UH splits doubleheader, wins series

Keiki Carlos had the best view of one of the University of Hawaii softball team’s signature moments of the 2016 season.

The Rainbow Wahine senior was in the on-deck circle prepping for perhaps one more plate appearance at home when UH freshman Nicole Lopez’s flyball to left field disappeared behind the fence for a walk-off home run in a 1-0 win over Cal Poly to cap senior day at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

“I’m glad it was her, a freshman taking it for the seniors, and that’s such an awesome feeling,” a lei-covered Carlos said of her former high school teammate at Mid-Pacific. “I’m so happy for her and so proud of her.

“I just made sure it went in fair territory, but, oh my gosh, off the bat you could tell.”

UH pitcher Brittany Hitchcock and Cal Poly’s Sierra Hyland allowed three hits between them and strung 15 zeroes across the scoreboard in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader before Lopez hit her fifth home run with one out in the bottom of the eighth and UH clinched the series win.

“I was just looking to get my hands out,” Lopez said. “The whole night I struggled on getting my hands out and hitting pop-ups. I was getting solid contact, but it wasn’t to the point where I was fully extended. On that last one I got full extension on her.”

“Especially for the seniors, this is their last home game ever, and to win it like that is such an amazing feeling.”

UH (23-28, 7-11 Big West) won Friday’s opener with a three-run rally in the seventh inning and Cal Poly (24-23, 7-11) pulled out a 4-3 win in Saturday’s first game. Mustangs left fielder Courtney Tyler sparked a three-run rally in the top of the fifth inning with a leadoff triple and drove in the go-ahead run in the sixth and Hyland earned the win with 21⁄3 innings of scoreless relief.

In the second game, Hitchcock retired the first 17 batters she faced in UH’s home finale, held Cal Poly to two singles and posted her fourth shutout in a duel with Hyland.

“I think Brittany did a fabulous job and our pitching saved us until the eighth inning,” said Lopez, who handled nine chances at third base. “We just had to back her up on the hitting side.”

After the game, Carlos, Sarah McAndrew, Tayana Mata, Dori Ann Sugai and Kiani Wong were honored after UH won its 13th straight senior day finale.

“This series I felt the energy,” said Sugai, who started both games at shortstop. “This is the best we’ve played this season so far, so it means a lot to know our team was playing for one another and trying to get that win for us. It touched me.”

UH coach Bob Coolen got all five of the seniors into the finale.

McAndrew, primarily a runner off the bench, got an inning in left field. Wong, who tore the ACL in her left knee three weeks before the season opener, made her first appearance of her senior season in the fourth inning as a pinch hitter.

Hitchcock kept the Mustangs off the scoreboard and Lopez finally put a number in the run column with UH’s last swing at home of this season.

“You know she can do it. She knows she can do it,” Coolen said. “That ball earlier in the game might not have gone because the wind was coming in. But that one was at the right time.”