University of Hawaii pitcher Dana Thomsen and the Rainbow Wahine softball team put together breakthrough performances to open a Big West doubleheader at Cal Poly on Saturday.
Thomsen, a junior right-hander, earned her first conference win to help the Rainbow Wahine pick up their first Big West victory on the road with a 9-2 win in the opener at Bob Janssen Field in San Luis Obispo, Calif. The host Mustangs then claimed the series win with a 2-1 victory in their home finale.
“Dana pitched well. She makes them hit the up ball and with the wind blowing (in) a lot of the balls were in the air and catchable,” UH coach Bob Coolen said in a phone interview.
“In the second game it became a pitchers duel and we made a couple of mistakes in one inning and it cost us.”
UH (28-21, 7-11 Big West) entered the day 0-7 in conference road games and backed up Thomsen’s complete-game performance by chasing Cal Poly ace Sierra Hyland in the second inning.
Hyland began the day with an 0.96 earned-run average but gave up seven runs, five earned, on nine hits and was relieved after recording just five outs.
Callee Heen drove in UH’s first run with a double in the top of the first inning and Danielle Garcielita sparked a six-run rally in the second with a two-run triple.
“We just kept what was working,” Coolen said of a revamped lineup that posted nine hits against Hyland in a 4-2 loss on Friday.
Thomsen (8-7, 1-4 BWC) held Cal Poly (33-17, 9-9) to four hits, struck out two and walked one.
In the second game, Cal Poly’s Lindsey Chalmers held UH to four hits and struck out five in the series-clinching win.
UH’s Brittany Hitchcock gave up eight hits, struck out one and walked none in her second loss of the series.
UH closes the season with a three-game series against Long Beach State starting Friday at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
At San Luis Obispo, Calif.
>> Hawaii (28-20, 7-10) 160 011 0 — 9 15 1
>> Cal Poly (32-17, 8-9) 000 101 0 — 2 4 4
Dana Thomsen and Heather Cameron. Sierra Hyland, Steffi Best and Makenna Young. W—Thomsen. L—Hyland.
Leading hitters—Hawaii: Sarah Muzik, 2-4, 3 runs; Nicole Lopez, 2-4, RBI; Callee Heen, 2-4, 2B, 2 RBIs; Cameron, 2-4, RBI; Laura Jaquez, 2-4; Danielle Garcielita, 2-5, 3B, 2 RBIs; Rachael Turner, RBI. Cal Poly: Hyland, 3B, RBI; Best, 2B,RBI.
>> Hawaii (28-21, 7-11) 000 100 0 — 1 4 1
>> Cal Poly (33-17, 9-9) 000 110 x — 2 8 1
Brittany Hitchcock and Callee Heen. Lindsey Chalmers and Makenna Young. W—. L—.
Leading hitters—Hawaii: Heen, RBI. Cal Poly: Chelsea Convissar, 2-2, 2B; Courtney Tyler, 2-3, RBI; StephanieHeyward, RBI.
