UH edges Florida State for title

A game that featured 24 strikeouts was decided by one that didn’t actually produce an out.

The University of Hawaii softball team struggled to connect against Florida State pitcher Monica Perry on Sunday, and one of those misses produced the lone run in a 1-0 Rainbow Wahine victory in the championship game of the Bank of Hawaii Invitational.

The No. 22 Wahine scored on a swinging third strike in the dirt in the second inning, and UH pitcher Stephanie Ricketts matched zeroes with Perry the rest of the way in a one-hit shutout.

Ricketts struck out a season-high 11, walked four and retired 15 of the last 17 batters she faced as UH extended its season-opening win streak to 17, one shy of the school record.

Perry, the reigning Louisville Slugger Division I National Player of the Week, struck out a career-high 13 and allowed two hits for the No. 20 Seminoles (17-3).

"(Perry) did a great job and I know when I go out there I have to be on my best game," Ricketts said. "It’s nice looking back on it knowing we got through it, but in the moment I was very focused, knew there was no room for error because I knew she wasn’t going to make a mistake, so I didn’t want to make one either."

Ricketts won a 2-1 decision over the No. 20 Seminoles on Saturday and protected another slim lead after some alert baserunning produced the decisive score.

Makani Duhaylonsod-Kaleimamahu doubled down the left-field line in the bottom of the second and was replaced by pinch runner Jazmine Zamora. Dara Pagaduan then struck out swinging, but the ball eluded catcher Erika Leonard and her throw to first was errant, as well. Zamora advanced to third on the passed ball and hustled home on the throw to score the run.

"Every time you get into the game it’s precious, so I’m just there to do my job and help the team any way I can," Zamora said.

UH head coach Bob Coolen said the team practices those situations and he "was going crazy" in the third-base coaches box, exhorting Zamora to the plate.

"She came screaming around third and with it just being far enough away with her speed she was home before they could even look at her," Coolen said.

UH had escaped a bases-loaded situation in the top of the inning to keep FSU off the scoreboard. With one out, Amber Bryant hit a bouncer to Duhaylonsod-Kaleimamahu at first. She tagged Bryant and threw to catcher Kayla Wartner, who blocked the plate with her foot and tagged Leonard to complete the double play.

"She never touched the plate," Wartner said. "That play, I had a heart attack on that one. I was freaking out."

UH earned a spot in Sunday’s championship game with a 5-1 win over Radford earlier in the afternoon. Kaia Parnaby (7-0) gave up three hits and struck out eight in the complete-game win.