UH softball team drops doubleheader at Long Beach State
Long Beach State extended its lead over Hawaii in the Big West softball standings with a doubleheader sweep on Saturday at 49er Softball Complex in Long Beach, Calif.
Long Beach State won the first game 5-3 behind pitcher Erin Jones-Wesley’s 11-strikeout performance. The 49ers then clinched the series with an 8-2 win in the second game. Sarah Carrasco gave Long Beach State (31-9, 8-0 BWC) the lead with a grand slam in the bottom of the fifth inning and the 49ers pushed UH (19-18, 4-4) four games back in the Big West race.
The series concludes with a single game on Sunday at 10 a.m, Hawaii time. The game will be shown on ESPN3.
Jones-Wesley gave up four hits and walked eight in a complete-game victory. She escaped a bases-loaded jam in the top of the first and the 49ers took the lead on Ashlynn Booker’s two run single in the bottom of the inning.
The 49ers led 4-0 through five innings before UH scratched out a run in the sixth on Sarina Jaramillo’s RBI groundout. The 49ers added a run in the sixth when Carrasco tripled to lead off the inning and Ashley Holmes followed with a double.
UH rallied with two out in the top of the seventh. Leisha Li’ili’i hit her 11th home run of the season, a two-run shot to left, to cut into LBSU’s lead. But Jones-Wesley ended the game with her 11 strikeout. Loie Kesterson went the distance and took the loss for UH.
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UH led early in the second game, scoring on Li’ili’i’s RBI single in the first inning and another by Ulu Matagiese’s in the fourth.
Long Beach State erased a 2-1 deficit in the bottom of the fifth when Darian Tautalafua singled with the bases loaded. Carassco followed with her grand slam and pitcher Amanda Hansen closed out a complete-game win. UH’s Heather Morales gave up 13 hits, walked five and struck out one in the loss.