LOGAN, Utah—(Hawaii Athletics) The No.
12/14 University of Hawai‘i softball team (43-5, 17-3 WAC) captured the 2012
Western Athletic Conference regular season crown with an emphatic, 18-0 win
over Utah State (17-36, 4-17 WAC) in five innings and then completed the series
sweep with a 10-3 win in today's doubleheader at Johnson Field in Logan,
Utah. Kaia Parnaby fired a two-hit shutout in the first game of the day while
Stephanie Ricketts recorded her 800th career strike out while earning the
complete game win in the regular season's finale.
Game 2: Hawai‘i 18, Utah State 0 (5 innings)
The Rainbow Wahine clinched the regular season WAC title by overpowering the
Aggies 18-0 in the doubleheader opener. Parnaby gave up just one single in the
third and another in the fifth in her 16th complete game of the season. It also
marked her ninth shutout of her junior season. She did not give up a walk while
fanning two. Parnaby has now run her streak of scoreless innings to 20.2
innings.
After a scoreless first inning, the ‘Bows batted around the order and erupted
for 11 runs in the top of the second on a combination of 10 hits (four doubles
and six singles), two walks and a fielder's choice and error mixed in. Leisha
Li‘ili‘i started things off with a walk and Dara Pagaduan followed with a
double to left to put both runners into scoring position. Makani
Duhaylonsod-Kaleimamahu then drilled a single back through the middle to drive
in both pinch-runner Jazmine Zamora and Pagaduan for UH's first two runs.
Sharla Kliebenstein—who returned to the starting line-up for the first time in
17 games since suffering an injury—walked to put runners at first and second.
Kelly Majam then drove in pinch-runner Lauren Parnaby and Kayla Wartner
followed with an opposite-field double to left to drive in both Majam and
Kliebenstein. Robinson … Utah State then lifted starting pitcher Dani Chaplin for
Shelbi Tyteca, but Jessica Iwata kept things going with a double to right that
scored Robinson. An error on the second baseman allowed Alexandra Aguirre to
put runners at first and second and Li‘ili‘i looped a single into center to
load the bases. Pagaduan scored Iwata from third on a fielder's choice that
resulted in runners at the corners. Pagaduan promptly stole second base to put
both runners into scoring position for Duhaylonsod-Kaleimamahu who came through
with her second 2-RBI single of the inning. Kliebenstein singled up the middle
and Majam hit her second double of the inning to score Duhaylonsod-Kaleimamahu
for UH's 11th and final run of the inning.
In the third inning, USU's Mariah Peterson came into pitch. Hawai‘i added one
more run in the third on an RBI single through the leftside of the infield by
Li‘ili‘i that drove in Aguirre from second. UH led 12-0 after three innings.
Duhaylonsod-Kaleimamahu reached on an error on the second baseman and
Kliebenstein then launched a two-run home run. It was Kliebenstein's seventh
home run of the season. Majam then got her third double of the game and
pinch-hitter Jocelyn Enrique then drove in pinch-runner Jordan Burton with an
RBI single up the middle. Robinson walked which forced the Aggies to lift Peterson
and re-enter starting pitcher Chaplin. Iwata greeted her with a three-run bomb
over the left-centerfield fence to give UH a 18-0 lead. Iwata now leads UH with
12 home runs this season and moved past Kate Robinson for second all-time in UH
history with 45 home runs.
The Aggies used three pitchers in the loss. Chaplin started and finished the
game throwing a total of 3.1 innings. She gave up eight runs on eight hits with
three walks and four strike outs. Tyteca threw 0.2 of an inning, allowing four runs
on five hits and Peterson threw one-plus innings, giving up six runs on four
hits with two walks and two strike outs.
Duhaylonsod-Kaleimamahu and Iwata led UH at the plate, both going 2-for-4 with
four RBI with Iwata with a home run. Majam was a perfect 4-for-4 with three
doubles and two RBI; Li‘ili‘i went 3-for-3 with an RBI; and Kliebenstein was
2-for-2 with two runs scored, two RBI and a home run in her first game back
from injury.
Game 3: Hawai‘i 10, Utah State
The Rainbow Wahine completed the series sweep over Utah State with a 10-3 win
in the regular season finale. Stephanie Ricketts picked up her 27th
win of 2012 and she ended the season with an even 800 career strike outs. UH's
offense racked up 12 hits in the game with home runs by Jessica Iwata and Kelly
Majam while Kayla Wartner went 2-for-3 with two doubles and four RBI.
Ricketts (27-3, 12-1 WAC) threw 7.0 innings in the win, allowing three runs on
seven hits with a walk and three strike outs.
UH jumped out to an early 2-0 lead to start the game. Majam led the game off
with a walk and was driven home all the way from first on Wartner's first
double of the game that was drilled to the left-centerfield gap. Wartner
advanced to third on the throw home and then she scored on a ground out to
short by Sarah Robinson.
Utah State cut their deficit in half when Christine Thomsen led the home half
of the first inning off with a home run. UH led after one inning, 2-1.
The ‘Bows built a 6-1 lead scoring four runs in the third. Alex Aguirre started
the rally with a single to left. Then after a strike out, Dara Pagaduan ripped
an opposite-field triple to rightfield to drive in Aguirre. After another
strike out, Sharla Kliebenstein and Majam were both hit by a pitch to load the
bases. Wartner then cleared the bases with a double for her second, third, and
fourth RBI of the game.
The Aggies' Thomsen struck again in the third, leading the inning off with a
double to right-centerfield. Hailey Froton later knocked in Thomsen with a
double to left to cut UH's lead to 6-2 after three innings.
Hawai‘i added one run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly hit by Majam that scored
pinch runner Jazmine Zamora. The ‘Bows then tacked on two more runs in the
fifth on a two-run home run by Iwata. It marked her 13th home run of
the season and her 46th of her career that gave UH a 9-2 lead.
Utah State's Thomsen then scored her third run of the game in the bottom of the
fifth. After singling to short, she was driven home on a sacrifice fly to right
by Froton. The core was 9-3 after five innings.
Majam capped the scoring with a solo home run in the top of the sixth that gave
the ‘Bows a 10-3 lead. It was Majam's 12th homer of the season and
51st of her career.
Utah State's Mandy Harmon started the game and threw the first 6.1 innings,
allowing 10 runs on 12 hits with seven walks and four strike outs. Dani Chaplin
closed the game, getting the final two outs. She had two walks.
UH finishes with their best regular season record in school history at 43-5
with a .896 win percentage, bettering their previous best mark of 45-9 (.833
win %) set in 2007.
In the three game series against Utah State, Majam led UH with an .800 batting
average (8-for-10) with three doubles, a home run and five runs scored.
Kliebenstein made her return to the line-up starting in two games, hitting .667
(4-for-6) with a home run and three runs scored and Li‘ili‘i hit .500 (4-for-8)
with a double and and RBI. Iwata launched three home runs and hit .400 with
seven RBI.
The Rainbow Wahine enter next week's WAC Championship tournament as the top
seed which gives them a bye in the first round. On Thursday, May 10 at 11:30
a.m. (MT), UH will face the winner between No. 4 San Jose State (27-26, 9-10
WAC) and No. 5 Nevada (21-34, 9-12 WAC). Brigham Young (40-13, 15-4 WAC)
ended the WAC season ranked No. 2 while Fresno State (33-21, 13-6 WAC) finished
at No. 3 and Louisiana Tech (23-31, 8-12 WAC) came in at No. 6.
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