Determined UCLA keeps Hawaii at bay

Hawaii twice took a lead against 12th-ranked UCLA on Saturday. Both times the Bruins answered and eventually pulled away from the Rainbow Wahine softball team in an 8-4 win in the Wilson/DeMarini Desert Classic in Las Vegas.

UCLA shortstop Delaney Spaulding doubled in all three of her official at-bats and left fielder Gabrielle Maurice drove her in three times and the Bruins improved to 8-2 while UH fell to 5-4 and 2-2 in the tournament.

Ally Carda held UH to one hit in 31/3 innings of relief and picked up the win. UH sophomore Kanani Aina Cabrales struck out five, walked three and went the distance in the loss.

UH concludes its four-day, six-game run in the tournament with a doubleheader against Seattle and Portland State at the Stephanie Lynn Craig Softball Complex in Henderson, Nev., starting at 9:15 a.m.

Hawaii loaded the bases with one out in the top of the first inning and Kayla Wartner scored the game’s first run on Heather Morales’ groundout to shortstop.

UCLA jumped ahead in the bottom of the third when Carda scored the tying run on Spaulding’s first double and Maurice followed with a single to right.

The Wahine answered in the fourth with Tayana Mata’s two-out, two-run triple to score Sarina Jaramillo and Rachel Lack. Lindsey Willmon followed with a single to drive in Mata and chase UCLA starter Selina Ta’amilo.

The Bruins rallied again with a four-run fifth inning. Spaudling again doubled and scored on Maurice’s single, tying the game. With two out, Brittany Moeai singled and LaRosa scored on a throwing error, giving the Bruins a 5-4 lead. Punahou graduate Mysha Sataraka followed with another RBI single.

After UH left two runners in scoring position in the top of the sixth, UCLA added two more runs in the bottom of the inning with Carda driving in a run and Maurice driving in Spaulding for the third time.

Kanani Aina Cabrales and Kayla Wartner, Rachel Lack (3), Lindsey Willmon (6) . Selina Ta’amilo, Ally Carda (4) and Britany Moeai. W–Carda. L–Aina Cabrales. Leading hitters–Hawaii: Willmon, RBI; Kayla Wartner, 2-4, Keiki Carlos, 2-4; Heather Morales, RBI; Tayana, Mata, 3B 2 RBIs. UCLA: Carda, RBI; Delaney Spaulding, 3-3, 3 2B, RBI; Gabrielle Maurice, 3-4, 3 RBIs; Mysha Sataraka, RBI; Gracie Goulder, 2-3.