Wahine’s Hitchcock baffles Marist with 11 Ks

On a muggy night in Manoa, Brittany Hitchcock and Heather Morales stayed hot to lead the University of Hawaii softball team to a 2-0 win over Marist on Saturday in the Outrigger Spring Fling Tournament.

Morales drove in two runs in the bottom of the first inning, Hitchcock tied her career high with 11 strikeouts and the Rainbow Wahine (14-9) picked up their sixth win in the past seven games.

Hitchcock gave up a leadoff single to start the game then retired 17 of Marist’s next 18 hitters before running into a bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning. She protected the lead with her ninth strikeout of the night and added two more in the seventh while closing out her fourth shutout of the season.

Since a loss to Seattle on March 3, Hitchcock is 4-1 with a save and has allowed two runs with 32 strikeouts and three walks in 321⁄3 innings.

“I didn’t feel like I was getting that many strikeouts tonight,” said Hitchcock, who generally relies on her infield to produce outs. “But then looking back I got 11 so it’s just a good night I guess.”

While Hitchcock took care of 11 outs herself, second baseman Sarah Muzik made a nifty scoop on a sharp one-hopper in the third inning and made a diving stop to her backhand side for an out in the sixth.

“Sarah made some incredible plays,” UH coach Bob Coolen said.

Morales came up with the bases loaded in the bottom of the first and drilled a single through the right side of the infield to give Hitchcock all the run support she needed.

The senior first baseman has hit safely in the past seven games, going 11-for-21 in that stretch to raise her batting average from .256 to .344. She moved into the team lead with 17 runs batted in, breaking a tie with Nicole Lopez.

Marist left-hander Jessica Van Alphen (3-2) kept the Wahine from adding to the lead, but Hitchcock remained in control until the Red Foxes threatened in the sixth.

After a Marist single and an error with two out, UH coach Bob Coolen went out for a visit. Hitchcock said the message was “just to stay confident in my pitches, make sure I’m using the legs. … He said just stick to your pitches, don’t overthink it and go at them.”

Marist loaded the bases when Janna Korak reached on a fielder’s choice grounder between third and shortstop. But Hitchcock struck out Gabrielle Kelliher on four pitches to keep the shutout intact.

No. 20 Utah clinched the tournament title with a 17-3 rout of Toledo on Saturday to complete a 5-0 stay in Hawaii.

UH is 3-1 in the tournament and faces Marist again today at 2 p.m. in the finale. The Wahine will have Monday off before opening the Hawaii Pacific Health Rainbow Wahine Classic, the last of five home nonconference tournaments, on Tuesday.

At Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium

>> Marist (9-7) 000 000 0 — 0 2 1

>> Hawaii (14-9) 200 000 x — 2 5 1

Jessica Van Alphen and Rebecca Freeman. Brittany Hitchcock and Callee Heen. W—Hitchcock. L—Van Alphen.

Leading hitters—Hawaii: Heather Morales, 2 RBIs.

Saturday

>> Toledo 2, Charleston Southern 1

>> Utah 17, Toledo 3

>> Charleston Southern 9, Marist 6

Today

>> Marist vs. Hawaii, 2 p.m.

PREP SCOREBOARD

ILH SOFTBALL

Maryknoll 14, No. 2 Kamehameha 4, 6 inn.
At Sand Island

KSK (2-1-1) 030 010 — 4 6 1

Maryknoll (2-1) 410 603 — 14 13 4

Reese Mokuao, Alyssa Manoe (2), Shayle Alani (4), Manoe (5) and Kyler Stephens, Mo Hasegawa (5). Maia McNicholl and Caylie Kahele. W—McNicholl. L—Mokuao.

Leading hitters—KS: Alani 2-3. Mryk: Nohea Hee 2-4, 2 RBIs, Logan Carlos 3-3; Kanoe Tanigawa 2-4, 3 RBIs, Kamalei Labasan 2-3; Kahele 2-4, 4 RBIs.

St. Francis 15, Mid-Pacific 1, 5 inn.
At Mid-Pacific

St. Francis (2-2) 330 27 — 15 12 0

Mid-Pacific (0-3) 100 00 — 1 6 3

Kailee Mahelona and Kalyn Higa. Lea Hanawahine, Michaela Fonoti (1) and Lia Nakamoto. W—Mahelona. L—Fonoti.

Leading hitters—StF: Kaena Keliinoi 2b, 3 runs; Joerdan Lovell 2-3, 2b, RBI, 3 runs; Sammie Ofoia HR, 3 RBIs, 3 runs; Jordyn Lono 3-4, 2b, 3 RBIs, 2 runs; Mahelona 2-3, 2b, 2 RBIs, run; Hailey Matsumura 2b, 2 RBIs, run; Kenna Santos 2b. MPI: Beyli Correa 2-3, run; Fonoti 2-2, RBI; McKenna Silva 2b.

No. 6 Punahou 17, Pac-Five 0, 5 inn.
At Punahou

Pac-Five (0-3) 000 00 — 0 3 6

Pun (3-1) (12)20 3X — 17 11 0

Megan Yoshioka, Mailani Dias (1), Kiara Peterson (4) and Hi‘ialo Apo. Bailey Akimseu, Jolie Fujita (2), Kara Tsuruda (4), Hope Barkai (5) and Janell Sato. W—Akimseu. L—Yoshioka.

Leading hitters—Pun: Kennedy Ishii 2-4, RBI, 3 runs; Maya Matsubara 2-3, 2b, 2 RBIs, 3 runs; D’Asha Saiki 2 RBIs, run; Fujita 2 RBIs, 2 runs; Sato 2-2, 2b, 4 RBIs, run; Ashley Nakagawa 2 runs; Lauryn Tachino 2b, RBI, run; Kelsey Wong 2b, RBI, run.

OIA EAST SOFTBALL

Moanalua 11, Kailua 5
At Moanalua

Kailua (2-1) 004 100 0 — 5 7 1

Moan (3-0-1) 434 000 X — 11 10 6

Dyani Cummings, Desiree Chang (4) and Denise Nagayama. Mari Kimoto, Jada Young (5), Shanelle Lum (7) and Raven Rosa-Lasco. W—Kimoto. L—Cummings.

Leading hitters—Kail: Chang 2 RBIs, run; Cummings 2-2, 2b, RBI, run. Moan: Summer Kamioka 2 RBIs; Rheyl Arakawa-Lee 2 runs; Rosa-Lasco 2 RBIs; Kyler Tsukada 2-3, HR, RBI, run; Kylie Kawelo GS, 4 RBIs, run; Hilari Balenti 2-3, 2b, 2 runs.

Kaiser 12, Kalaheo 6
At Kalaheo

Kaiser (2-0-1) 050 004 3 — 12 13 9

Kalaheo (1-2) 101 001 3 — 6 3 6

Primrose Aholelei and Precious Aholelei. Michelle Sasaki and Skyla Bain. W—Primrose Aholelei. L—Sasaki.

Leading hitters—Kais: Kayla Russell 3-3, 3 2bs, 2 RBIs, 3 runs; Primrose Aholelei 2b, 2 RBIs, run; Tahani Kahawai-Robertson 3-5, 3 RBIs, run; Precious Aholelei 2-5, 2b, run; Tehani Aquino 3b, 2 runs. Kalh: Bain 3 runs; Sasaki HR, 2 RBIs, 2 runs; Tiffani Beach 2b, RBI, run.

Also — Farrington 7, Castle 0, forfeit

OIA WEST SOFTBALL

No. 1 Campbell 7, Waianae 4
At Waianae

Campbell (3-0) 004 020 1 — 7 7 1

Waianae (0-3) 002 200 0 — 4 5 0

Jade Behic, Daniella Cervantes (4) and Jocelyn Alo. Kayla Hensley and Tyra Pai. W—Cervantes. L—Hensley.

Leading hitters—Camp: Cieana Curran 3-3, 4 RBIs, HR. Wain: Pai 3-4, 2b, RBI.

No. 3 Pearl City 9, No. 5 Kapolei 3, 8 inn.
At Kapolei

Pearl City (3-0) 210 000 06 — 9 13 1

Kapolei (1-2) 100 001 10 — 3 9 6

Tyanna Kaaialii and Hailey-Alexis Yamaguchi. Sadie Kapaku-You, Tatum Guzman (8) and Lili Kaimi. W—Kaaialii. L—Kapaku-You.

Leading hitters—PC: Darian Obara 2-5, RBI, run; Noel Saunders 2-5, 2 RBIs; Yamaguchi 2-5, RBI; Taylor Shigeta 3-4, two 2bs, 2 runs. Kapo: Chasity McKean 2-3, RBI, run; Guzman 2-4.

OIA DIVISION II SOFTBALL

Radford 22, Waipahu 4, 5 inn.
At Radford

Waipahu (1-4) 000 31 — 4 5 0

Radford (2-0) 705 91 — 22 8 2

Sala Veu, Aysia Fujishige-Lapot (5) and Cierra Columbini. Abigail Wilson, Baileigh Susak (4) and Alden Steyeart. W—Wilson. L—Veu.

Leading hitters—Rad: Alina Nashion 2-3, 2b, HR, 2 RBIs; Susak 3-3, 6 RBIs.

Kalani 10, McKinley 0, 6 inn.
At Kalani

McKinley (0-2) 000 000 — 0 2 0

Kalani (1-0) 160 012 — 10 12 0

Pamela Espinda and Gabrielle Viramontes. Cherise Horita and Jazzlynn Furuya. W—Horita. L—Espinda.

Leading hitters—Kaln: Furuta 2-4, run; Horita 3-3, two 2bs, 2 RBIs, 2 runs; Kylie Pagud 3b, 2 RBIs, run; Chelsie Nakamura 2-4, 2 RBIs.

Also — Kaimuki 10, Kahuku 6