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Power is expected from Stacey Porter. But Marie Jackson? Jackson helps Wahine sweep
Loyola MarymountBy Dave Reardon
dreardon@starbulletin.com"Every time I get on first base I'm surprised," Hawaii's speedy sophomore center fielder said. "If I get anything more than that it's a celebration."
UH had plenty to party about last night at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium, as a 3-for-3 performance by Jackson, including a three-run homer, keyed a 6-4 nightcap victory over Loyola Marymount and a doubleheader sweep.
"(Assistant coach) John (Nakamura) told her she's becoming a complete player," Hawaii coach Bob Coolen said. "She's growing as a player."
Coupled with a 7-2 first-game rout of the Lions, UH -- the coaches' preseason choice to win the conference championship -- got off to a fine start in its first two WAC games of the year.
Porter belted a two-run triple in the opener and hit a two-run homer and a triple in the second game as Hawaii improved to 14-10 overall. Loyola Marymount fell to 11-13.
In the opener, UH tagged LMU starter Corianne Rogalsky (3-10) for three first inning runs, and Sheri Oronoz shut out the Lions the first six innings.
Stacie Hirano, Porter, Trisha Ramos and Denise Dahlberg contributed two hits apiece as the Wahine reached safely 12 times. Porter and Dahlberg both finished with four hits in the doubleheader.
Natalie Gonzales began UH's first-inning rally by reaching on an error. After Hirano grounded into a force out, Kate Judd, Porter, April Crowell and Ramos had consecutive hits. Porter's triple drove in two runs and Crowell's single to center scored one.
Oronoz retired the first nine batters she faced. LMU's Christy Cerecedes finally touched her for a sharp single to lead off the fourth.
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But Oronoz got the next nine batters in order (with the help of an around-the-horn Ramos-Gonzales-Porter double play). Emily Foltz' double in the seventh accounted for the Lions' only runs.Oronoz struck out four and walked one in improving to 8-4.
Sloppy play by UH helped LMU took a 2-0 lead in the first inning of the second game. Cerecedes led off with a single and scored on an error by Hirano in left field, as she misplayed a single by Sami Strinz. Strinz, who went to second on the play, advanced to third on a wild pitch by Melissa Coogan and scored on Trisha Gomes' single.
"That's been our M.O.," Coolen said.
"With Coogan pitching we give up runs and start to doubt ourselves. But I like how we gutted it out. Coogs is fearless on the mound."
LMU's Jennifer Heliotes (6-3) wasn't scared, either. But UH timed her pitches better the second time around the order, and she lost the lead in a five-run fourth.
That's when Hawaii evened the score on Porter's eighth homer of the year, a blast to straight-away center that reached the tennis courts about 10 feet past the 200-foot sign, and Jackson followed with her shocker.
Jackson's homer wasn't as majestic as Porter's, but it was as eye-popping; it was the part-time player's first of her career. Crowell reached via a walk and Dahlberg doubled her to third setting up Jackson's shot, which cleared the fence down the left-field line.
Jackson hit a homer last fall in a practice game, but couldn't recall ever getting one during an all-state career at Mililani High School.
"That surprised us, too," LMU coach Gary Ferrin said. "It turned the whole game around. But I felt proud that our team fought back."
In the fifth, Porter tripled for the second time in the doubleheader, but was left standing at third.
Coogan had settled down in the middle innings, but Emily Foltz belted a two-run homer in the sixth to put the Lions back in striking distance. They put a runner on with none out in the seventh, but Coogan (5-4) pitched out of it.
"I think I'm learning to be smarter out there, and my movement was getting better late in the game, except for the homer," Coogan said.
Hawaii hosts Loyola Marymount, Oregon State and New Mexico State in the Chevron Malihini tournament, which begins tomorrow and runs through Sunday.
UH Athletics