Wahine end on high note

The afternoon started with tears and ended with a few more. 

In between, the University of Hawaii softball team celebrated senior day with a 7-1 win over UC Davis to close the regular season on Saturday.

Keiki Carlos hit the first grand slam of her career in the second inning, Heather Morales added UH’s 10th homer of the series in the fifth and freshman Brittany Hitchcock took a shutout into the seventh on her way to a complete-game victory.

"We just wanted to go all out for the seniors this weekend," Carlos said. "We scored a bunch of runs this week. It’s good we got that momentum early and got to send the seniors out in a great way."

The Rainbow Wahine won five of their last six games to close at 32-22 overall and finished third in the Big West at 13-8 — three games behind conference champion Cal State Northridge — with the sweep of UC Davis (18-31, 6-15).

Senior days are typically packed with emotion, and rather than being sidetracked by the postgame farewells for Jordan Burton, Leisha Li’ili’i and Kayla Wartner, UH coach Bob Coolen said the Wahine "came out with emotion to win the game and make a statement."

The tone was set with the ceremonial first pitch with team manager Justine Tjaden, whose playing career was cut short by a rare disease in high school, throwing to Wartner, her club softball teammate.

"I’m not a crier and just looking at Kayla and seeing her catch me again just got me really emotional," said Tjaden, who shared a hug with Wartner after the pitch.

Wartner had to quickly gather herself. She walked in her first three plate appearances before nearly ending the game in the bottom of the sixth. With UH up 7-0, she launched a drive to center field that appeared might bring the mercy rule into effect. Instead it hit less than a foot below the top of the fence for a long single.

"I’m just happy I was able to put the ball in play and make something happen in my last at-bat," she said. "I’m going to remember that forever, that I did hit the fence."

Li’ili’i also singled in her final at-bat, a shot down the first-base line, to cap one of the program’s most prolific careers. She started every game over the past four years and finished her career as a .334 hitter with 49 home runs after going 7-for-9 with two homers in her final series at home.

"Actually it’s more than I expected," Li’ili’i said of senior day. "Just to see my family and extended family come just meant a lot to me, made it even more emotional.

"Surprisingly I didn’t think about it being my last at-bat. What hit me more was the last play on defense. That last out it hit me, ‘This is it, I’m done.’ "

Burton, a reserve outfielder most of her career, provided a spark in UH’s surge in the last two weekends and made a running catch toward the line in left field for the second out in the seventh inning. 

"It’s been a very special day for me and the other seniors, being here to end it together on a really great note," Burton said.

"I played it like another day, but at the end, the last three outs, there’s a lot going in my mind about what’s going to happen after the game I’m so thrilled."

An error allowed UC Davis’ lone run to score. After a single extended the game another batter, Wartner called the infield together.

"I said, ‘I know you guys don’t want us to leave, but we gotta finish this game,’ " Wartner said.

Third baseman Rachel Lack ended it by catching a liner and promptly gave the ball to Wartner as the team readied for the postgame ceremony.

"You just hope the best for them and wish them the best and we’ll see them later in the alumni game," Coolen said.

Leah Munden, Alicia Paine (2) and Phalen Cochran. Brittany Hitchcock and Kayla Wartner. W–Hitchcock. L–Munden.

Leading hitters–UCD: Christa Castello, 3B; Brianna Warner, 2-4; Kelly Zboralske, 2-3, 2B. Hawaii: Keiki Carlos, grand slam; Heather Morales, 2-3, HR; Ulu Matagiese, 2-3, 2B, RBI; Tayana Mata, RBI.