After seeing scoring opportunities slide by early on, the University of Hawaii softball team hustled its way to a comeback victory over Coastal Carolina on Friday to cap the opening day of the Pepsi Malihini Kipa Aloha Tournament.
Trailing by a run in the bottom of the seventh inning, Ulu Matagiese scored from second on a double play to send the game into extra innings. Breanna Ojala then beat a throw to the plate in the eighth to give UH a 3-2 win at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
The Wahine (11-8) opened the tournament with a 13-4 loss to Stanford and the comeback against Coastal Carolina (8-9) gave freshman left-hander Jennifer Iseri a complete-game victory in her first collegiate start.
“It was exciting, but it was more so trying to keep myself relaxed and trusting in my teammates that they’d have my back,” Iseri said. “They kept telling me through the game, ‘Just keep working hard and we’ll produce for you.’”
UH left 10 runners on base, six in scoring position, through the first five innings before breaking through on Nicole Lopez’s looping single into left field to score Ojala from second with two out in the sixth and cut the deficit to 2-1.
UH loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the seventh and Rachael Turner grounded back to the pitcher to start a double play. But as the Chanticleers celebrated, Matagiese continued around third and beat the throw to the plate to score the tying run.
“As soon as I turned and looked I saw the first baseman was still celebrating,” Matagiese said. “From right then I didn’t think, I just went. I just reacted to the situation.”
With the international tiebreaker in effect, CCU started the eighth with a runner on second. After a sacrifice bunt and a pop-up, a pitch went to the backstop. But catcher Heather Cameron got the ball to Iseri — her teammate from youth leagues through high school — in time to tag the runner out and preserve the tie.
“Jen is so athletic she can make that play,” UH coach Bob Coolen said, “and her and Cam have been doing that for years.”
UH loaded the bases again in the eighth, and with one out Keiki Carlos chopped a bouncer to third base and Ojala slid around the catcher to score the winning run.
Iseri struck out three, walked two and gave up six hits, surrendering her only runs on Alexis Alvino’s two-run homer in the fourth.
“We found a battery, a battery that wanted to come here since they were in the eighth grade,” Coolen said of Iseri and Cameron, “and we finally hit the ball where they couldn’t field the ball cleanly.”
The rally gave UH reason to celebrate after seeing Stanford pull away in the opener.
Stanford leadoff hitter Kylie Sorenson homered twice and drove in five runs and the Cardinal bounced back from a loss to Coastal Carolina in the tournament opener.
| At Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium |
| Stanford (8-8) 200 322 4 — 13 12 3 |
| Hawaii (10-8) 001 300 0 — 4 6 3 |
Carolyn Lee and Jessica Plaza. Kanani Aina Cabrales, Naomi Monahan (6) and Rachel Lack. W–Lee. L–Aina Cabrales.
Leading hitters–Stanford: Kylie Sorenson, 3-5, 2 HR, 5 RBIs; Kayla Bonstrom, 2-3, 2B; Bessie Noll, 2-3, HR, 2 RBIs; Plaza, 2-4, 2B, 2 RBIs; Molly Fowkes, RBI. Hawaii: Sarah Muzik, 2-4, 2 RBIs; Ulu Matagiese, 2-2; Breanna Ojala, 2B, RBI.
| Coastal Carolina (8-9) 000 200 00 — 2 6 2 |
| Hawaii (11-8) 000 001 11 — 3 8 0 |
Ashley Giulllette, Mackenzie Conrad (7) and Morgan Noad. Jennifer Isseri and Heather Cameron. W–Iseri. L–Conrad.
Leading hitters–Coastal Carolina: Bri Chiusano, 2-4; Alexis Alvino, HR, 2 RBIs. Hawaii: Nicole Lopez, RBI; Keiki Carlos, 2B, RBI; Ulu Matagiese, 2-4.
Friday’s early game
Coastal Carolina 8, Stanford 3
Today
Coastal Carolina vs. Stanford, noon
Stanford vs. Hawaii, 2:30 p.m.
Sunday
Stanford vs. Coastal Carolina, 10 a.m.
Coastal Carolina vs. Hawaii, 12:30 p.m.
