Sophomore Stacey Porter broke Hawaii's single-season home run record with her 10th round-tripper last night as the Rainbow Wahine swept a Western Athletic Conference softball doubleheader from Loyola Marymount. Porter breaks HR record
Star-Bulletin staff
Melissa Coogan pitched a four-hit shutout in a 9-0 win in the nightcap, while Sheri Oronoz scattered seven hits in the 3-2 first-game win.
In the opener, Hawaii (20-12, 4-0) rallied for the win with two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning.
April Crowell's double down the left field line scored Stacie Hirano and Noelle Izumi to give the Wahine the victory.
Izumi was pinch running for Kate Judd, who helped spark the surge with a double. Hirano reached on a fielder's choice force out of Natalie Gonzales, who started the inning off with an infield hit.
The Wahine's other run came in the second inning on Hirano's RBI single.
The Lions (13-19, 0-4) went ahead 2-1 on Christy Cerecedes' RBI infield single and Emily Foltz's run-scoring double in the fourth.
Oronoz struck out two and didn't walk a batter, while improving to 12-5.
In the mercy-rule shortened second game, Porter walloped a three-run homer to left-center in the third inning to give Hawaii a 5-0 lead.
"She is just a big kid with awesome power," UH coach Bob Coolen said. "She just drives the ball to any field with a real natural swing. She is different from Dana Degen, different from Kate Judd. She is also something special.
"When I went down to see her in high school, I was amazed. Pitchers kept pitching her outside and I was thinking 'if they ever pitch her inside, they won't have a chance.' "
She broke the previous record of nine held by Degen and Cheyenne Thompson.
Coogan struck out three, walked two in five innings, and she improved to 7-5.
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