UH softball falls to Portland State, gets win over Utah Valley

One strike away from a disheartening sweep, Tayana Mata helped the University of Hawaii softball team scratch out a split of its doubleheader on Saturday.

Less than 24 hours after pounding out 19 runs in wins over Utah Valley and Portland State, the Rainbow Wahine managed just one in their first 13 innings in the second day of the Bank of Hawaii Invitational at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

After losing to Portland State 1-0 in their first game of the afternoon, the Wahine trailed Utah Valley 3-1 going into the seventh inning. They closed to within a run on Kanani Aina Cabrales’ single with one out, but the tying run was thrown out at the plate.

Mata, UH’s senior second baseman, then went down two strikes before drilling a single into left field to score Aina Cabrales with the tying run. After an Ulu Matagiese single and a walk loaded the bases, a wild pitch allowed Mata to score giving UH a 4-3 win.

“I felt really good helping my team because we were having a really difficult time and all of a sudden it just decided to click in the last inning,” Mata said. “It was an ugly win, but we won.”

The rally, which began with Keiki Carlos’ single and Heather Morales’ double off the right-field fence, gave Aina Cabrales (5-2) her second win of the tournament. The junior right-hander gave up five hits, struck out six and walked two.

The finish to the day provided the Wahine with a boost heading into a third meeting with Utah Valley today at 12:30 p.m. to close the tournament.

“Jekyll and Hyde,” UH coach Bob Coolen said of the Saturday struggles following Friday’s outburst at the plate. “We did not show up to play and that’s a sign of a young team. … This will be a good lesson learned.”

After scoring a 10-1 win over Portland State in five innings on Friday, the Wahine couldn’t solve Vikings freshman Alyssa Burk in the rematch.

Burk entered the game with a 9.55 earned-run average in 32⁄3 innings with eight walks and one strikeouts. But she kept UH off balance for most of her second start of the season, striking out 10 while holding the Wahine to two hits.

“It was really just the riseballs and outside pitched that were getting us off balance,” Aina Cabrales said. “Even though in the second game they were throwing the same things we made a better adjustment toward the end.”

The Vikings scored the game’s lone run when Kortney Craker led off the top of the second with a home run to left off of UH sophomore Brittany Hitchcock, who allowed six hits, struck out one and walked none in the loss.

After giving up a walk in the bottom of the first, Burk retired 12 straight — eight on strikeouts and three on infield popups — until Matagiese broke up the no-hitter with a two-out double in the bottom of the fifth. Matagiese advanced to third on a wild pitch but was left there on a strikeout.

UH threatened again in the sixth when Breanna Ojala doubled and moved up on a wild pitch. Sarah Muzik followed with a fly to shallow center and PSU’s Lexi Goranson threw Ojala out a the plate.

At Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium

Alyssa Burk and Katherine Kramer. Brittany Hitchcock and Heather Cameron. W—Burk. L—Hitchcock.

Leading hitters—Portland State: Ashley Smith, 2B; Kortney Craker, 2-3, HR. Hawaii: Ulu Matagiese, 2B; Breanna Ojala, 2B.

Makayla Shadle, Bailey Moore (2), Kellee Ramsey (4), Dynasty Lauvai (7), Ramsey (7) and Dana De La Torre. Kanani Aina Cabrales and Heather Cameron. W—Aina Cabrales. L—Lauvai.

Leading hitters—Utah Valley: Brittney Vansway, RBI; Taleigh Williams, 2B, RBI; Morgan Smith, 2B. Hawaii: Heather Morales, 3-4, 2B; Tayana Mata, 2 RBIs.

Saturday’s early game

Portland State 8, Utah Valley 7

Today

Portland State vs. Utah Valley, 10 a.m.

Utah Valley vs, Hawaii, 12:30 p.m.