The University of Hawaii softball team began Friday afternoon with an overwhelming performance against San Jose State.
The Rainbow Wahine then closed the second day of the Easton Desert Classic in Las Vegas on the short end of a game ended by the mercy rule.
UH (6-3), ranked 20th and 23rd in this week’s polls, hit a school-record seven home runs in a 22-3 win over San Jose State in their first game of the day. In their second game, No. 18/19 UCLA then pulled away to an 11-1 win over the Rainbow Wahine.
The tournament continues today with UH facing No. 7/9 Oregon. The game is scheduled for 11:30 a.m.
The UH offense produced 20 runs and one home run through the season’s first seven games before overpowering San Jose State on Friday.
UH left fielder Sharla Kliebenstein led the barrage against the Spartans with two home runs. She tied a UH record by driving in eight runs. Kliebenstein hit a three-run homer in the first and another in UH’s 11-run third inning. She also had a two-run double in the second.
“(Kliebenstein) was on fire. … It was great to see everyone hitting the ball,” UH coach Bob Coolen said.
Catcher Kayla Wartner went 4-for-5 with a triple and two home runs and drove in five runs. Kelly Majam also homered for UH and Tara Anguiano and Jazmine Zamora hit the first home runs of their college careers.
“Everyone who went to the plate hit the ball hard,” Coolen said.
Kaia Parnaby gave up three runs in the first inning but struck out 12 and earned the win in the game shortened to five innings by the mercy rule.
UCLA then used the long ball to take control early.
Bruins right fielder B.B. Bates and pitcher Ally Carda both hit two-run homers in the first inning and UCLA added three more runs in the second. UCLA ended the game with a four-run fifth inning, capped by Bates’ three-run homer. Punahou graduate Mysha Sataraka drove in a run for UCLA in the fifth.
Carda struck out nine and held UH to two hits. UH freshman Keiki Carlos gave up seven runs in two innings and took the loss. Freshman Loie Kesterson surrendered four runs in 22⁄3 innings in her UH debut.
“I needed to see how Keiki and Loie are going to do against the competition,” Coolen said.
At Las Vegas, Nev.
San Jose State (4-4) 300 00 — 3 3 1
Hawaii (6-2) 46(11) 1x — 22 20 0
Madison Fish, Jordan Sauceda (3) and Dorothy Morenten. Kaia Parnaby and Kayla Wartner. W—Parnaby. L—Fish.
Leading hitters—San Jose State: Markesha Collins, HR; Devin Caldwell, 2 RBIs.
Hawaii: Kelly Majam, 3-4, HR, 3 RBIs; Wartner, 4-5, 3B, 2 HR, 5 RBIs; Keiki Carlos, RBI; Sharla Kliebenstein, 3-4, 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBIs; Jazmine Zamora, 2-3, 2B, HR, 2 RBIs; Tara Anguiano, HR, 2 RBIs; Brynne Buchanan, 2-3, RBI.
Hawaii (6-3) 001 00 — 1 2 2
UCLA (4-1) 430 04 — 11 9 0
Keiki Carlos, Loie Kesterson (3) and Kayla Wartner. Ally Carda and Alyssa Tuimalu, Brittany Moeai (4). W—Carda. L—Carlos.
Leading hitters—Hawaii: Carlos, RBI.
UCLA: B.B. Bates, 3-3, 2 HR, 5 RBIs; Jessica Hall, RBI; Carda, 2-2, HR, 2 RBIs; Mysha Sataraka, RBI.
