Box Score

HONOLULU—The University of Hawai`i softball team (23-11, WAC 1-0) opened the Western Athletic Conference season with their longest game of the season—a 3-2 win over San Jose State in 10 innings. Sophomore pitcher Stephanie Ricketts (10-6, WAC 1-0) earned the win with a complete game effort tonight at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

 

Ricketts threw all 10 innings, giving up two runs on five hits and escaped unscathed through a few late inning jams. She had seven walks and six strike outs to earn her 10th win of the season in her 21st appearance of the season. It was her 13th complete game of the season.

 

San Jose State's ace, Amanda Pridmore, suffered her first loss of the season, dropping her record to 11-1. She threw 9.1 innings, giving up three runs on eight hits with a walk and six strike outs.

 

The Spartans posted an unearned run in the top of the third. Morgan Otto got a one out walk and was followed by Sarah Taylor who hit a grounder to short. The shortstop's flip pulled the second baseman off the bag, allowing both runners to be safe with one out. The Spartans then loaded the bases when Alyssa Sulay reached on a fielding error on a hit a hard grounder to short. Kelli Fangonillo then hit behind the runners with a grounder to second that pushed Otto across the plate for the game's first run.

 

The 'Bows jumped ahead of SJSU in the bottom of the sixth, to take a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth. Kanani Pu'u-Warren led the inning off by getting beaned and Katie Grimes followed with a single through the rightside of the infield. Putting runners at first and second. After a strike out, Jessica Iwata came through with a clutch double lined to the left-centerfield gap that scored pinch runners, Mikalemi Tagab-Cruz and Tasha Pagdilao from second and first respectively.

 

But the Spartans fought back in the top of the seventh. BranDee Lopez drew a walk to start the inning and moved to second on a grounder to second base. Taylor then smacked an opposite field single down the leftfield line that scored pinch-runner, Markesha Collins easily from second to knot the game at 2-2 and force extra innings.

 

In the top of the ninth, SJSU got a walk and a beaned batter to put runners at first and second. Taylor then hit a shot past the third baseman for a single. The runner sprinted around third and headed for home, but UH leftfielder, Alex Aguirre came up with the ball and gunned out the runner at the plate for the inning's first out. Ricketts then got a strike out for the second out, but walked lead-off hitter, Taylor, to load the bases. With the bases loaded and two outs, Ricketts bore down and struck out Sulay swinging to thwart the Spartans' rally.

 

Hawai`i also had a scoring opportunity in the bottom of the ninth. Melissa Gonzalez drew a walk to start the inning and Amanda Tauali'i hit a comebacker to the pitcher who threw to second, trying to get the lead runner. But on the play, the middle infielders both watched the throw sail past them, allowing pinch runner, Dara Pagaduan to scamper to third. UH had runners at the corners with no outs, but Pridmore settled down to get an infield pop-up and ground outs to short and third to end the rally.

 

The 'Bows, though, came battling back again in the 10th inning. Pu`u-Warren hit a high chopper off the plate for an infield single to start things off for Hawai`i. Grimes then got a single to right-centerfield that allowed Pu`u-Warren to race to third. Kelly Majam then battled at the plate and hit a ground ball to the rightside of the infield. On the play, the second baseman did not field it cleanly, and her only play was to tag Grimes running, allowing the winning run to score.

 

The 10 inning affair was the longest game of the season for the 'Bows.

Pu`u-Warren and Grimes led UH at the plate tonight, with both going 2-for-3 at the plate with key late inning singles. Grimes also laid down a sacrifice bunt.

The three game series concludes tomorrow with a doubleheader against San Jose State, starting at 4:00 p.m. Both games will be televised on KFVE and the second game will also be on the radio, with ESPN1420 calling the action.