Box Score

HONOLULU—The University of Hawai'i softball team (19-9) opened the 2010 Chevron Spring Fling Tournament with a 3-0 win over Lipscomb (20-3). Sophomore pitcher, Stephanie Ricketts (9-5) fired a four-hit, complete game shut-out and got timely offensive support from her teammates tonight at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

 

Ricketts stymied a strong Lipscomb line-up, spacing four hits over seven innings pitched. She did not walk any batters and fanned eight in her 12th complete game and second shut-out of the season.

 

Hawai'i got on the scoreboard first. Alex Aguirre launched an opposite-field home run to give UH an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning.

 

Later, the 'Bows added two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth. UH's Kelly Majam ripped a double to the right-centerfield gap to start the rally. Jessica Iwata then hit a grounder back to the pitcher, Christen Campbell, who caught Majam between first and second. But on the play, Campbell ran straight at Majam forcing her to break for third. Campbell tried to toss it to the third baseman, but her throw was wild and bounced to the fence allowing Majam to hustle home. Later, Jenna Rodriguez hit an RBI double to right-centerfield that drove in pinch-runner Mikalemi Tagab-Cruz, who was running for Melissa Gonzalez who got a single up the middle.

 

Lipscomb's Campbell suffered her first loss of the season (4-1), throwing 4.1 innings. She gave up three runs on five hits with a walk and four strike outs.  Reliever Alaina Jacobson came in with two outs in the sixth, and retired both batters faced with a strike out and a fly to left.

 

In the first game of the day, Lipscomb pitcher Whitney Kiihnl (14-0) tossed a one-hit shut out over No. 13 California. The Lady Bison scored one run in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI single by Mollie Mitchell to win the game.

 

The Rainbow Wahine continue the tournament tomorrow, playing a doubleheader against Lipscomb and No. 13 California at 5:00 and 7:00 respectively. The first game of the day features Cal against Lipscomb at 3:00 p.m.