And then there was one — wins that is for UH-Hilo to clinch the PacWest Hawaii pod softball championship.
And then there was one — wins that is for UH-Hilo to clinch the PacWest Hawaii pod softball championship.
With the bats banging out 13 hits Saturday, Leah Gonzales delivered a complete game in a 9-1 TKO win against Hawaii Pacific in Kaneohe, Oahu, that put the Vulcans on the cusp of reaching the regional-qualifying pod tournament.
HPU won the first game 4-3, but the Vuls (13-6) broke the second game open with a seven-run fifth inning that included seven hits, two off the bat of Kamaile Labasan. Vevesi Liilii hit an RBI double, Markie Okamoto hit a two-run single and Kiarra Lincoln, Chloe Domingo and Skylar Thomas each brought in runs with hits.
Through two doubleheader splits, UHH has started four different pitchers. Gonzales (5-1) struck out three in the six-inning five-hitter.
Thomas enjoyed a big day.
She accounted for the Vuls’ offense in the opener, clubbing a three-run home run, and had four hits on the day. Darian Obara had five, including three in the second game, when Lincoln and Domingo also had two hits.
Freshman Malia Risdall (0-1) started the opener and was outdueled by Malia Torres, who scattered eight hits for a complete-game win in which she didn’t surrender an earned run.
Risdall went six innings, settling down after HPU (4-11) scored two runs in each of the first two innings. She walked two and didn’t strike out a batter.
The team play another doubleheader at noon Sunday before coming to Hilo for a three-game series May 6-7.
