CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif.—The University of Hawai'i softball team (10-4) fell in a battle of momentum swings that saw three lead changes and three ties to Saint Mary's (CA)), 9-7 on Saturday night at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic at the Big League Dreams complex in Cathedral City, Calif.. Both teams kept fighting until the end with UH scoring a run in the sixth and the seventh, but the 'Bows came up just short in the epic fight.
In the first inning, Saint Mary's jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead off a two-RBI double to left-centerfield by Taylor Lane which drove in Kiah Silva and Alex Cutonil. The Gaels tacked on another run off an RBI single by Mia Zabat that scored Lane.
Hawai'i immediately responded in the bottom of the first, knotting the score on a three-run bomb by
Liliana Thomas. The first two batters of the inning –
Izabella Martinez and
Maycen Gibbs both drew walks before Thomas launched her second home run of the season.
The Rainbow Wahine took a 4-3 lead on an RBI-fielder's choice off the bat of
Maycen Gibbs that scored Kayara Tuiloma from third in the second inning.
The Gaels' Lane hit a triple down the rightfield line with one out in the third. Lane then scored to tie the score at 4-4 on an RBI single by Jenavee Amador. Saint Mary's went on to load the bases with two outs, but a flyout to left ended the Gaels rally.
Saint Mary's took a 5-4 lead on an RBI-ground out by Camille Lara that drove in Silva in the fourth.
UH's
Jamie McGaughey tied the game at 5-5 in the fifth inning on a solo home run to centerfield. It marked McGaughey's second home run of the season and her career.
Momentum then swung back to SMC as they scored four runs in the sixth. The Gaels scored one run on an RBI-double by Camille Lara that scored Julia Medina from second. SMC then loaded the base with a pair of walks abd Amador struck again with a bases clearing double that gave the Gaels a 9-5 lead. The double chased UH starter
Macy Brandl as reliever Millie Fidge entered the game.
Hawai'i kept battling and scored two runs—one in the sixth and one in the seventh. Fidge led off the sixth inning with a single up the middle. Fidge came all the way around to score on a triple hit over the rightfielder by
Maycen Gibbs. In the seventh, UH loaded the bases with one out. Fidge drove pinch runner
Sunni Kahanu across the plate with an RBI-groundout to second, but a strikeout thwarted UH's rally to end the game.
Hawai'i's Brandl fell to 4-2 overall. She threw the first 5.1 innings, allowing nine runs on 11 hits with five walks and two strikeouts. Fidge came in relief of Brandl in the sixth innings. Fidge did not allow a run in the final 1.2 innings. She gave up two hits with two walks and a strikeout.
Gaels' starter Avery Wolverton was unable to get an out to start the game and was responsible for three runs on one hit with two walks. Reliever Chelsea Bennett threw the next 4.1 innings but did not figure in the decision. She gave up two runs on four hits with a walk and a strikeout. Mia Nishikawa earned the win to improve to 2-1. She gave up two runs on three hits with two walks and three strikeouts.
The Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic concludes on Sunday. Hawai'i will play a doubleheader beginning with Loyola Marymount at 9:30 a.m. HT on Yankee Field followed by San Diego State at Wrigley Field.
