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Long Beach State beats UH 4-2 in series opener

JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM
Hawaii outfielder Keiki Carlos (15) connects for a solo home run in the third inning of a college softball game between the Hawaii Rainbow Wahine and the Long Beach State 49ers on Friday, April 10 at the Wahine Softball Stadium in Honolulu.

Long Beach State bunched five hits in a three-run rally in the top of the fourth inning and Christina Clermont held Hawaii to three hits in the 49ers’ 4-2 win on Friday in the opening game of a Big West series at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

Summer Pohl broke a 1-1 tie with an RBI double and LT Torres delivered a two-run single in LBSU’s fourth-inning outburst and the 49ers (17-21, 4-3 Big West) extended their winning streak over Hawaii (23-17, 4-3) to six going back to the 2013 season.

The series concludes with a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 4 p.m. on "Power in Pink" day at RWSS.

Clermont struck out nine and walked three and gave up solo home runs to Keiki Carlos and Rachel Lack. But she kept the Rainbow Wahine off balance to improve to 10-6 overall and 4-0 in Big West play.

Kanani Aina Cabrales (12-11) gave up nine hits, struck out three and walked none in a complete-game effort and took the loss.

Long Beach State capitalized on two UH errors in the top of the first inning when Lauren Lombardi grounded to third with two out. The throw to first was wild and right fielder Keiki Carlos backed up the play. But her throw back toward the plate ricocheted off first-base umpire Mark Carver and Leilani Tupua-Tautalatasi raced home with the game’s first run.

Clermont held UH without a hit and struck out four in her first time through the order before Carlos tied it up in her second plate appearance with a solo home run to left field with one out in the bottom of the third.

Long Beach State opened the fourth inning with back-to-back singles and Pohl doubled to left  to drive in Darian Tautalafua with the go-ahead run. One out later, Torres lined a two-run single into left center to give the 49ers a 4-1 lead.

UH got one run back when Lack hit her third homer in the last four games with two out in the bottom of the fourth.

But Clermont held UH to one single over the final three innings to earn the win.

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