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Nichole Simmons hit a solo home run in the top of the seventh inning to send Longwood to a 1-0 win over the Hawaii softball team tonight in the Pepsi Malihini Kipa Aloha Tournament.
UH right hander Stephanie Ricketts struck out nine and gave up just one hit against the Lancers. But that hit turned out to be the difference in the game as the No. 14/17 Rainbow Wahine (16-5) lost their first home game of the season.
Longwood senior Briana Wells (11-3) surrendered just three singles, walked one and struck out six to earn the win for the Lancers (13-3).
The pitchers dominated in a game that took just 1 hour, 37 minutes. Wells stranded runners in scoring position in the fifth and sixth innings to send the game into the seventh still scoreless. Ricketts (10-4) got the first out in the top of the seventh before Simmons worked the count full and hit her second home run of the season.
UH had a four-game winning streak snapped and next faces Miami (Ohio) at 3 p.m. and South Dakota State at 5 on Saturday.
