HONOLULU—The University of Hawai'i softball team (13-6, 0-0 Big West) won its sixth-straight win and recorded their fifth mercy-rule game, defeating Niagara, 8-0 in five innings on Day 4 of the Hawai'i Spring Fling Tournament. Freshman pitcher Millie Fidge not only fired a two-hit, complete game shutout, but in her first collegiate at-bats went 2-for-2 including the walkoff solo home run that ended Sunday's game at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
Fidge threw five shutout innings in the win, issuing three walks with five strikeouts. On offense she got a pair of hits with a walk in her first foray hitting for herself. Fidge and the UH defense did not allow a Purple Eagle runner past second base in the game. Last season,
Chloe Borges as a freshman hit a home run against CSU Bakersfield in Las Vegas (2/13/22) as a relief pitcher. But the last time a UH pitcher earned a complete game win and hit a home run was Stephanie Ricketts against Utah State when UH defeated the Aggies, 5-2 (3/25/12).
In the first inning, UH loaded the bases on three walks. With two outs,
Mya'Liah Bethea hit a liner that ricocheted off the pitcher for a single to drive Xiao Gin. Pinch hitter
Maycen Gibbs then hit a slow roller to the pitcher that went for a fielding error that allowed
Maya Nakamura to cross the plate. In her first collegiate appearance at the plate, Millie Fidge drew a walk to force
Izabella Martinez home. After a Purple Eagle pitching change,
Cira Bartolotti hit a clutch two-RBI single through the right-side driving in both Bethea and Gibbs for the early 5-0 lead.
Ka'ena Keliinoi and Nakamura led the second inning off with back-to-back singles. Later with both runners in scoring position, Martinez hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Keliinoi who extended UH's lead to 6-0 after two complete innings.
In the fourth, Gin drew a leadoff walk and later scored on an RBI-single by
Haley Johnson to lengthen UH's lead to 7-0.
With one out in the fifth, Fidge launched her first home run of her career to leftfield to end the game via the mercy-rule, 8-0.
Niagara starter Maddie Hickingbottom was able to get two outs in the first before being lifted for Cara Leone. Hickingbottom gave up five runs on one with with four walks. Leone tossed the next 2-1/3 innings, giving up one run on four hits and Julia Thompson gave up two runs on two hits with a walk and a strikeout.
The Rainbow Wahine will conclude the Hawai'i Spring Fling Tournament on Monday, March 6 as they 'Bows take on Utah (14-4) at 4:00 p.m. HT. The Utes have won their last two games by the run-rule over Niagara and Pacific. Utah will play Niagara right before UH on Monday.
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