Box Score
HONOLULU—The 20/23rd-ranked University of Hawai`i softball team (40-11, 19-0 WAC) won the Western Athletic Conference regular season title with a 5-0 win over Fresno State (33-15, 12-4 WAC).
Stephanie Ricketts fired a two-hit shut-out and the 'Bows backed her up with three homers in front of a capacity crowd of 1,200 at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium Friday night.
It marks the third WAC regular season crown for Hawai`i. The 'Bows previously won the title in 2003 and 2007. Hawai`i remains undefeated in the WAC with an 18-0 record. It is the eighth time the 'Bows have hit the 40-win mark.
The loss dropped Fresno State to 33-15 overall and 12-4 in conference action.
Ricketts (21-6, 12-0 WAC) fired a complete game shut-out, allowing just two hits on the night. She walked two and struck out three facing just 26 batters and did not allow a runner past second base. It was her fifth shut-out of the season and second in a row after last week's perfect game at Nevada.
The 'Bows got two runs in the bottom of the first inning on a two-run, line-shot that sailed over the leftfield fence by
Jenna Rodriguez. The homer drove in
Jessica Iwata who had walked earlier in the inning.
In the third inning, Hawai`i rallied on two and added two more runs to give UH a 4-0 lead. Iwata got things going with a two-out single to left.
Melissa Gonzalez followed with a high-drive over the left-centerfield fence.
Katie Grimes then launched a solo home run just over the left-centerfield fence to give UH a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth.
In the top of the fifth, Alex Aguirre made a spectacular catch reaching above the fence, robbing a home run from the Bulldogs' Brooke Phipps.
Fresno State's Michelle Moses also tossed a complete game, giving up five runs on five hits with three walks and seven strike outs.
The 'Bows have now hit 126 home as they continue their assault on the NCAA record of 134 set by Arizona last season.
