UH softball team splits with Utah Valley, Nevada
The University of Hawaii softball team closed its run in the Easton Desert Classic with a doubleheader split today in Las Vegas.
The No. 20/23 Rainbow Wahine held off Utah Valley 3-1 then lost a wild game with Nevada 11-9.
UH went 3-3 in the four-day tournament and returns home at 8-4 on the season.
UH center fielder Kelly Majam became the program’s all-time leader in runs scored in the doubleheader. She crossed the plate four times to raise her career total to 188, passing the previous mark of 187 set by Tia Morenz in 1998.
Majam scored UH’s first run against Utah Valley on Jessica Iwata’s RBI single in the top of the first inning. UVU tied the game in the bottom of the inning and UH freshman Alyssa Villalpando gave the Wahine the lead again in the second with the first home run of her college career.
Sharla Kliebenstein homered in the third and pitcher Kaia Parnaby shut down the Wolverines to improve to 6-2 with the complete-game victory.
Don't miss out on what's happening!
Stay in touch with top news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It's FREE!
Majam homered in her first two plate appearances in the shootout against Nevada and the Wahine led 5-4 after two innings.
After Nevada scored three runs in the third, UH responded with a three-run fourth inning. Keiki Carlos’ two-run double tied the game and an RBI single by Leisha Li’ili’i gave UH an 8-7 lead.
The Wolf Pack jumped back ahead in the bottom of the inning when Sara Parsons hit a two-run homer. Nevada added two more runs in the sixth on a home run by Erin Jones.
Jazmine Zamora homered in the top of the seventh for UH, but Nevada reliever Karlyn Jones struck out the next two hitters to end the game.
UH freshman Loie Kesterson went 5 1/3 innings in relief of Carlos and took the loss.