Virginia rallied for three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to upset the Hawaii softball team 6-4 today in the Cathedral City Classic.
The No. 10/11 Rainbow Wahine (12-4) committed four errors contributing to four unearned runs and UH dropped its third straight to close an 11-game road trip.
Virginia’s Melanie Mitchell earned a complete-game win. She surrendered five hits and finished with nine strikeouts. Stephanie Ricketts took the loss for UH, giving up 10 hits and two earned runs with five strikeouts and three walks.
The Wahine struck for two runs in the top of the first inning on RBI singles by Melissa Gonzalez and Jenna Rodriguez.
Virginia answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning with the first two Cavalier hitters reaching on errors. Giannina Cipolloni scored the first run on a fielder’s choice grounder and Erica Cipolloni added an RBI single later in the inning.
UH reclaimed the lead in the top of the third on Gonzalez’s two-run homer. The Wahine took a 4-3 lead into the sixth when Virginia tied the game on Giannina Cipolloni’s RBI triple. Cipolloni scored the go-ahead run when Taylor Williams, who had reached on an infield single, stole second and the throw was mishandled. With Williams on third, Stephanie Harris’ groundout to second added an insurance run.
Mitchell then retired the Wahine in order in the top of the seventh to end the game.
UH went 7-4 over its 10-day stay on the mainland and returns to Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium to host the Bank of Hawaii Invitational starting March 4.