits with seven strike outs and two walks.
 
TWCPE 7,  Hawai`i 2
Box Score (pdf)

The second game between UH and TWCPE was scoreless through the first four innings. But in the bottom of the fifth, the 'Bows broke through posting a run to take a 1-0 lead. Villalpando led off with a single to center. Austin Wilkerson then pinch ran for her at first. Pinch hitter Jazmine Zamora drew a walk to put runners at first and second for pinch hitter Majam, who ripped a double to the right-centerfield gap, scoring Wilkerson from second. Tokyo, however, settled down to retire the next three batters on a pair of groundouts and a fly out to left.
 
TWCPE answered right back in the next half-inning when their lead off hitter, Yuna Takahashi walked and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Takahashi advanced to third on a ground out to second and then scored on an Aoki single to left. Yamamoto then struck again, hitting her second homer of the day  to give TWCPE a 3-1 lead.
 
In the top of the seventh, Tokyo extended their lead to 7-1 on a three-run home run by Takahashi and an RBI groundout to second by Mayumi Iizuka that scored Shizuka Yamada from third.
 
Carlos took the exhibition game loss, giving up seven runs on six hits with six strike outs and three walks.
 
Sachika Nishidate earned the win, throwing 5.1 innings, giving up just one run on six hits with two strike outs and a walk. She left the game after she was hit by a line shot off her leg in the sixth inning. Haruka Suenaga closed the game, throwing the final 1.2 innings in relief.
 
In the two losses, UH was led at the plate by Villalpando—UH's freshman third baseman—went 5-for-6 at the plate with a double and a run scored and a 1.000 slugging percentage. Majam went 3-for-4 with a double and a home run with two runs scored and two RBI and Li`ili`i was 2-for 3 with the grand slam.
 
Hawai`i continues play in the tournament on Friday, when they face Portland State at 8:00 pm.