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JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM
UH's Kristina Akiona, left, fielded a short grounder to get Utah outfielder Maddy Woodard out at first in the second inning Saturday at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
A night after having its 12-game winning streak snapped, Utah ended the University of Hawaii softball team’s five-game run with an 8-1 win on Saturday at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
Utah right-hander Katie Donovan held UH to one hit and struck out eight over five innings and the Utes took control with a three-run second inning to improve to 17-5 overall and 3-1 in the Outrigger Resorts Spring Fling Tournament.
UH fell to 14-9 overall and 2-1 in the tournament and faces Utah again at noon on Sunday in the first game of the doubleheader at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. UH closes the tournament against East Carolina in the second game.
Utah, which fell to ECU 4-0 on Friday in its first loss since Feb. 14, took the lead on back-to-back doubles by Kate Dickman and Bridget Castro in the top of the first inning. Hanna Flippen added an RBI single in the top of the second and consecutive walks to load the bases ended Kanani Aina Cabrales’ start for UH. Heather Morales entered in relief and Kristen Stewart drove in two more runs with a single to center.
UH put runners on second and third in the bottom of the fourth and got on the board on Ulu Matagiese’s sacrifice line out to left field.
But Utah pulled away again with a four-run outburst in the top of the fifth. Four singles and two UH errors fueled the rally with Maddy Woodard, Hannah Flippen and Castro driving in runs for the Utes.
Mariah Ramirez relieved Donovan in the sixth and held UH without a hit in two innings to close out the game.
