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UH softball team beats Saint Mary’s, falls to Oklahoma

The University of Hawaii softball team advanced to the title game of the Oceanic Time Warner Cable Paradise Classic with a 3-0 win over Saint Mary’s Saturday morning at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

The Rainbow Wahine then fell to No. 4 Oklahoma 8-0 in five innings in the championship to finish off the season’s opening weekend at 3-2.

Oklahoma’s Nicole Pendley hit two home runs and fellow freshman Paige Parker struck out nine in a five-inning perfect game and the Sooners completed a 5-0 sweep through the tournament.

In the first game of the day, UH sophomore Kanani Aina Cabrales held Saint Mary’s to four hits, struck out three and walked two in her second consecutive shutout.

Aina Cabrales was aided by two double plays early in the game. In the second inning, she caught a pop up and tried to double Saint Mary’s Loralie Fitzpatrick off of first base. Her throw was wild but Keiki Carlos, UH’s right fielder, was there to back up the play and threw Fitzpatrick out at second. In the third, shortstop Sarina Jaramillo caught a line drive and fired to first for another double play.

Both Aina Cabrales and Saint Mary’s starter Lujane Mussadi took shutouts into the fifth inning and UH executed a double steal with two out to score the game’s first run.

Tayana Mata drew a walk with two out and went to third on Lindsey Willmon’s single to center. Willmon broke for second on the next pitch and the catcher’s throw was cut off. Mata beat the throw back to the plate, sliding around the attempted tag, to give UH the lead.

The Wahine added two more runs in the sixth. Rachel Lack led off the inning with her first collegiate hit and advanced when Leisha Li’ili’i walked. Heather Morales followed with a line drive single to left center to score Lack from second.

After Carlos loaded the bases with a bunt single, Li’ili’i scored on Jaramillo’s sacrifice fly to deep center.

Aina Cabrales gave up a leadoff single in the seventh but retired the next three hitters to close out UH’s second win over Saint Marys in the tournament.

Oklahoma advanced to the final with an 11-3 win over DePaul and took the lead against UH on Pendley’s three-run homer with two out in the bottom of the second inning. She added a two-run shot in the fourth in support of Parker, who struck out nine of the 15 batters she faced.

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