UH-Hilo softball team’s first game Wednesday featured a little bit of everything, including lightening and injury delays and, most important, an extra-inning loss.
That one took so long, the second game didn’t feature much of anything at all before it was stopped.
And you thought Hilo town was slow?
Get a load of this: The Vulcans and Biola were suspended in the third inning when a 10 p.m. La Mirada, Calif., city curfew came into effect, according to a UHH release.
The teams will resume their game Thursday with the Vulcans trailing 3-0 in the bottom of the third inning and trying to avoid losing three of four in the series.
The opener Wednesday took four hours, 20 minutes all told, ending when Kayla Neff singled with the bases loaded and one out in the ninth inning.
The loss for UHH (17-6, 12-3 Pacific West Conference) overshadowed a four-hit performance by Maria Steadmon and a five-run rally that tied he game in the sixth inning.
Steadmon drove in a run with a hit, Kiarra Lincoln hit a two-run single up the middle and the Vuls took advantage of three walks and two hit batters.
For the second consecutive day, ace Isabelle Mejia didn’t have her good stuff in the circle. The Eagles (10-9, 5-4) chased the senior by scoring five runs in the second inning, getting a two-run home run from Areana Ramos.
Billi Derleth (1-1) allowed two inherited runners two score and 10 hits in all, but she pitched well, walking only one batter in seventh innings with three strikeouts. The only run she allowed came in the ninth, when Biola loaded the bases for Neff on two hits and an error.
Steadmon was stranded after a one-out double in the seventh. In the ninth, Steadmon singled with two outs and Mejia walked, but Paige Austin got out of the inning with a strikeout. Austin (6-4) hung tough, exiting in the sixth but returning in the seventh, and struck out seven in eight innings of work.
In the second game, Biola grabbed the early lead on Hailey Boyett’s double and added two more runs in the third on a pair of hits, a wild pitch and an error.
They’ll try again Thursday from that point.
• UH-Hilo and Biola had big offensive outputs in splitting a doubleheader on Tuesday night in La Miranda, Calif.
The Eagles pounded 13 hits and won the opener 10-5 to hand Mejia her first loss. Valerie Alvarado fired a four-hitter to win the second game 11-3.
Alvarado (5-2) allowed three runs, walked one and struck out two for the complete-game gem.
Skylar Thomas hit a three-run homer, while Steadmon and Mejia each had two RBIs for the Vulcans, who had 12 hits.
Lincoln, Vevesi Liilii, Markie Okamoto, and Steadmon each had two hits.
Jennifer Morinishi went 2 2/3 innings in the loss.
In the first game, Mejia gave up seven runs in four innings. Leah Gonzales pitched two innings of three-run relief.
Okamoto had three RBIs, and Steadmon had two hits for the Vulcans, who had seven hits.
Austin fired five innings for the win.
Biola hit a pair of homers.
