Hawaii homestand closes with loss to pumped UMKC

Before embarking on its first road trip of the season, the University of Hawaii softball team experienced some turbulence to close a season-opening homestand.

UMKC, which was shut out by UH twice last week, jumped ahead in the top of the first inning, then pulled away in the seventh and the Kangaroos earned their first win of the season with a 4-1 victory on Monday at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

“Tonight we come out after a day off and we were flat and they were pumped and that’s going to happen,” UH coach Bob Coolen said. “Our season I think is going to be that roller coaster right there.”

The Rainbow Wahine (4-2) are scheduled to depart this morning to Las Vegas and open a run of six games in four days in the DeMarini Desert Classic against BYU on Thursday.

“We just need to learn from this and use it as momentum to just go at every team as hard as we can and not take anyone lightly,” UH pitcher Kanani Aina Cabrales said.

Aina Cabrales was named the Big West Pitcher of the Week earlier Monday after throwing two shutouts in the Oceanic Time Warner Cable Paradise Classic last week, including a 5-0 win over UMKC on Saturday.

Aina Cabrales struck out three and walked none and gave up seven hits in the loss. The first three came in UMKC’s two-run first inning, none hit especially hard but managed to fall in safely.

Brooke Parker and Kameron Fisher singled to lead off the inning and advanced on a passed ball. Parker scored the first run off of Aina Cabrales this season on Katie Kelley’s groundout to shortstop. Fisher later came around on Rachel Pate’s flare into left field.

“Honestly, those innings are probably the most annoying,” Aina Cabrales said. “There’s nothing you can do in those situations except work with what happens.”

UH answered with a run in the bottom of the second on Sarah Muzik’s RBI single, but the Wahine left the bases loaded and went on to leave nine runners on base in the game.

“Once the game got going and every play was being made, that’s the game of softball and baseball,” Coolen said. “The ball finds the glove and they’re making plays and … that’s what happens when a team is on a roll and has a little heightened enthusiasm.”

Aina Cabrales retired 12 straight to keep the Wahine within a run until UMKC broke away in the seventh. Morgan Byrn led off with a double, moved to third on a bunt and scored on Alex Gale’s squeeze bunt. Parker added a two-out RBI single to center to score Ashlin O’Brien with the final run.

UMKC freshman right-hander Lacie Bullard struck out four, walked four and allowed five hits in a complete-game victory.

At Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium

Lacie Bullard and Alexandra Friloux. Kanani Aina Cabrales and Heather Cameron. W—Bullard. L—Aina Cabrales.
Leading hitters—UMKC: Brooke Parker, 2-4, RBI; Katie Kelley, RBI; Rachel Pate, RBI; Morgan Byrn, 2B; Alex Gale, RBI. Hawaii: Sarah Muzik, RBI; Keiki Carlos, 2B.