Long Beach takes out Wahine

Long Beach State’s cluster of hits in the fourth inning was enough to overcome Hawaii’s bursts of power in the 49ers’ 4-2 win on Friday in the opening game of a Big West softball series.

The 49ers bunched five hits in a three-run rally in the top of the fourth inning and LBSU right-hander Christina Clermont held the Rainbow Wahine to three hits — although two left the ballpark — as LBSU (17-21, 4-3 Big West) extended its winning streak over Hawaii (23-17, 4-3) to six, dating back to the 2013 season.

"It’s our nemesis team," UH coach Bob Coolen said after the 49ers extended their overall lead in the series to 55-26.

Their latest series concludes with a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 4 p.m. on "Power in Pink" day at RWSS.

"We’ve come back before. We know Long Beach is a great team; we just need to play our game and make the small adjustments that need to be made tomorrow," UH right fielder Keiki Carlos said.

UH struggled to adjust to Clermont’s rise ball on Friday and the sophomore struck out nine, walked three and gave up solo home runs to Carlos and Rachel Lack. But she kept the Rainbow Wahine off balance for most of the night and improved to 10-6 overall and 4-0 in Big West play.

She entered the game with a 0.78 earned-run average in four appearances since the start of conference play.

"They manufactured runs; we just went with the long ball," Coolen said. "We did not manufacture anything against her at all.

"She did a good job. She was never on the plate 0-2, all her 0-2 pitches are way outside. Our 0-2, 1-2 pitches were all on the plate. So they were manufacturing runs when we were ahead in the count."

Kanani Aina Cabrales (12-11) gave up nine hits, struck out three and walked none in a complete-game effort and took the loss.

Two UH throwing errors with two out in the top of the first inning helped LBSU take the lead. With Leilani Tupua-Tautalatasi on first, Lauren Lombardi grounded to third and the throw to first sailed wide. Carlos came in from right field to back up the play and her throw to the plate ricocheted off first-base umpire Mark Carver, allowing Tupua-Tautalatasi to race home with the game’s first run.

"He honestly came out of nowhere," Carlos said. "I came to cover the throw at first and I grabbed it and he flew out of nowhere. … Normally that never happens."

Carlos got the run back in the third when she hit her sixth home run of the season.

But LBSU responded with back-to-back singles to open the top of the fourth and Summer Pohl doubled to left to drive in Darian Tautalafua with the go-ahead run. One out later, LT Torres lined a two-run single into left-center to give the 49ers a 4-1 lead. Pohl came up with her double on a 2-2 pitch and Torres worked the count full when she singled.

"That’s awesome when your team can do that," Clermont said. "It makes you feel a lot looser and relaxed going into the next inning."

Lack cut the lead to 4-2 by hitting her third home run in the past four games in the bottom of the fourth, but Clermont retired 10 of the next 11 hitters, the exception a Leisha Li‘ili‘i single in the sixth.

"She just has a nice riser and we were all chasing it; we’re not being disciplined in the box," Carlos said. "So we have to make the little adjustments, laying off certain pitches and having a more aggressive mind-set at the plate."

At Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium

Christina Clermont and Lauren Lombardi. Kanani Aina Cabrales and Kayla Wartner. W—Clermont. L—Aina Cabrales.

Leading hitters—Long Beach State: Lauren Lombardi, 2-4; Haley Tobler, 2-3; Summer Pohl, 2B, RBI; LT Torres, 2 RBIs. Hawaii: Keiki Carlos, HR; Rachel Lack, HR.

BIG WEST STANDINGS

Friday
Long Beach State 4, Hawaii 2

Saturday
Cal State Fullerton at UC Riverside (DH), 9 a.m.
Cal Poly at UC Davis (DH), 9 a.m.
CSUN at UC Santa Barbara (DH), 9 a.m.
Long Beach State at Hawaii (DH), 4 p.m.

Sunday
CSUN at UC Santa Barbara, 9 a.m.
Cal Poly at UC Davis, 9 a.m.
Cal State Fullerton at UC Riverside, 9 a.m.