Box Score
HONOLULU—The University of Hawai`i softball team (17-9) bounced back to defeat Troy, 7-3 tonight on the second day of the Pepsi Malihini Kipa Aloha Tournament. Sophomore pitcher
Stephanie Ricketts (7-5) picked up the complete game win and got offensive help from
Kelly Majam and
Melissa Gonzalez who both hit home runs.
The 'Bows advance to the tournament's championship game tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m. against DePaul. Troy will face Loyola Marymount at 12:00 p.m. in the third place game.
Ricketts fired seven innings, giving up three runs on seven hits with a walk and four strike outs in her 10th complete game of the season.
It was Troy who struck first though, getting a solo home run to leftfield by Sarah Harris in the top of the second inning.
The 'Bows responded an inning later, with an opposite field, solo homer by Majam that knotted the game at 1-1. For Majam, it was her team-leading ninth home run of the season.
Hawai`i added three more runs in the fourth to push their lead to 4-1. Gonzalez led the inning off with her sixth home run of the season over the centerfield fence.
Amanda Tauali'i followed with a single to the right-centerfield gap. Pinch runner,
Brynne Buchanan then entered the game and went to third on a double by
Jenna Rodriguez. A wild pitch and a passed ball allowed both Buchanan and Rodriguez to score later in the inning.
The 'Bows brought nine batters to the plate in the sixth to score three more important runs. Rodriguez started the rally with a one-out single to center. A wild pitch moved her to second and a slow grounder to short pushed Rodriguez to third. With two outs,
Alex Aguirre drew a walk and stole second to put both runners into scoring position.
Kanani Pu'u-Warren then got a single to the pitcher that brought in Rodriguez. Pu`u-Warren then stole second and a walk to
Katie Grimes loaded the bases. Majam then drew a walk and got an RBI as Aguirre scored.
Jessica Iwata then drove in pinch-runner
Rachel Paragas to increase UH's lead to 7-1.
But the Trojans would not go down easy. In the top of the seventh, Belinda White started things off with a one-out walk. Hayden Gann then hit a single to right to put runners at first and second. Sarah Shields then hit a ground ball behind the runners to second, pushing both players into scoring position. Kala Moore then smacked a two-out, two-run single up the middle. Ricketts then got Kaitlin Kenney to ground out to second to end the rally and the game.
Troy's Ashlyn Williams (11-8) took the loss, giving up seven runs on eight hits with three walks and eight strike outs in a complete game effort.
