After repeatedly overcoming deficits over the past week, Hawaii saw a comeback bid fall short in a 3-2 loss to Saint Mary’s on Friday in the Bank of Hawaii Invitational.
The Rainbow Wahine pitching staff allowed its lowest run total of the last eight games, but the Gaels held down a UH offense that had been averaging more than six runs per game.
"It’s going to be an up and down year," UH coach Bob Coolen said. "We’re young and sometimes we’re going to pound the ball; other times …"
Cassidy Szeredy’s solo home run in the fourth inning gave Saint Mary’s (5-7) a 3-0 lead and proved to be the deciding run as UH dropped to 8-5 overall.
Gaels reliever Lujane Mussadi gave up a two-run home run to UH junior Jordan Burton in the fifth inning, but protected the one-run lead in the sixth and seventh to earn the win.
Both teams are 1-1 in the tournament, which continues Saturday with UH scheduled to face North Carolina at 2 p.m.
UH freshman Heather Morales gave up three runs on five hits over four innings. Sophomore Keiki Carlos kept the Wahine within striking distance with three innings of scoreless relief, overcoming five walks.
"I just have to be more disciplined in getting my pitches more accurate and just shaking off that rust and letting my defense work," Carlos said.
Carlos began the season expecting to focus solely on playing right field but figures to get more innings with freshman Brittany Hitchcock ruled out this season due to a back injury. Coolen said Hitchcock will seek a medical hardship for this season, leaving Morales, Carlos and sophomore Loie Kesterson to handle the pitching duties.
"We have to keep them all healthy," he said.
Morales got off to a solid start on Friday before Saint Mary’s took the lead with back-to-back doubles to open the third inning with Giana Bilotta’s line drive to right center scoring Loralie Fitzpatrick.
One out later, Brittany Sabatini lined another double to the right-center gap to score Bilotta before being thrown out at third.
Szeredy’s home run in the fourth stretched the Gaels’ lead to 3-0.
Burton put UH on the board with her first career home run, a two-run shot that stayed just inside the right-field foul pole.
At Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium
| SAINT MARY’S (5-7) |
002 |
100 |
0 |
— |
3 |
5 |
0 |
| HAWAII (8-5) |
000 |
020 |
0 |
— |
2 |
3 |
0 |
Katie Moss, Lujane Mussadi (3) and Andrea Hazel. Heather Morales, Keiki Carlos (5) And Sharla Kliebenstein. W—Mussadi. L—Morales.
Leading Hitters—St. Mary’s: Brittany Sabatini, 2b, Rbi; Loralie Fitzpatrick, 2b; Giana Bilotta, 2b, Rbi; Cassidy Szeredy, Hr. Hawaii: Jordan Burton, Hr, 2 Rbis.
Friday
North Carolina 1, San Jose State 0
North Carolina 2, St. Mary’s 0
St. Mary’s 3, Hawaii 2
Saturday
San Jose State vs. St. Mary’s, noon
North Carolina vs. Hawaii, 2 p.m.
No. 2 Seed vs. No. 3 Seed, 4 p.m.
No. 1 Seed vs. No. 4 Seed, 6 p.m.
Sunday
Third-place Game, 10 a.m.
Championship, noon
