[ UH ATHLETICS ]
Tabion perfect for Wahine
Shannon Tabion wasn't striving for perfection yesterday. But that's what the Hawaii softball pitcher delivered -- a six-inning perfect game as UH beat Siena 8-0 in a survival game of the Kipa Aloha Malihini Tournament yesterday at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
"Actually, my goal was to limit them to three hits," said Tabion, who struck out four in her first perfect game at any level.
It was the second perfect game thrown by a UH pitcher in the 20-year history of the program. Brooke Wilkins had the first -- on April 1, 1994, against New Mexico State. It is the ninth no-hitter by a Hawaii pitcher.
This was the third time Tabion pitched an 8-0 victory over Siena this week. Tabion said her catcher, Denise Dahlberg, helped her come back from several 3-0 and 3-1 counts.
"Denise knows their tendencies, and we went from there," she said.
Hawaii coach Bob Coolen said he didn't realize Tabion hadn't allowed any baserunners until after the game.
"She struggled with her control and wasn't dominant as you might expect in a perfect game. But she got stronger as the game wore on," Coolen said. "Amanda Garza (center) and Jennifer Hackett (right) helped her out with some nice catches."
Southern Illinois beat UH 6-2 in an earlier game yesterday. In other games, College of Charleston beat Siena 6-0 and Long Beach State beat Charleston 9-0.
Tyleen Tausaga went 4-for-7 with two doubles and four RBIs in the two games.
Hawaii (13-12) must win three games tomorrow to capture the tournament championship. The first game is 10 a.m. against College of Charleston (12-5).