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Monday
Evening QB
TEXAS and a contingent of fans exchanged the "Hook 'Em Horns" salute yesterday at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. Softball tale of two
fingers and a thumbThe shaka sign prevailed in the 2000 Chevron Paradise Classic, as Hawaii won by the distance between a thumb and an index finger; the Wahine needed a last-inning rally to edge the Longhorns, 6-5, for the championship (a title game that technically wasn't one, but more on that later).
And UCLA basically delivered a middle-finger salute to all involved by tossing its fourth-place trophy into a garbage can.
Real nice.
The defending national champions were disappointed over being whipped, 10-5, by Hofstra in a semifinal game. The Bruins aren't used to losing -- even without ringers -- but there's still no excuse for that type of reaction.
"Three years here, they have never made it to the championship game. They've always been beaten," Hawaii coach Bob Coolen said. "I don't know if they'll want to come back again."
What UCLA offered in frustration and classless reaction, Hofstra matched in happy surprise and bizarre travel planning.
The Flying Dutchwomen were so shocked to beat the Bruins that they didn't even stick around to play for the championship. They lived up to their nickname and bolted to the airport.
The Hofstra contingent had an early flight scheduled for its return to Hempstead, N.Y., and yesterday's games fell behind schedule.
After beating the Bruins, the Flying Dutchwomen would have had to wait to play the winner of the Hawaii-Texas game for the title.
They decided to leave instead, and the Wahine-Longhorn game became the championship.
Hofstra coach Bill Edwards didn't sound very upset over missing out on a shot at the title.
"It's just one of those things. Tournaments run late," Edwards said. "But this shows that there's tremendous parity in college softball. Everyone's talking about us beating UCLA, but we won three games here."
They also lost four (including one to the Wahine) so it's questionable if Hofstra would have had any magic left for Hawaii.
THE 20th-ranked Wahine won the de facto championship game with a rally that bodes well for their season to come.
A long double by Kate Judd was the key hit as UH scored two runs in the seventh to win.
Tyree Woodruff also singled in the rally for one of her four hits in the game.
Woodruff was named the tournament's most valuable player. At the beginning of it, the junior outfielder wasn't even playing.
"She wasn't practicing well, she wasn't scrimmaging well. I decided not to go with her," Coolen said. "But she's a game player; I should know that by now."
Freshman Sheri Oronoz pitched 3-1/3 scoreless innings to win the final. She and juniors Janelle Gonzales and Desiree Duran and freshman Kelly Ka'aihili will have to fill a huge pitching void left by Kelly Gentle if UH is to have a great year.
The offense looks good.
"We busted out," Coolen said, after UH rapped out 12 hits in the final. "They know they can hit now, they know they can play with the best."
The team that was supposed to win didn't. The team that might have won left early. And the team that did win won't be in action for 10 more days.
Judging from yesterday, the Wahine are worth the wait.
Dave Reardon, who covered sports in Hawaii from 1977 to 1998,
moved to the the Gainesville Sun, then returned to
the Star-Bulletin in Jan. 2000.
E-mail dreardon@starbulletin.com