WAHINE SOFTBALL
Rainbow Wahine softball team feels ‘Super’
Win puts team in NCAA Super Regionals
By Joseph D'Hippolito
Special to the Star-Bulletin
Instead of winning in extra innings, Hawaii dominated from the outset in a 9-0 rout of Loyola Marymount in six innings yesterday at UCLA's Easton Stadium -- and qualified for the NCAA Super Regionals for the first time.
The Rainbow Wahine (49-11) will face fifth-seeded Tennessee in the best-of-three Super Regional that starts Friday in Knoxville, Tenn.
"This year was the year that we put it all together, and we've kept it going all year long. When we have the right chemistry, when we get the right team together, we can compete with anyone," UH coach Bob Coolen said.
The Volunteers are ranked Nos. 1 and 2 in national polls and feature two players from the Aloha State. Winners of the eight Super Regionals advance to the Women's College World Series.
LOS ANGELES » Hawaii trashed the script it was using to achieve success in the first two days of the NCAA Division I softball regionals, and wrote a brand new plot that enabled the Rainbow Wahine to make history.
Instead of winning in extra innings, Hawaii dominated from the outset in a 9-0 rout of Loyola Marymount in six innings yesterday at UCLA's Easton Stadium -- and qualified for the NCAA Super Regionals for the first time.
The Rainbow Wahine (49-11) will face fifth-seeded Tennessee in the best-of-three Super Regional that starts Friday in Knoxville, Tenn.
Defeating LMU (47-18) held a significance beyond the obvious for Hawaii coach Bob Coolen.
"Sometimes, you have some issues that keep you from becoming a holistic team," Coolen said. "It's a matter of what year it all clicks.
"This year was the year that we put it all together, and we've kept it going all year long. When we have the right chemistry, when we get the right team together, we can compete with anyone."
Tennessee features two Hawaii players -- Kamehameha alumnus Liane Horiuchi and Anita Manuma, sister of UH's Valana and Malamaisaua Manuma. The Volunteers hold the top spot in the USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association poll and second place in the ESPN.com/USA Softball rankings.
But the Rainbow Wahine will enter the Super Regional with a school-record .817 winning percentage, eight victories in their last 10 games -- and their first undefeated record in an NCAA regional.
"It's not over yet," Hawaii's Tyleen Tausaga said. "Tennessee is probably everyone's favorite. I told the girls, 'Let's be giant killers.' "
The Rainbow Wahine played that role in the first inning against LMU's Tiffany Pagano, the Pacific Coast Softball Conference's pitcher of the year.
Hawaii used four hits, an error and a sacrifice fly to take a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Kate Robinson led the rally with a two-run single.
"When you come out and get three runs, you're thinking, 'Oh, our team's on our game today with our bats,' " pitcher Justine Smethurst said. "I knew from that moment that it wasn't going to stop."
Hawaii extended its lead to 7-0 in the fifth by scoring four runs on five hits, another error and a fielder's choice, then combined four hits into two more runs in the sixth to force implementation of the mercy rule.
Tausaga and Robinson both went 3-for-4, with Robinson driving in four runs and Tausaga scoring three more to lead a 16-hit attack.
Pagano -- who held the Rainbow Wahine to one run and two hits while striking out 13 in a 1-0 loss Feb. 21 -- lasted just one-third of an inning before returning to the game in the sixth.
"When we played them in February, it seemed like she was throwing a lot more drops inside," Robinson said. "She didn't look as fast to me, but we were just seeing the ball really good."
Meanwhile, Smethurst stymied LMU. The Australian sophomore allowed four hits and struck out seven Lions in earning her 10th shutout of the year and improving her record to 19-9.
"She overpowered us," LMU coach Gary Ferrin said. "We haven't seen pitching like that in quite a while."
For Coolen, Smethurst's velocity made the difference.
"We've clocked her in the fall at 66, 67, 68 mph," Coolen said. "Today, she was bringing it at almost 66, 67. You could actually see her really snapping the ball, and the ball was just taking off. That's what really handcuffed them."