Lexie Tilton notched a game-winning walk-off hit for the second time this season, this time in mercy-rule fashion as the University of Hawaii at Hilo softball team split a Pacific West Conference play doubleheader with Azusa Pacific Monday afternoon at the Vulcan Softball Field.
After a narrow 8-6 loss to the Cougars, the Vulcans bounced back with an 8-0 mercy-rule victory as Tilton’s bases-loaded RBI single ended the game in the bottom of the fifth inning.
It was the first conference win of the season for the Vulcans and first overall win since their last non-conference doubleheader against Western Washington in late February — a 9-1 victory that ended in six innings.
“Runs just fell in place for us,” UH-Hilo head coach Aisha Sueda said. “We got timely hits, we got runners on and scored them. Defensively, we made a lot of great plays and we kept them from scoring.”
The Vulcans combined for 18 hits through both games on the afternoon, making it the most they’ve totaled during a doubleheader this season.
After two scoreless innings in game one, both teams strung together three hits apiece to plate four runs, highlighted by back-to-back doubles by Trinity Favela and Chloe Domingo. The Vulcans got the equalizing run on a booted ground ball to second base that allowed Domingo to come across the plate.
UH-Hilo added a pair of runs on another ground-ball error followed later by a solo homer by Tilton, but the Cougars scored four runs to put the game just out of reach to catch up to.
Freshman Makena Nera made her first start of the season at first base and batted 2 for 4 with eight putouts (.888).
Malia Risdall got the start in the pitching circle, going 4.0 innings with three earned runs allowed. All four of the Cougars’ runs in the third inning were unearned.
APU’s Mia Alvarez batted 2 for 4 with four RBI, the majority of which came on a bases-clearing triple in that four-run third inning.
Domingo batted 1 for 4 with two RBI and one run scored. The fifth-year senior is now eight hits away from reaching the career century mark.
In game two, the Vulcans reached double-digit hit totals for the second time this season as they matched a season-best of just three hits allowed.
Alexis Lacy went the distance in the pitching circle, facing four batters over the minimum through five innings of play.
UH-Hilo capitalized on a handful of APU miscues, the biggest ones coming in a four-run second inning as a missed suicide squeeze bunt attempt ended up bringing Brandee Chinen and Klara Cejkova-Kolaci across the plate after the Cougars mishandled both tosses on the two putout opportunities at the plate.
Tilton followed up with a triple to right field to bring in another run, increasing the Vulcans’ lead to 5-0 in the second inning. The freshman left fielder later ended the game in the bottom of the fifth with a bases-loaded bloop single to right field to bring across the eighth and final run to reach the mercy-rule limit.
After getting her first hit of the season in game one, freshman Rayna-Marie White also notched her first RBI with a pair of them in a 1 for 2 outing.
UH-Hilo moved to 1-7 in the PacWest (4-13 overall) while Azusa Pacific moved to a 3-7 record (11-12 overall). The Vulcans will head to northern California through the first week of April then hop over to Oahu before returning for its final home games against Chaminade and HPU at the end of the month.
