Feb. 10, 2006
Box Score
HONOLULU, Hawaii - Hawaii used four runs in the first inning and never trailed as they held off UTA for a 10-4 victory in day one of the Paradise Softball Classic at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium late Thursday.
The loss kept UTA (0-2) winless on the opening day of the tournament. earlier, UTA was defeated by loyola Marymount, 8-5.
Hawai`i jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first. The inning was highlighted by a two run double down the leftfield line by freshman centerfielder Tanisha Milca. The hit, which came in Milca's first collegiate at bat, drove in Tyleen Tausaga, who walked, and Audrey Andrade who had reached on an infield single. Milca, who on the play advanced to third when the leftfielder mishandled the ball in the corner, eventually scored off an Alana Power single to left.
After shutting down the Mavericks the first three innings, Justine Smethurst (1-0) ran into some trouble in the fourth. With one out, UTA rightfielder Autumn Petrino hit a triple to left-centerfield. The next two batters, catcher Courtni Anderson and April Clougherty both walked. That set the table for leftfielder Katie Jones who promptly hit a double inside the rightfield line, scoring two runs. Both Clougherty and Jones eventually scored on a pair of wild pitches to knot the game at 4-4.
But the Rainbow Wahine responded immediately in the bottom of the inning. Freshman third baseman Clare Warwick hit a line shot home run that left the field in a hurry to straightaway center. It was Warwick's first hit as a Rainbow Wahine. Three batters later, Tausaga crushed a deep home run over the center field wall driving in sophomore shortstop Valana Manuma.
Hawai`i extended their lead in the fifth. Milca led the inning off with a single up the middle. She alertly took second when the UTA defense got lax on the ending of the play. Junior second baseman Alana Power walked, and freshman Richie Anne Titcomb entered as a pinch runner for Power. Milca and Titcomb executed a double steal. That left runners on second and third for Robinson, who then hit a single past a drawn-in infield to left, scoring Milca. Senior catcher Kristi Yoshizawa stepped to the plate and hit a sharp, two-run single down the rightfield line, scoring Titcomb and Robinson.
Freshman Smethurst earned her first collegiate victory, throwing 4.0 innings, giving up four runs, three hits, four walks, and four strike outs. Sophomore Kate Robinson then stifled UTA, allowing only one hit and striking out two in 3.0 innings of work for the save.
