Western Illinois stifles UH offense

Coming in from the chill of the midwest, Kacyee Hart and her Western Illinois teammates soaked in some beach time Wednesday morning. 

When things got tense later that night, Hart kept her cool to fend off a Hawaii rally and the Leathernecks handed the Rainbow Wahine softball team a 3-2 loss on the opening night of the Hawaii Pacific Health Rainbow Wahine Classic.

"We’re just really excited to be here," Hart said. "This morning we went out to the beach and I thought that energy kind of transferred to this game, just nice and relaxed and calm."

Hart, a junior right-hander, kept the Wahine off balance throughout the night and Western Illinois built a 3-0 lead in the sixth inning. 

UH (17-10) scratched out a run in the sixth when Kayla Wartner scored on a wild pitch and the drama picked up in the seventh as the Wahine mounted a two-out rally.

Hart got the first two outs of the inning then hit Rachel Lack with a pitch and walked Leisha Li’lli’i.

Kristina Akiona drilled a grounder that got though second baseman Kelsey Marlow into right field and Lack scored on the error. With Li’ili’i representing the tying run on second, Hart got Wartner swinging to end the game with her seventh strikeout. 

"We worked a lot on the mental game in the offseason and I think that’s really helped me out," Hart said. "Coach (Holly Van Vlymen) and I work on refocusing between every pitch."

Hart (3-2) kept the UH hitters off balance by mixing in an effective change up and the Wahine were consistently under her offerings in lifting five flyouts and four pop ups in the first five innings.

"I told the team at the end we gave ourselves a chance to win that ballgame, which is all I ask for," UH coach Bob Coolen said. 

"We have an easy mantra — see the ball, hit the ball — and we weren’t seeing the ball. We were getting hooked on the change up and then they were too slow on her other pitches, which seemed much faster."

The Western Illinois offense mustered seven hits and two runs off of UH starter Kanani Aina Cabrales, who went 4 1/3 innings and took the loss. Karissa Kouchis’ two-out RBI single off of reliever Heather Morales in the sixth proved to be the game’s deciding swing.

The five-day tournament continues Thursday with the Wahine set to face Virginia Tech (17-3) at 6 p.m. The Hokies opened the tournament with a 6-1 win over St. Bonaventure.

"(Hart) did a nice job against us and we have to recoup because (Thursday) night we’re going to see a girl that has 80 or 90 strikeouts in 50-something innings," Coolen said of Virginia Tech ace Maggie Tyler, who enters the game with 92 strikeouts in 13 appearances. 

Brittany Hitchcock (8-3) will get the start for UH, which entered Wednesday’s play having won eight of its past nine. 

Western Illinois, a member of the Summitt League, had played just 10 games entering the tournament and manufactured the game’s first run in the top of the fourth. 

Tierny Bottino led off the inning with her second double of the game and Holly Hoelting was hit by a pitch. Nina Maggio then hit a fly ball to center and Bottino tagged up to advance to third. The back runner then got caught in a rundown, giving Bottino time to score. 

Marlow’s RBI single in the fifth ended Aina Cabrales’ night and Kouchis padded the lead in the sixth. 

Kacyee Hart and Lia Romeo, Taylor Messer (7). Kanani Aina Cabrales, Heather Morales (5) and Kayla Wartner. W–Aina Cabrales. L–Hart. 

Leading hitters–Western Illinois: Kelsey Marlow, 2-4, RBI; Tierny Bottino, 2-4, 2 2B; Karissa Kouchis, RBI.

Wednesday

Virginia Tech 6, St. Bonaventure 1

Thursday

Western Illinois vs. St. Bonaventure, 3:30 p.m.

Virginia Tech vs. Hawaii, 6 p.m.