GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Oklahoma State runner Jade Lindly rounded third base and past Washington infielder Kathy Fiske in yesterday's Chevron Paradise Classic championship game. Washington won 3-2.
Wahine strike out It was a strange feeling for the Hawaii softball team yesterday. For the first time in the seven-year history of the Paradise Classic, the host Rainbow Wahine weren't playing in the title game.
at home
By Cindy Luis
cluis@starbulletin.comThird-seeded Oklahoma State put No. 2 seed Hawaii in the stands with a 3-0 win in yesterday's first semifinal at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. The Cowgirls gained the title game against No. 6 Washington, thanks to a three-run sixth inning and a two-hit, 11-strikeout gem by pitcher Lauren Bay.
Washington used a five-run first and insurance homer by Aimee Minor in the sixth to eliminate Santa Clara 7-5 in the second semifinal. The Huskies (6-0) then used three homers, including Kristen Rivera's solo shot in the top of sixth, to turn back the Cowgirls (3-3).
Washington 3, Oklahoma State 2: All of the Huskies' runs in the championship game came on home runs, starting with Jaime Clark's two-run shot over the left-center fence in the top of the first. Rivera lived up to being named the tournament's most outstanding player when breaking a 2-2 tie with her homer in the sixth.
GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Washington pitcher Tia Bollinger pitched a one-hitter against Oklahoma State in yesterday's Chevron Paradise Classic title game.
All-American pitcher Tia Bollinger went the distance, striking out 11 and giving up just one hit, Brooke Siebel's home run on the first pitch of the fourth. OSU's first run came in the third as Jade Lindly scored on one of UW's four errors in the inning.
Oklahoma State 3, Hawaii 0: The Wahine faced an opponent's No. 1 pitcher for the third straight game and, for the third consecutive time, Hawaii lost. The Wahine managed just two hits off Bay, singles by Stacey Porter and Justina Kahaku.
"The teams saved their No. 1 for us, starting with Santa Clara and Washington (Saturday) and Bay today," said UH coach Bob Coolen, whose team fell to 2-3. "Our first two wins weren't against No. 1 pitchers and we hit the ball well. We were pumped and excited, and then normalcy set in.
"We've had a few strikeouts in the last three games. We need to work on some things, correct some mindsets."
Wahine batters struck out a combined 29 times in the past three games, including 11 against Bay, a member of the Canadian Olympic team. Hawaii doesn't have a lot of time to fix things; the team leaves tomorrow for a week-long road trip that includes a stacked UNLV tournament and doubleheaders at Loyola Marymount and UC Riverside.
In the UNLV tournament, Hawaii is in a very tough bracket that includes No. 1 UCLA, No. 3 California and No. 23 Oregon State.
It will be taxing on the two-pitcher rotation for Hawaii. With last year's ace Sheri Oronoz gone for personal reasons, the Wahine rely on sophomores Melissa Coogan (12-8 last year) and Shannon Tabion (5-5 last year).
Tabion fell to 1-2 with yesterday's loss, walking two with no strikeouts. She gave up just three hits, but the two in the sixth cost Hawaii the game: a solo homer to Calli Behmer that just stayed fair of the left-field foul pole, and a two-run shot to center by Ryan Realmuto, who celebrated her 22nd birthday a day early with the game-clincher.
"I would like to have those two pitches back," said Tabion. "I was trying to get the ball to move and it wasn't. They were coming out hacking and swinging.
"I'm out of shape I guess. The last time I pitched seven innings was in the fall and I've already pitched three games. Our pitching is thin, it's strong, but it's thin. We need to make every pitch count."
"They want to be a good team and now it's a matter of going out and proving it," added Coolen. "They want so bad to be one of the elite teams. But you've got to win the close ballgames.
"We have a young team but most of them have been through the program. Our pitchers need to get in shape and our hitters have got to produce."
Washington 7, Santa Clara 5: The Huskies had a tougher time with the Broncos than expected. Santa Clara (5-6) pulled to within 6-5 with a three-run fifth but got no closer.
Ashley Boek picked up the win for UW, striking out five, and giving up three earned runs.
The All-Tournament Team was Kathy Fiske, IF, and Rita Roach, OF, Washington; Lauren Bay, P, Ryan Realmuto, C, and Stephanie Hodges, LF, Oklahoma State; Stacey Porter, IF, Tracie Uchima, OF, and April Crowell, DP, Hawaii; Jenny Brown, IF, and Coresta Salas, OF, Santa Clara.
The most outstanding player was Kristen Rivera of Washington and the most outstanding pitcher was the Huskies' Ashley Boek.
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