Coogan close to record
as UH nears WAC title
RUSTON, La. >> The magic number is two.
The Hawaii softball team can clinch its first Western Athletic Conference title by sweeping today's doubleheader against Louisiana Tech. The Wahine yesterday reduced their number to two after sweeping the Lady Techsters, 6-3 and 8-3.
Wahine sophomore Melissa Coogan pitched both ends of the doubleheader to improve her record to 28-9.
Coogan is one win shy of tying the school record for single-season victories, which Wahine great Brooke Wilkins holds.
Wilkins won 29 games in 1994 and '95 in her only two seasons at UH.
Hawaii (35-18, 15-3) has a three-game lead over Fresno State (29-20, 10-4) going into today's final two games of the regular season.
The Bulldogs had their doubleheader at San Jose State rained out yesterday and the games have been rescheduled for tomorrow.
Fresno State concludes the WAC season at home with doubleheaders against Louisiana Tech Thursday and Tulsa next Saturday.
Yesterday, Coogan scattered eight hits while walking three and striking out three in Game 1.She struck out six and gave up 10 hits in the nightcap to improve to 13-1 in the WAC.
In Game 1, the Wahine took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second, using three LaTech errors and a sacrifice fly by Tracie Uchima. After the Lady Techsters tied it a 2-2, Hawaii took the lead for good when Stacey Porter led off the fourth with her 15th homer of season. The Wahine added three runs in the seventh, highlighted by Kate Judd's two-run homer.
LaTech scored once in the bottom of the seventh and had runners at the corners with two outs. But Coogan got Bridget Broadnax to ground out to end the threat.
In the second game, UH broke open a tight game with a three-run third, boosted by a two-run homer from Trisha Ramos.
The Wahine (35-18, 15-3) will end the regular season today and wait on how Fresno State finishes next week. The league champion gets the automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament which begins May 15.
Note: Fresno State was awarded one of the eight regional sites for the NCAA Tournament this week. The other host schools will be Alabama, Arizona, Cal State Fullerton, Florida, Michigan, Nebraska and Texas.
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