Wahine gain
improbable
victory

The closest the Hawaii softball team thought it would get to a Super Bowl party was against Jacksonville in yesterday's tournament finale. Instead the Rainbow Wahine turned a 6-0 deficit against No. 9 Washington into an improbable victory celebration.

Hawaii scored seven runs in the last four innings to stun the Huskies 7-6. Although Washington won the title of the Oceanic Time Warner Cable Paradise Classic on a tiebreaker, it was the host team that left Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium like champions.

Hawaii then completed a perfect day by downing Jacksonville 3-1. The Wahine finished the tournament at 3-1, tied with Washington and No. 11 Oregon, but the Huskies claimed the title for the second time in three years by yielding the fewest runs (seven).

UH freshman pitcher Jessica Morton (1-1) held Washington scoreless the final four innings, giving up just three hits, to pick up the win. UW freshman Caitlin Noble (1-1) was the hard-luck loser, striking out 14 but wilting in the mid-afternoon heat.

"It's not common to get 14 strikeouts and not seal the deal," Huskies coach Heather Tarr said. "I think we got a little tired. This was the first day that we played two in a row, and we couldn't deal with the heat. We need to get into better condition.

"At 6-0, we thought it was too good of a lead. As a team we need to stay strong and put teams away. Hawaii is a good team and I'm not surprised they came back. They hit the ball and don't let down, no matter what. We know they are a team that can come back and get the momentum back."

Hawaii was the only team to score on Washington in three days of play. That first run didn't come until the top of the fourth after the Huskies had scored six runs in the first two innings.

Tyleen Tausaga came home on a wild pitch by Noble as the Wahine began to chip away. Hawaii added a run in the fifth when Noelle Izumi scored all the way from first on Ashley Ruff's double to center, and catcher Lou Harriden's two-run shot to left-center in the sixth closed the gap to 6-4.

Washington threatened in the bottom of the sixth, with runners at the corners and two out, but failed to score. Hawaii had two runners on as well with two outs, but capitalized in a big -- and unexpected-- way.

Kristi Yoshizawa had struck out twice and walked in her three previous plate appearances. The junior third baseman looked at a 2-2 count "and I knew I had to get a hit to keep the game going so we could score those three runs," she said. "I'm not surprised we could come back because I know our team is capable of doing that. We have a team full of good hitters."

Yoshizawa looped a ball into shallow left field that diving freshman Kailyn Ellinger got a glove on, only to have it pop out. Both Ruff and Tara Harbert scored, tying it at 6-all.

The Wahine didn't need another hit to win it. Yoshizawa advanced to second on a fielder's choice, to third on a passed ball, then raced home with the game-winner on a wild pitch.

Morton shut down Washington in the seventh on an infield fly and the final two of her three strikeouts.

"Jess was on it today," said Harriden, who caught both Paula Blanning and Morton. "This will be really good for her confidence. It is pretty hard to come in and do what she did as a relief pitcher.

"This was a good game for us because last night we kind of dropped our heads a bit (in losing to Oregon 10-2). It was good to come back the way we did. It's all a matter of not giving up."

In the final game of the day, senior Shannon Tabion tossed a complete-game five-hitter, striking out seven, and Yoshizawa, Ruff and Izumi each had an RBI single to lead the Wahine over the Dolphins.

"The win over Washington could be the kicker for us," UH coach Bob Coolen said. "It shows our team that we can beat ranked teams. They had a 6-0 lead and we didn't give up.

"This is great for us going out on the road. I believe that this will help us gain confidence, the kids will see they can beat a top-10 team. It's already happened."

Hawaii will be on the road the next two weekends, competing in the UNLV Rebel Classic, Feb. 11-13, and the Arizona Wildcats Tournament, Feb. 18-20, where the Wahine are scheduled to play No. 2 Arizona twice.

Also yesterday, All-American pitcher Ashley Boek shut out Oregon on three hits to lead the Huskies over their Pac-10 rivals.

Boek was named the Most Outstanding Pitcher of the tournament, an award she also picked up when Washington won this event in 2003. Also winning the Most Outstanding Player for the second time was UW designated player Kristen Rivera.

Hawaii's Ruff and Yoshizawa made the all-tournament team.