FULLERTON, Calif. — Despite an early power surge and a gritty performance from starting pitcher
Hannah Pitts, the No. 2-seeded University of Hawai'i softball team (30-19) fell to top-seeded Cal State Fullerton 6-4 on a two-run walk-off home run in a winner's bracket game in the Big West Championship on Friday afternoon at Anderson Family Field.
Hawai'i now moves into the elimination bracket, where the Rainbow Wahine will look to keep their season alive in the double-elimination tournament. Hawai'i will face the winner of an elimination game between No. 3-seed UC Santa Barbara and No. 5-seed Long Beach State today at 4:00 p.m. Hawai'i Time.
The Rainbow Wahine battled back from a two-run deficit against Cal State Fullerton to knot the score at 2-2 in the second inning. With runners at second and third,
Rhea Furtado hit grounder that resulted in a throwing error to first. Pinch-runner
Larissa Goshi scored on the play, but
Keely Kai was thrown out at the plate for the second out in the frame.
Carys Murakami then drove in Furtdo for the tying run with a clutch single up the middle.
The momentum stayed with Hawai'i in the third when Millie Fidge crushed a two-run home run to left field, scoring
Jamie McGaughey to give UH a 4-2 lead.
Cal State Fullerton's Colby McClinton proved to be the difference-maker, hitting a game-tying home run in the fifth and a walk-off two-run shot in the bottom of the seventh.
Pitts battled through a complete-game effort, keeping Hawai'i within striking distance until the final swing. Pitts was fearless in the circle, throwing 102 pitches over 6.2 innings and striking out five.
Titans' starter Eva Hurtado threw the first two innings, allowing four runs on three hits with three walks and a strikeout. Reliever Trisha McCleskey earned the win, shutting out UH in the final five innings giving up just two hits with three walks and a pair of strikeouts.
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