Wahine Softball Post-Season Blog Archive
- Alabama Super Regional
- Stanford Regional
- WAC Tournament
Saturday, May 15, 2010
What a day for Hawai`i softball!!! After dropping a close, 4-3 game to Fresno State to start the day, the ‘Bows bounced back with a vengeance to take the “winner-take-all” WAC tournament championship game, 14-3 in five innings. It was definitely a statement game that said that there is no doubt who the best team in the conference was this season.
For a few, the day started by taking the last of their finals. Now, everyone is finished taking final exams (YEA!) and a big thank you goes out to academic advisor, Denise Abara, who had to arrange, proctor, and send back all 30 finals that had to be administered this week. With finals over, the team can now just focus on softball. Congratulations to senior catcher, Katie Grimes, who officially graduated today (in four years) but was not home to participate in UH's commencement exercises. Instead, she helped UH win the school’s first WAC tournament.
The first game didn’t quite go as well as hoped, but it was close and UH fought hard until the end. Fresno State snapped UH’s 21-game streak of hitting at least one home run.
But Hawai`i more than made up for it in the second game. Putting up six runs in the top of the first and a total of 14 in the five-inning game. Freshman phenom, Kelly Majam led the game off with a home run for the fifth time of the year…and later in the first inning, Amanda Tauali`i set a new career high with her 16th home run and third career grand slam. In all, UH hit five home runs en route to the rout. It was the 20th time this year that UH won by the mercy-rule, and third time the ‘Bows won by at least eight in the WAC tourney.
It was tough for the media and press box people to choose an all-tourney team this year…with eight-of-nine UH starters hitting over .350 on the week. Congratulations go out to the 2010 all-tournament team: Melissa Gonzalez, Katie Grimes, Jessica Iwata, and MVP Kelly Majam! But there were others on the team who were also very worthy of accolades as well—like Jenna Rodriguez and Alex Aguirre who both hit .500 with solid numbers across the board.
It was also great to see so many green, silver, black and white clad fans cheering in the stands in support of the Rainbow Wahine! Mahalo to all the family and friends who made the trek to Las Cruces for the tournament!
The team will not return to Hawai`i, instead will stay on the mainland in Las Cruces for now. On Sunday, the team will run and lift in the morning and later in the evening will watch the NCAA selection show that will air on Sunday night at 8:00 p.m. MST (4:00 p.m. HST) on ESPNU. After we find out where we’re going, travel arrangements will have to be made and schedules arranged in a short period of time.
But for now, the team is savoring the win and looking forward to what awaits them in the post-season…GO BOWS!
Friday, May 14, 2010
Today was a monumental day in UH softball history. Not only did the 'Bows swamp Fresno State, 16-1 in five innings in the WAC tourney's first semifinal game, but UH made NCAA history by breaking the single-season home run record with their 135th and 136th home run of the season. The former record of 134 was set by Arizona last year. Freshman shortstop, Jessica Iwata hit the record-breaker in the third inning. It was a high-fly that floated right over the leftfield fence inside the foul pole for three runs. Later in the 14-run, third inning, fellow freshman, Kelly Majam hit her first career grand slam. The opposite-field bomb was her 27th of the year, which ties her once again for the lead in the NCAA with BYU's Angeline Quiocho. Majam drove in a career high five RBI today.
But today's game was not a home run fest, but it did have a jaw-dropping, 14-run third inning in which UH batted around twice, bringing up 20 batters. Fresno State was unable to get an out until the 11th batter of the inning. Every batter in the line-up had at least one hit and one run on the day. It was the 19th time this season that UH has won by the mercy rule this season.
Sophomore pitcher, Stephanie Ricketts picked up her 15th straight win with a complete game effort and was two outs short from picking up her sixth shut-outs of the year.
If you're wondering, UH was the visiting team due to a coin flip that determined home/visitor status for today's game. Because both teams were home for their first game, and both teams won, a coin flip was used. And…if you were listening or watching the game back home, the reason Amanda Tauali`I started the at bat with three balls as the count, was because Bulldogs’ starter Morgan Melloh re-entered the game in the same inning she left and she threw warm-up pitches—which is illegal. So Tauali`i was given three balls for the three warm-up pitches Melloh threw.
So UH now advances to the WAC Tournament’s championship game tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. against the winner of Boise State vs. Fresno State. It is the first time since 2006 that UH has made it to the championship round.
Thursday, May 13
The team woke up this morning, and was fully dressed in uniform for an 8:30 breakfast by the pool in the back of the Hotel Encanto. A little later, we packed up the vans for the short ride to the New Mexico State campus for UH's opening game of the tournament against a scrappy San Jose State squad. UH fell behind early, 0-3 after the top of the first, but bounced right back in the bottom of the frame to tie it on a three-run homer hit by Melissa Gonzalez. Gonzalez went 4-for-5 at the plate with two homers and two doubles and a career-high six RBI. It was the fifth time this season that she has hit two homers in one game. Her second home run was a BOMB that went over the trees in centerfield. The game see-sawed back and forth until the fifth, when UH turned on the jets and pulled away from the Spartans, scoring nine runs in final two frames of the six inning, mercy-rule game.
AND...the NCAA DI single-season home run was tied today with UH launching six home runs in today's game. Along with Gonzalez's two, Kanani Pu`u-Warren, Katie Grimes, Alex Aguirre, and Kelly Majam all hit one a piece. Majam's opposite-field homer in the bottom of the sixth was the record-tying, 134th home run for the Rainbow Wahine this season. It was the third time this year that UH has hit four home runs in a game.
Tomorrow, the 'Bows will take on the No. 2 seed Fresno State who won their opening game over Boise State today. The UH vs. Fresno State game will be at 2:00 p.m. (10:00 a.m. HST) and will be broadcast live on KFVE in Hawai`i (no re-broadcast) and on radio with ESPN 1420 AM with Kyle Doperalski calling the action from Las Cruces.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
The Rainbow Wahine softball team had a good day today at the 2010 WAC softball banquet! After a pleasant lunch at the Danny Villanueva Victory Club (which was overlooking the NMSU football stadium), Hawai`i players earned several honors. First the WAC Hitters and Pitchers of the Week were recognized. UH's Kelly Majam (2), Katie Grimes, Jessica Iwata, Kaia Parnaby, and Stephanie Ricketts (3) all received certificates for their recognition. The 'Bows swept the WAC's major awards with head coach Bob Coolen named Coach of the Year; centerfielder Kelly Majam was selected Freshman of the Year; sophomore Stephanie Ricketts earned Pitcher of the Year honors; and freshman shortstop Jessica Iwata was voted Player of the Year. UH also had a conference-high six players voted to the all-WAC teams. Majam, Ricketts and Iwata all earned first team honors along with juniors Melissa Gonzalez (third base) and Jenna Gonzalez (designated player). Senior first baseman, Amanda Tauali`i was the lone UH player on the second team.
After the banquet, the team returned to the hotel for awhile before heading back to the NMSU softball complex for an hour-long practice in the batting cages and on the adjacent practice field. With practice over, the vans were packed up and returned to the hotel where some had finals to take and others who are finished either went back to the field to watch the NMSU vs. Boise State game, to the mall, or to dinner. The team is adjusting to the time and hopefully will get a good night's sleep for their opening game of the tournament tomorrow morning at 11:30 a.m against San Jose State, who defeated Louisiana Tech today, 6-5.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
After arriving in Las Cruces early in the morning and grabbing some food at 2:00 am on Tuesday morning, the team had a late wake up. With finals still to be taken, many of the players are studying hard. The team met in the lobby at 2:15 p.m. and soon after left for the field. The 'Bows warmed up on the adjacent football practice field and practiced for an hour at the NMSU Softball Complex, then finished practice with some sprints on the practice field. On the way back to the hotel, some stopped for some groceries and food and then hit the books again as most are taking at least one test tonight.
The team will go to the WAC Softball Banquet Wednesday morning at 11:30 a.m. and later in the day have a practice.
Monday, May 10, 2010
After three flights and 17 hours of travel time, the Hawai`i softball team finally arrived at the Hotel Encanto in Las Cruces after 1:00 a.m. The team’s travel route took them from Honolulu to San Francisco to Los Angeles to El Paso, Texas…and then an hour drive into Las Cruces. The Rainbow Wahine spent much of their time studying on the flights and on layovers as this is also finals week for the University of Hawai`i. On Tuesday, UH will get back into the groove with an afternoon practice at the New Mexico State Softball Complex.
