UH-Hilo’s softball team got contributions from the most well-known player on its traveling squad and one of its least heralded to eke out a victory at the Tournament of Champions on Saturday.
Senior slugger Bailey Gaspar hit a go-ahead two-run double in the bottom of the sixth inning, finishing with four RBIs, and freshman Megan Berrelleza retired all four batters she faced in her first college pitching appearance as the Vulcans beat Cal State East Bay 6-5 in Turlock, Calif.
Earlier, UHH’s first game against Cal State Dominguez was canceled because of rain.
Maria Steadmon started the rally in the sixth with a single, and Skylar Thomas doubled her home to make the score 5-4. Two outs later, Kiarra Lincoln walked to set the table for Gaspar, who delivered again and finished with three hits.
She also keyed a three-run rally in the fifth with a bases-loaded double that drove in Darian Obara, who reached on a walk, and Mari Kawano, who singled, tying the game 2-2. Isabelle Mejia’s hit brought home Gaspar, but the Vulcans’ lead would be short-lived after Cal State East Bay (13-20) scored twice off Leah Gonzales, who was working in relief of senior ace Cyanne Fernandez.
Berrelleza, who had appeared in 10games this year, mostly as a pinch hitter, came on to get the final out of the top of sixth.
Fernandez gave up two-run scoring doubles in the first inning and was charged with four hits, striking out two. Gonzalez yielded six hits and three runs (two earned) in 2 2/3. She walked one and struck out two.
Thomas hit two doubles and Kawano and Meija also finished with two hits each.
On Sunday, UH Hilo is scheduled to play two more teams from the California Collegiate Athletic Association — Cal State San Bernardino and Cal State Monterey Bay.
Vulcans men’s tennis continues to roll
Debuting as the No. 5 team in D-II, the UH-Hilo men’s tennis team swept all three doubles matches to beat Concordia 7-2 in Costa Mesa, Calif., for its seventh win in a row, improving to 10-1.
Vaclav Slezak and Alessandro Giuliato also improved to 10-1 on the year with wins at Nos. 1-2 singles, respectively, both in straight sets. That duo also cruised at No. 1 doubles (8-3). Chun En Wu and Gregory Zukeran were also double winners, with Wu surviving Daniel Reddmann at No. 3 singles (3-6, 7-5 10-5) and teaming with Zukeran at No. 3 doubles to roll 8-3. Zukeran won on singles court six over Shimon Murakami, 6-3, 6-2.
Alex Fillat Perez and Bruno Figlia completed the doubles sweep on court two, 8-4.
The UH-Hilo women lost 6-3 to Concordia, falling to 6-7 on the season.
Men
No. 5 UH-Hilo 7, Concordia 2
#24 Vaclav Slezak (UHH) def. Florian Mayer (CUI), 6-3, 6-4.
#36 Alessandro Giuliato (UHH) def. Joseph Bray (CUI), 6-0, 6-0.
#65 Chun En Wu (UHH) def. Daniel Reddmann (CUI), 3-6, 7-5, 10-5.
Thomas Kyle (CUI) def. Alex Fillat Perez (UHH), 6-3, 5-7, 10-6.
Man Hon Ko (CUI) def. #51 Arturo Dell`eva (UHH), 6-2, 6-3.
Gregory Zukeran (UHH) def. Shimon Murakami (CUI), 6-3, 6-2.
Doubles
Slezak\Giuliato (UHH) def. Mayer\Reddmann (CUI), 8-3.
Fillat Perez\Bruno Figlia (UHH) def. Kyle\Hon Ko (CUI), 8-4
Zukeran\Wu (UHH) def. Murakami\Nikita Katsnelson (CUI), 8-3
Women
Concordia 6, UH-Hilo 3
Singles
#34 Anastasiia Kuprina (CUI) def. Devanshi Bhimjiyani (UHH), 6-0, 6-4.
#13 Ghazal Pakbaten (CUI) def. Daniela Sanz (UHH), 6-2, 7-5.
Johanna Keeline (CUI) def. Sara Marin (UHH), 5-7, 7-5, 10-8.
Marina Colvee (UHH) def. Samantha Schuster (CUI), 6-7, 7-5, 10-5.
Carmelle Joyner (UHH) def. Ghada Al-Ajeely (CUI), 6-1, 6-4.
Kathrine Jensen (CUI) def. Irena Le (UHH), 6-3, 6-3.
Doubles
Kuprina/Schuster (CUI) def. Sanz\Bhimjiyani (UHH), 8-7 (9-7).
Keeline/Pakbaten (CUI) def Colvee/Joyner (UHH), 8-1.
Le/Marin (UHH) def. Haley Diefenbach/Al-Ajeely (CUI), 8-6.