The University of Hawaii softball team opened the final weekend of a challenging season on the short end of a doubleheader sweep at UC Davis on Friday.
The Rainbow Wahine fell behind early and couldn’t sustain a comeback in a 5-1 loss in the first game at UC Davis’ La Rue Field. The Aggies then rallied in the bottom of the seventh inning to pull out a 4-3 series-clinching victory in the second game.
"It was just all too familiar," UH coach Bob Coolen said.
UH (21-28, 6-14 Big West) and UC Davis (21-32, 9-11) close the season with a game at 9 a.m. Saturday.
Hawaii is assured of finishing seventh in the Big West.
As for Saturday’s finale, Coolen said the Wahine will try to "go out and finish strong and call it a year, a disappointing year."
Leisha Li’ili’i led the UH offense again on Friday, going 4-for-6 with a double and a home run in the doubleheader.
UC Davis collected 10 hits and UH committed four errors, contributing to three unearned runs in Friday’s first game. Aggies pitchers Dana Cruse and Andrea Reynolds held the Wahine to six hits.
UH sophomore Loie Kesterson surrendered 10 hits, walked two and struck out one while falling to 10-14.
The Aggies took a 2-0 lead in the second game before Li’ili’i hit her 15th home run of the season in the fourth inning and Kaile Nakao drove in Lindsey Willmon with a sacrifice fly in the fifth.
Keiki Carlos broke the tie with an RBI single with two out in the top of the seventh, scoring Nakao from second.
Christina Guidry led off the bottom of the seventh with a single and advanced on a sacrifice bunt. Christa Castello tied the game with a triple down the right-field line and scored the winning run on pinch-hitter Kimberly Pena’s infield single.
Heather Morales (11-11) went the distance for UH, giving up eight hits with one strikeout and a walk.
The Big West championship and the league’s automatic berth in the NCAA tournament will be decided by Saturday’s game between Long Beach State and UC Santa Barbara. The 49ers and Gauchos split a doubleheader on Friday and enter the regular-season finale tied atop the standings at 14-6.
| At Davis, Calif. |
| UH (21-27, 6-13) |
010 |
000 |
0 |
— |
1 |
6 |
4 |
| UCD (20-32, 8-11) |
200 |
300 |
x |
— |
5 |
10 |
1 |
Loie Kesterson and Sharla Kliebenstein. Dana Cruse, Andrea Reynolds () and Lauryn Saunders. W—Cruse. L—Kesterson. Sv—Reynolds.
Leading hitters—Hawaii: Leisha Li‘ili‘i, 2-3, 2B; Lindsey Willmon, RBI. UC Davis: Kelly Zboralske, RBI; Cat Guidry, 2-2.
| UH (21-28, 6-14) |
000 |
110 |
1 |
— |
3 |
9 |
1 |
| UCD (21-32, 9-11) |
011 |
000 |
2 |
— |
4 |
8 |
1 |
Heather Morales and Sharla Kliebenstein. Andrea Reynolds, Leah Munden (5) and Lauren Saunders, Caitlin Voss (7).
W—Munden. L—Morales.
Leading hitters—Hawaii: Jazmine Zamora, 2-4; Kayla Wartner, 3B; Keiki Carlos, RBI; Leisha Li‘ili‘i, 2-3, HR; Lindsey Willmon, 2B; Kaile Nakao, RBI. UC Davis: Christa Castello, 2-4, 3B, RBI; Kimberly Pena, RBI; Amy Nunez, HR; Cat Guidry, RBI; Brianna Warner, 2-3.
