As expected, UH-Hilo softball’s team didn’t garner an invite to the NCAA Division II tournament Monday, remaining 10th in the West Region.
It was far from a lost weekend on Oahu, however, for the 30-win Vulcans, who wrapped up their most successful season since 2013, the last time they reached regionals, with a sweep against Chaminade.
The victories, 7-1 and 10-3, were highlighted by one last blast from Bailey Gaspar as well as an another encouraging sign for the future from freshman Kiarra Lincoln.
Lincoln, a Kamehameha graduate, was named the Pacific West Conference Player of the Week on Monday after she went 2 for 4 in each game of the doubleheader in Honolulu, smacking a home run and a double in the second game after doubling in the first game and scoring five runs in all.
“She did a wonderful job this year,” coach Callen Perreira said. “She’s very good.”
Lincoln, a slick-fielding infielder, finished the season with a .308 batting average, three home runs, 14 doubles and 46 runs scored.
Half of the eight teams in the West Regional hail from the PacWest. PacWest champ Concordia (44-12, 26-6 PacWest) got an automatic playoff bid and will host one subregional, while Cal Baptist (33-10, 25-7), Dixie State (38-8, 22-8) and Academy of Art (39-16, 22-10) are also headed to the playoffs.
The Vulcans (31-15, 19-9) were fifth in the conference and were not only hurt by two defeats at the hands of Academy of Art late in the season but also seven rain outs – UHH never did get to host Hawaii Pacific after a doubleheader between the rivals was wiped out three times by rain.
“I enjoyed them and we enjoyed each other,” Perreira said. “They were hard workers and I was pleased with the effort.”
“You can make a lot excuses, the weather, the schedule didn’t help us, but like I tell them, reflect on the positive.”
Gaspar was a positive from the beginning of her career until to end, and the senior slugger went out with a bang Saturday. Her school-record 35th career home run was a grand slam and in going 4 for 8 she finished 2018 with a school-record 15 home runs and a record-tying 54 RBIs to go along with a .404 batting average.
Senior Cyanne Fernandez went the distance in the second game to finish 16-5 with a 2.75 ERA, and sophomore Leah Gonzalez (8-3, 3.16) pitched a complete game in the opener.
Former Campbell (Oahu) ace Danielle Cervantes took a redshirt but could be counted on to eat up major innings in 2019.
Gaspar will leave a whole in the middle of the order, but she said the offense is capable hands with players such as Lincoln, Brinell Kaleikini (.361, six homers, 39 RBIs) and Isabelle Mejia (.327, 7, 36) eligible to return next season.
Gaspar, an imposing hitter at 5-foot-7, couldn’t help but be impressed by how quickly the 5-0 Lincoln caught on at the next level.
“She’s got it,” Gaspar said. “She’s small but she has so much power and she’s so quick.”