After extending its shutout streak to four to start the day, the University of Hawaii softball team couldn’t fend off an Ole Miss rally and closed its opening weekend in second place in the Oceanic Time Warner Cable Paradise Classic.
The Rainbow Wahine advanced to the tournament title game with a 5-0 win over UMKC in their first game on Saturday at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium behind Kanani Aina Cabrales’ second straight shutout.
UH then took a three-run lead into the seventh inning against Ole Miss only to see the Rebels tie the game on Alex Schneider’s three-run homer. Ole Miss took the lead on freshman Ashton Lampton’s pinch-hit single in the eighth and reliever Kayla Landwehrmier stranded a UH runner on third in the bottom of the inning to close out a 6-5 win to claim the tournament crown.
“The first game took a little bit to get going, but we felt confident in that game,” UH coach Bob Coolen said. “In this game with Ole Miss we felt confident, but we didn’t really have that same energy we had the first four games. No excuses, Ole Miss played well.”
The Rainbow Wahine (4-1) went 301⁄3 innings before giving up their first run of the season — their run of four straight shutouts was the program’s longest such streak since 2006.
Aina Cabrales, who blanked Ole Miss on Friday, allowed two hits, struck out three and walked one in the win over UMKC. The junior right-hander was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Pitcher.
Heather Morales homered for the second time in the tournament to give UH the lead in the second inning and Ulu Matagiese capped the scoring with a two-out single to right in the sixth inning.
UH sophomore Brittany Hitchcock, who threw shutouts in her first two starts, escaped jams in the first two innings against Ole Miss — aided by Sarah Muzik’s diving catch in left field with the bases loaded to end the second — before the Rebels broke through in the third.
After back-to-back singles to lead off the inning, Natalie Martinez advanced the runners with a bunt. Hailey Lunderman continued around third, got tangled with UH third baseman Nicole Lopez and was awarded home on an obstruction call. Schneider then dropped another bunt to score Miranda Strother from third and give Ole Miss a 2-0 lead.
UH answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning, taking the lead on Morales’ two-run single into left-center, and the Wahine took a 5-2 lead into the seventh.
Lunderman led off the top of the inning with a double and Strother was hit by a pitch to bring the tying run to the plate. With one out, Schneider fell behind in the count before launching a blast to left field to tie the game.
“It’s kind of a do-or-die moment,” Schneider said. “You make it happen or you don’t and I just really wanted to make it happen for my team right there.”
Ole Miss survived a UH threat in the bottom of the inning and took the lead in the eighth on Lampton’s line single into center field in the eighth.
“This team is resilient,” Ole Miss coach Mike Smith said. “I told these girls all year there’s something special about this group. They never give up, they believe in each other, they fight.”
Hitchcock went the distance and gave up 12 hits, struck out four and walked none.
The Wahine close their homestand with a rematch with UMKC on Monday before heading to Las Vegas for the DeMarini Desert Classic.
“Ole Miss is a great team and we just have to make sure we finish,” UH senior Keiki Carlos said. “Got the first loss and hopefully we just use that to add fuel to our fire going into Monday’s game and roll that into Vegas.”
| At Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium |
| UMKC (0-4) |
000 |
000 |
0 |
— |
0 |
2 |
3 |
| Hawaii (4-0) |
021 |
002 |
x |
— |
5 |
5 |
1 |
Katie Kelley, Lacie Bullard (6) and Alexandra Friloux. Kanani Aina Cabrales and Rachel Lack. W—Aina Cabrales. L—Kelley.
Leading hitters—UMKC: Kelsey Goodwin, 2B. Hawaii: Sarah Muzik, 2-4, 2 sb; Heather Morales, HR; Jennifer Iseri, 2 sb; Ulu Matagiese, 2 RBIs.
| Ole Miss (4-1) |
002 |
000 |
31 |
— |
6 |
12 |
3 |
| Hawaii (4-1) |
004 |
001 |
00 |
— |
5 |
4 |
3 |
Alyssa Clayton, Kayla Landwehrmier (6) and Sarah Van Schaik. Brittany Hitchcock and Rachel Lack. W—Landwehrmier. L—Hitchcock.
Leading hitters—Ole Miss: Hailey Lunderman, 3-5, 2B; Miranda Strother, 3-5; Alex Schneider, 2-3, 2B, HR, 4 RBI; Ashton Lampton, RBI. Hawaii: Keiki Carlos, 2B, RBI; Heather Morales, 2 RBIs; Lack, RBI; Ulu Matagiese, RBI.
Saturday
Ole Miss 10, Saint Mary’s 2
Hawaii 5, UMKC 0
Championship: Ole Miss 6, Hawaii 5, 8 innings
Third place: Saint Mary’s 9, UMKC 0, 5 innings
All-Tournament team
Katie Moss, Saint Mary’s
Katie Kelley, UMKC
Alyssa Clayton, Ole Miss
Nicole Lopez, Hawaii
Heather Morales, Hawaii
Hailey Lundeman, Ole Miss
Sarah Muzik, Hawaii
Monika Reichhardt, Saint Mary’s
Alex Schneider, Ole Miss
Bailey Lotz, Saint Mary’s
Most Valuable Player: Natalie Martinez, Ole Miss
Most Outstanding Pitcher: Kanani Aina Cabrales, Hawaii
