SEATTLE » Leisha Li’ili’i had struck out four straight times in Hawaii’s two games Saturday when she decided it was time "to clear my mind."
She did so by clearing the right-field fence with a towering home run that crashed into the metal bleachers and sealed a win-or-go-home, 3-0 triumph over Minnesota in the Seattle Regional of the NCAA tournament.
The second-seeded Rainbow Wahine (45-12) take on top-seeded Washington (40-15) today to determine the regional champion, which will advance to a Super Regional.
NCAA SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT
Seattle Regional; double-elimination
TODAY
» Hawaii (45-12) vs. Washington (40-15), 10 a.m. If Hawaii wins, the Wahine and Huskies will play again at 12:30 p.m.
» TV: OC Sports (Ch. 16)
» Radio: KKEA (1420-AM). If there is a second game, KHKA (1500-AM)
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The host Huskies are the only team unbeaten at the regional, as they improved to 2-0 with a 2-0 win over Hawaii on Saturday afternoon.
The two teams play at 10 a.m. If Hawaii wins the first game, they will play again at 12:30 p.m. The Wahine must win both games to advance.
"The players don’t want to stop playing with the senior class," Hawaii coach Bob Coolen said, "because it’s really emotional, that last game (of the season).
"We just want to avoid that last game as long as possible."
To do so, Coolen said he’ll go with ace pitcher Kaia Parnaby (39-6) in today’s first game and possibly the second game, if there is one. Parnaby has gone all the way in all three games at regionals, throwing more than 100 pitches each time out.
"I’m going to sleep very well tonight," Parnaby said with a smile.
Coolen joked, "I might give her until 9:05 (Pacific time) to sleep in rather than 9 a.m. when the rest of the team gets up."
Parnaby held light-hitting Minnesota (36-19) to three hits. The senior southpaw from Australia struck out four, walked no one and retired the final 12 batters in order to record her 13th shutout and lower her ERA to 1.00.
Li’ili’i, a soft-spoken sophomore first baseman out of Castle High School, said "it’s awesome" to have one of the nation’s best pitchers on her side. Parnaby is tied for the national lead in wins with Olivia Galati of Hofstra.
Parnaby, who tossed a four-hitter in a 3-0 win over third-seeded Minnesota on Friday in Hawaii’s regional opener, might be matched up against Washington’s Kaitlin Inglesby for the second straight day. Inglesby (22-7, 1.92) fanned nine and limited Hawaii to a pair of singles.
Li’ili’i said she was "really struggling" at regionals before she launched a changeup for her 13th home run of the year.
Sara Moulton (32-12), the hard-luck loser in both regional games against Hawaii, said the home run came on a pitch that "wasn’t where I wanted it, but it takes a lot to hit a changeup out.
"She crushed it. Props to her for that."
Moulton, also pitching her third complete game in two days — she one-hit Portland State 5-0 Saturday — recorded four of her 10 strikeouts prior to Alyssa Villalpando’s leadoff single in the third inning. Brynne Buchanan sacrificed and Kelly Majam was hit by a pitch before Kayla Wartner slammed a two-run triple off the center-field fence.
Majam’s 59th run of the year set a Big West Conference record.
In Hawaii’s first game of the day, the Huskies scored the game’s only runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Inglesby earned a leadoff walk and made way for courtesy runner Jerin Fa’asun, who scored on a double to right-center by cleanup hitter Kylee Lahners. Jamie McNeill drove in Lahners with a two-out single to left.
Inglesby mixed in a big, slow curve with hard stuff.
"Their pitcher did a very good job of keeping our hitters off-balance," Coolen said.
The Huskies collected six hits off Parnaby, who struck out four and walked four. Washington put someone on base every inning, including the leadoff batter five times.
Each of Hawaii’s outfielders made outstanding plays to help keep the game close. Buchanan made a full-length dive in shallow left to rob McNeill in the second inning; right fielder Keiki Carlos made a perfect throw home to nail courtesy runner Marki Creger-Zier in the fourth; and Majam ended the sixth inning with a gorgeous diving catch in right-center to steal a hit from Kelli Suguro.
The Huskies are ranked ninth and 11th in the two national Top 25 polls. Hawaii is ranked 20th and 23rd.