Cal wallops Wahine

It took just four pitches for Hawaii to record its first two outs in Thursday’s matchup against California.

The Rainbow Wahine would stay on the field for 33 more before heading into the dugout. By then the 19th-ranked Golden Bears had strung together eight runs on seven singles and the lengthy top of the first led to an early finish as Cal rolled to a 12-4 win in five innings in the opening game of the Pepsi Malihini Kipa Aloha Tournament.

The Bears peppered UH pitching for 12 singles and improved to 14-1. Cal sophomore Katie Sutherland-Finch struck out six and walked three over 41/3 innings to earn the win.

Three home runs, two by senior catcher Kayla Wartner and another off the bat of Heather Morales, accounted for all of UH’s scoring and the Rainbow Wahine and fell to 9-8.

"We didn’t pitch well, some people hit well and we played defense poorly," was UH coach Bob Coolen’s brief summation of the night.

Thursday’s game began a run of 19 games over a 

20-day stretch for UH and the tournament continues Friday with the Wahine facing San Jose State (12-3) at 6 p.m.

UH starter Kanani Aina Cabrales (4-5) fielded two grounders to record the first two outs in the top of the first. But after a walk, Cheyenne Cordes grounded to third and the throw glanced off the glove of first baseman Leisha Li’ili’i as she stretched for the ball. Danielle Henderson then drilled a single into right center to score Britt Vonk with Cal’s first run.

A walk loaded the bases and Kobie Pettis looped a single just behind third base to drive in two runs. Alleah Laxamana was hit by a pitch to reload the bases and the Bears strung together four consecutive singles, the last two coming off of UH reliever Brittany Hitchcock, to push the lead to 8-0.

"I can’t say enough about their execution," Cal coach Diane Ninemire said.

Like a lot of teams, Ninemire said the Bears work on going with the pitch, "but tonight the ball had eyes and it landed where it needed to and it enabled us with our speed and baserunning to score some additional runs."

With a runner on in the bottom of the first, Wartner lifted a high fly to right that snuck over the fence for her fifth home run of the season. Morales led off the bottom of the third with her first career homer and Wartner hit her second of the night and 30th of her career in the fourth.

But Cal scored three runs in the fifth with the aid of two throwing errors on grounders back to Hitchcock to stretch the lead back to eight and bring the run rule into effect.

"It’s tough. I know we’re a better team than how we’re playing," Wartner said. "We just have to focus on the next play ahead and focus on what we’re going to do and I think right now we’re not really doing that. Like Coach Bob says, rehearse and react. Don’t think too much and do what you know what to do. 

"They had little dinkers and we can’t make excuses, it’s just something that happens. We have to come out tomorrow ready to play and hungry. We keep saying the same thing over and over again, but it’s what it is."

Katie Sutherland-Finch, Stephanie Trzcinski (5) and Alleah Laxamana. Kanani Aina-Cabrales, Brittany Hitchcock (1) and Kayla Wartner. W–Sutherland-Finch. L–Aina-Cabrales.

Leading hitters–Cal: Jazmyn Jackson, 2-4, RBI; Kylie Reed, 3-4, RBI; Britt Vonk, 2 RBIs; Danielle Henderson, 2-3, RBI; Kobie Pettis, 3 RBIs; Vanessa Alvarez, 2-3, RBI; HawaII: Wartner, 2-3, 2 HR, 3 RBIs; Heather Morales, HR.

Friday’s games

California vs. Longwood, 1 p.m.

San Jose State vs. Longwood, 3:30 p.m.

San Jose State vs. Hawaii, 6 p.m.