RENO, Nev—The 23/25th ranked University of Hawai'i softball team (39-11, 17-0 WAC) swept Nevada with a pair of five-inning, mercy-rule games in Saturday's doubleheader at Hixson Park. The 'Bows won the first game, 20-0 and then took the second game 11-2. Sophomore pitcher Stephanie Ricketts fired her first career perfect game, while the 'Bows offense hit eight home runs on the day.

Hawai'i 20, Nevada 0 (Five Innings)
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Ricketts (20-6, 11-0 WAC) was efficient on the mound, getting six fly outs, seven ground outs, and two strike outs. She threw just 53 pitches in the game and faced the minimum 15 batters. Last season, Ricketts had two no-hitters—one at Louisiana Tech (3/21/09) and one against Boise State (5/1/09). Ricketts became just the third pitcher in UH history to win at least 20 games twice. Kelly Gentle actually holds the record with three 20-win years (24 in 1997, 22 in 1998, and 20 in 1999), while Brooke Wilkins won 29 games in both 1994 and 1995. Last season, Ricketts went 22-11 overall.

 

The 'Bows jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the second inning. Amanda Tauali'i led the inning off with a solo homer over the right-centerfield fence. Later with two outs, Kelly Majam drew a walk and was driven home on Jessica Iwata's 15th home run of the season. Iwata's blast was left-centerfield.

 

In the third, UH erupted for 13 runs, giving them a 16-0 lead after two-and-a-half innings of play. Alex Aguirre led the inning off with a single through the leftside of the infield. Kanani Pu'u-Warren hit a ball to left, but a fielding error left both runners safe at first and second. Tauali'i was then walked to load the bases for Katie Grimes, who came through with a single to left-centerfield, driving in Aguirre from third. Traci Yoshikawa then laced a double down the leftfield line to drive in pinch-runners Mikalemi Tagab-Cruz and Brynne Buchanan. Majam followed with a double of her own to leftfield that drove in Grimes from third, and leaving UH runners at second and third. Yoshikawa then scored on a fielding error on the second baseman on a grounder hit by Iwata. Melissa Gonzalez then got UH's third double of the inning to leftfield, driving in Majam from third. Nevada senior pitcher, Katie Holverson, then entered the game for Mallary Darby. Jenna Rodriguez then launched her 12th homer of the season to leftfield, scoring Iwata and Gonzalez. Aguirre kept the inning going with a walk and was followed by Pu'u-Warren, who drilled her sixth home run of the season over the leftfield fence. Tauali'i drew another walk and Grimes reached on a throwing error on the pitcher. Both runners advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch, and Yoshikawa got her third RBI of the game on a single up the middle. Nevada got the first out of the inning on a strike out, but Iwata followed with an infield single to short that scored pinch-runner Tara Anguiano from third. The inning ended on a double play, but left UH with a 16-0 lead going into the bottom of the third.

 

In the fourth, UH kept the pressure on by loading the bases with no outs. Rodriguez started things with a single up the middle, Aguirre walked, and Pu'u-Warren reached on a swinging strike three wild pitch. Tauali'i was called out on batter's interference for the first out, then Grimes hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Aguirre from third to push UH's lead to 17-0.

 

Majam led off the fifth inning with a single up the middle and Iwata reached on a fielding error on the shortstop, allowing both runners to scoot into scoring position. Gonzalez then homered to leftfield. It was Gonzalez's 18th home run of the season, which moves her past former UH All-American Stacey Porter for fourth place in the UH single-season record book. It also gave UH a 20-0 lead going into the bottom of the fifth.

Nevada's starter, Darby (10-9), took the loss throwing two-plus innings. She gave up 11 runs on 10 hits with three walks and three strike outs. Holverson threw the final three-plus innings, giving up nine runs on eight hits with four walks and two strike outs.

Hawai'i 11, Nevada 2 (Five Innings)
Box Score