The second day of the Outrigger Spring Fling Tournament offers the University of Hawaii softball team one more shot at a breakthrough against the Pac-12 this season.
The Rainbow Wahine (12-8) opened the five-day tournament with a 5-3 win against Charleston Southern on Wednesday to extend their winning streak to four entering today’s matchup with No. 20 Utah at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
“It’s something I’ll talk to them about (today) before the game,” UH coach Bob Coolen said. “We have an opportunity to play a ranked opponent, another Pac-12 team, we haven’t done well against the Pac-12, let’s see what we can do.”
UH is 1-13 against the Pac-12 since 2015, the lone win in that span a 5-1 victory over Utah on March 8, 2015 at RWSS. The Wahine have dropped their past eight meetings against Pac-12 teams since, including a 9-0 loss to Utah in five innings at the DeMarini Desert Classic in Las Vegas last season. The Wahine are 0-3 this season with a loss to Oregon State in the first weekend of the season and two more to No. 4 Oregon two weeks ago.
Utah (14-4) opened this week’s tournament with a 10-1 win over Toledo in five innings on Wednesday, bringing the run rule into effect on Kelly Martinez’ grand slam.
UH followed by scoring in each of the first four innings against Charleston Southern to give junior Dana Thomsen a 5-1 lead. Third baseman Nicole Lopez opened the scoring with a two-run double in the bottom of the first and added a sacrifice fly in the fourth.
Charleston Southern, which was shutout by UH pitching twice last week, closed the margin to two on Jade Gandara’s two-run double to left-center in the top of the fifth.
The Buccaneers brought the tying run to the plate in the sixth and Georgi Delio’s drive to left appeared headed into the gap. But UH senior Ulu Matagiese ran it down to make the catch at the fence and second baseman Sarah Muzik’s relay to first was in time to double off the runner.
“I saw the ball starting to pick up so I just turned around and kept running and said ‘just stick your glove out,” said Matagiese, who also posted her first hit of the season.
“Ulu made a tremendous play,” Coolen said. “Plays like that are what saves ballgames and those are the special moments because she hasn’t had a lot of (playing) time. I can’t ask anything more from a senior that’s itching to play.”
Thomsen (4-2) struck out eight over 51⁄3 innings and earned the win. Brittany Hitchcock got the final five outs to pick up the first save of her career.
At Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium
CSU (10-14) 001 020 0 — 3 5 2
Hawaii (12-8) 211 100 x – 5 10 1
Cheyenne Gandara, Holly Clark (3), Arizona Pilgrim (5) and Georgi Delio, Katilyn Emberson (3). Dana Thomsen, Brittany Hitchcock (6) and Heather Cameron, Callee Heen (6). W—Thomsen. L—C. Gandara. Sv.—Hitchcock.
Leading hitters—Charleston Southern: Jade Gandara, 2-3, 2B, 3 RBI. Hawaii: Sarah Muzik, 2-3, RBI; Nicole Lopez, 3 RBIs; Heather Morales, 2-3, 2B; Angellique Ramos, 2-3, RBI.
Wednesday
Utah 10, Toledo 1
Today
Charleston Southern vs. Toledo, 1 p.m.
Charleston Southern vs. Utah, 3:30 p.m.
Utah vs. Hawaii, 6 p.m.
