Hawaii bolted to an early lead on Friday and opened the Big West Conference softball season with a 7-3 road win over UC Riverside.
Jazmine Zamora ignited the UH offense with a solo home run in the top of the first inning and the Rainbow Wahine gave pitcher Loie Kesterson a three-run lead after a half-inning. Kayla Wartner added a solo shot in the fifth and UH (16-14) held off the Highlanders (19-15) at UCR’s Amy S. Harrison Field.
Kesterson, who grew up in nearby Corona, Calif., allowed eight hits, struck out two and walked one while improving to 9-5.
"Loie was fresh. It’s good we’re not in these tournaments anymore because the pitchers have a little more pop and a little more movement," UH coach Bob Coolen said. "She got out of some jams and we hit the ball well."
The series continues Saturday with a doubleheader starting at 9 a.m. Freshman Heather Morales is scheduled to start the first game, with Kesterson to follow in the finale for UH, the defending Big West champion.
Zamora gave the Wahine the lead with her second homer of the season with one out in the top of the first. UH then drew four consecutive walks, making it 2-0. Sarina Jaramillo followed with a sacrifice fly to give UH a 3-0 lead.
UCR cut into the lead on Taylor Wright’s RBI double with two out in the bottom of the second, but UH answered with two more runs in the top of the fourth for a 5-1 lead. Sharla Kliebenstein led off with a double, advanced on a throwing error on Jaramillo’s fielder’s choice grounder and scored when Ulu Matagiese singled to left. Jaramillo later scored on Lindsey Willmon’s sacrifice fly.
Wartner, who had one home run entering UH’s five-game road trip, went deep for the second time in three games in California. Her two-out homer in the fifth extended UH’s lead to 6-1.
A UCR mound visit gave Coolen a chance to chat with Wartner, "and I just said get your hands out … and she just roped this ball."
Riverside scratched out a run in the bottom of the fifth and Ashley Ercolano’s home run in the sixth cut UH’s lead to 6-3. But the Wahine pulled away again in the top of the seventh on Leisha Li’ili’i’s RBI single.
At Riverside, Calif. |
UH (16-14, 1-0) |
300 |
210 |
1 |
— |
7 |
8 |
1 |
UCR (19-15, 0-1) |
010 |
011 |
0 |
— |
3 |
8 |
2 |
Loie Kesterson and Sharla Kliebenstein. Alyssa Razo and Natalie Sanchez.
W–Kesterson. L–Razo.
Leading hitters–Hawaii: Lindsey Willmon, RBI; Jazmine Zamora, 2-4, HR; Leisha Li’ili’i, RBI; Kayla Wartner, HR; Sharla Kliebenstein, 2b, RBI; Sarina Jaramillo, RBI; Ulu Matagiese, RBI. UCR: Karina Romero, RBI; Sanchez, 2-3; Ashley Ercolano, HR; Taylor Wright, 2-3, 2b, RBI.