Box Score
UH's
Heather Morales (5-2) started the game and later re-entered to earn the win, holding the Spartans off the scoreboard for the final 3-2/3 innings. She threw a total of 6.0 innings, allowing three runs on two hits with nine walks and a strike out.
Loie Kesterson lasted an inning, but gave up six runs on four hits with two walks and a strike out.
San Jose State's Berlyn Rippentrop (0-1) came in relief and suffered the loss, giving up three runs on six hits with a walk and two strike outs in three innings of work.
For Hawai`i, Willmon led the home-half of the first inning off with a solo home run over the leftfield fence. It was her fifth home run of the year, and second time that she's jump-started the 'Bows with a solo homer as the leadoff batter in the first inning.
In the second inning, UH batted around the order and scored eight runs with hit three more home runs. Villalpando and
Kristina Akiona started the rallly getting a single and a double ripped down the leftfield line respectively.
Jazmine Zamora then drove in Villalpando on an RBI single up the middle. After a groundout to third, Nakao hit a three-run bomb over the centerfield fence. It was Nakao's second career home run. SJSU then got their second out on a fly ball to center, but a walk to
Kayla Wartner brought
Keiki Carlos to the plate and she drilled a two-run homer just inside the leftfield foul pole. Li`ili`i kept things going with an opposite-field single to left and Villalpando continued her hot hitting with a two-run shot to center. It was her fourth home run in the last seven games.
SJSU however battled back to score three and six runs in the third and fourth inning respectively. Their offensive output was highlighted by a pair of home runs by Jessica Garcia who accounted for seven of SJSU's nine runs in the game. She hit a three-run homer in the third and a grand slam to tie the game in the fourth, 9-9.
Hawai`i fought back in the fifth, getting two runs off a Li`ili`i home run to right-centerfield that gave UH an 11-9 lead. It was Li`ili`i's team-leading sixth home run of the season and her 29th of her career.
San Jose State made things interesting late, but a line-out double play to
Sarina Jaramillo at shortstop to Li`ili`i at first ended the fifth inning. Then in the sixth, the Spartans had runners at first and second with one out on two walks. UH got the second out on an infield fly to short. But on the next play a fielding error on the shortstop allowed SJSU to load the bases, but Morales got the final out of the frame on a fly ball to left. Morales then helped the 'Bows hold SJSU three-up, three-down in the final inning.
The Bank of Hawaii Invitational continues on Friday, Feb. 21.
2:00 pm - North Carolina vs. San Jose State
4:00 pm - North Carolina vs. St. Mary's
6:00 pm - Hawai`i vs. St. Mary's
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