Box Score

LAS CRUCES, N.M.—The No. 21/23 University of Hawai`i (43-13, 19-1 WAC) fell in the opening Western Athletic Conference championship game to Fresno State (39-18, 16-6 WAC), 4-3. With the win, Fresno State forces a winner-take-all championship game in the double-elimination tournament in Las Cruces, N.M.

 

Sophomore Stephanie Ricketts took the loss, giving up four runs on six hits in five innings pitched. She walked two and struck out two. Freshman southpaw, Kaia Parnaby, closed the game, tossing the final two-plus innings. She did not allow a hit, struck out three, and retired all six batters faced.

 

The Bulldogs jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead to start the game. Haley Gilleland and Andrea Ortega started the inning with back-to-back singles and both moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Michelle Moses then hit a single that ricocheted off Ricketts on the mound for an infield single to load the bases. Gilleland then scored on a wild pitch which pushed Ortega and Moses up a base. Courtney Moore then hit a ground out to the shortstop, allowing Ortega to score. Then Caitlin Stiglich hit a ground ball to the rightside for the second out of the inning to drive in Moses for Fresno State's third run.

 

The 'Bows loaded the bases in the bottom of the second, but Moses was able to get out of the jam, stranding three runners on two pop-ups and a fly to right.

 

In the third, UH started the inning well, getting back-to-back singles by Melissa Gonzalez and Jenna Rodriguez. After a foul fly out, Kanani Pu`u-Warren smacked a single back up the middle to score Gonzalez from second to cut their deficit to 3-1.

 

Fresno State got the run back in the top of the fourth. Moore led the inning off with a walk and Stiglich then hit a single up the middle to put runners at first and second. A ground out to second by Nicole Angene moved both runners into scoring position. Alexis Lujan then hit a sacrifice fly to right-centerfield to score pinch-runner Kaylan Pollard from third to go up, 4-1 after three-and-a-half inning.

 

Hawai`i scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth, to cut Fresno's lead to 4-3. Rodriguez led the inning off with a double to the gap in left-centerfield. Pinch-runner, Mikalemi Tagab-Cruz the scored on Alex Aguirre's single to leftfield and a fielding error on the leftfielder. Aguirre moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a ground-ball to second by Pu`u-Warren. It was her second RBI of the game. The 'Bows proceeded to load the bases, on relief pitcher Mackenzie Oakes, but then left all of the runners stranded on a ground out back to the pitcher.

 

Ricketts gave up two singles to start the sixth, but Parnaby entered and struck out the first two batters she faced and then got a ground out to second to end the inning. In the seventh, she retired all three batters faced.

 

Hawai`i had another chance to score in the bottom of the seventh. After a ground out to short, Katie Grimes hit an opposite field single to right. Pinch-runner Dara Pagaduan was erased on a fielder's choice at second hit by Traci Yoshikawa. Kelly Majam then drilled a double to the gap in right-centerfield to push Yoshikawa to third. But Fresno got the last out on ground out to second.

 

Fresno State snapped UH's streak of 21 straight games with a home run.

 

The two teams will now play a winner-take-all game for the league's automatic bid for the NCAA