Oklahoma arrived in Hawaii led by two of college softball’s most heralded seniors.
But a pair of freshmen powered the fourth-ranked Sooners to an 8-0 win in five innings over the host Rainbow Wahine in the championship game the Oceanic Time Warner Cable Paradise Classic on Saturday.
Nicole Pendley hit two home runs and drove in five runs and left-hander Paige Parker struck out nine in a five-inning perfect game to cap Oklahoma’s 5-0 run through the tournament.
The abbreviated final ended a long day at the ballpark for UH, which reported to RWSS 90 minutes prior to a 10 a.m. game against Saint Mary’s in Saturday’s first semifinal.
The Wahine advanced to the tournament final with a
3-0 win over the Gaels behind sophomore pitcher Kanani Aina Cabrales’ second shutout in as many starts.
The Wahine waited through Oklahoma’s win over DePaul and the third-place game before retuning to the field after a six-hour break and finished off the season’s opening weekend at 3-2, both losses coming against Oklahoma.
"It was a long day, but there’s no excuse to play like that," UH coach Bob Coolen said after the final. "To be shut out in five innings with a perfect game is not what you’re looking for."
The Rainbow Wahine make their annual early-season trip to Las Vegas this week and open the Wilson/DeMarini Desert Classic on Thursday looking to ignite an offense that hit .171 in the tournament.
Against Saint Mary’s, Tayana Mata scored UH’s first run on a double steal in the bottom of the fifth inning and the Wahine added two more runs in the sixth on Heather Morales’ RBI single and Sarina Jaramillo’s sacrifice fly.
"It took a little while to warm up our bats. We’re still trying to figure out how to feed of each other’s hitting and make it contagious," UH senior Kayla Wartner said. "The biggest thing is we’re hitting sporadically instead of hitting as a team and keeping it going."
Aina Cabrales struck out three and held Saint Mary’s to four hits to improve to 2-0 and was named to the all-tournament team.
Oklahoma swept to the tournament title by an aggregate score of 52-5, led by senior first baseman Lauren Chamberlain and shortstop/pitcher Shelby Pendley, who were named the tournament MVP and Most Outstanding Pitcher, respectively.
Chamberlain entered the season with 72 homers, tied with former UH standout Kelly (Majam) Elms for 10th on the NCAA career list. She hit three more during her stay in Hawaii to move within 15 of the NCAA career record and drove in 12 runs this week.
Shelby Pendley raised her career home run total to 61 earlier in the tournament. But it was her younger sister who provided most of the offense on Saturday.
Nicole Pendley gave the Sooners, the designated home team, the lead with a three-run homer to center with two out in the bottom of the second inning and added a two-run shot in right in the fourth.
Parker struck out the side in the first inning to set the tone on her way to picking up her second win of the tournament.
"It was really exciting to see them step up so early in the season," Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso said.
"Paige Parker coming in and doing such a good job against a team we respect tremendously and the way Hawaii notoriously swings the bats, Paige did a nice job of keeping them off balance."
At Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium |
Saint Mary’s (1-3) |
000 |
000 |
0 |
— |
0 |
4 |
1 |
Hawaii (3-1) |
000 |
012 |
x |
— |
3 |
6 |
0 |
Lujane Mussadi, Katie Moss (6) and Andrea Hazel. Kanani Aina Cabrales and Kayla Wartner. W–Aina Cabrales. L–Mussadi.
Leading hitters–Saint Mary’s: Loralie Fitzpatrick, 2-2. Hawaii: Wartner, 2B; Heather Morales, RBI; Sarina Jaramillo, RBI; Tayana Mata, 2B.
Hawaii (3-2) |
000 |
00 |
— |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Oklahoma (5-0) |
030 |
32 |
— |
8 |
10 |
0 |
Brittany Hitchcock, Kanani Aina Cabrales (3) and Kayla Wartner, Lindsey Willmon (3). Paige Parker and Whitney Ellis. W–Parker. L–Hitchcock.
Leading hitters–Oklahoma: Nicole Pendley, 2-3, 2 HR, 5 RBIs; Erin Miller, 2-2, 3B; Tori Nirschi, RBI; Lea Wodach, HR, Kelsey Arnold, RBI.
Saturday’s other scores
Oklahoma 11, DePaul 3 (6 innings)
DePaul 9, Saint Mary’s 5
OCEANIC TIME WARNER CABLE PARADISE CLASSIC
All-Tournament Team
Whitley Ellis, Oklahoma
Lollie Fitzpatrick, St. Mary’s
Mary Connolly, DePaul
Haley Sparacino, St. Mary’s
Macy Hatfield, Oklahoma
Leisha Li’ili’i, Hawaii
Kady Self, Oklahoma
Katelyn Mamizuka, St. Mary’s
Kayla Wartner, Hawaii
Kanani Aina Cabrales, Hawaii
Most Valuable Player
Lauren Chamberlain, Oklahoma
Most Valuable Pitcher
Shelby Pendley, Oklahoma