What a difference 25 minutes can make.
After a record-breaking 17-0 loss to No. 5 Oregon, the University of Hawaii softball team bounced back with a 6-1 win over UNLV to split a Saturday doubleheader in the Bank of Hawaii Invitational.
Oregon hit five home runs while tying the UH opponent record for runs scored as sophomore Megan Kleist threw a five-inning no-hitter in the most lopsided defeat in the Rainbow Wahine program’s history.
After the break between games, the Wahine rebounded behind home runs by senior first baseman Heather Morales and sophomore catcher Heather Cameron in support of a complete-game performance by junior Dana Thomsen in her first Division I start.
“I told the kids, ‘Let’s just flush the embarrassment and move forward,’ ” UH coach Bob Coolen said of his message prior to picking up career win No. 998. “I didn’t want to dwell on it. I didn’t talk about it.”
UH concludes the tournament today against Montana at noon at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
Thomsen, who sat out last season and transferred from Santa Rosa Junior College in the fall, was given the start against UNLV — which rallied to a 6-3 win over UH on Friday — and held the Rebels to three hits, struck out nine and walked three in her first win of the season.
“I took my stats that I wrote for myself and how I wanted to approach every hitter and just analyzed it and went out there and just had fun,” said Thomsen, who gave the game ball to her father, Will.
After UNLV (9-5) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, Morales came up with two outs and Sarah Muzik on second in the bottom of the inning and launched her second home run in as many days to give UH the lead and switch the momentum of the afternoon.
“(UH third baseman) Nicole Lopez and I had talked that we were just going to go up there swinging,” Morales said. “There was nothing else we could do to change anything – just go up and take the biggest hacks we could.”
UH’s turnaround followed an Oregon rout that began with two home runs in the game’s first four batters. UH starter Brittany Hitchcock was lifted five batters into the game with the Ducks (14-0) leading 4-0 on Danica Mercado and Nikki Udria homers.
With senior Kanani Aina Cabrales not available for the tournament due to illness and Thomsen set to start the second game, Coolen moved Morales into the circle for her first pitching appearance since April 25, 2015. The Ducks added another homer in the fourth and two more in the fifth off of sophomore Naomi Monahan.
Kleist, a Pac-12 co-Freshman of the Year last season, allowed just two baserunners on an error and a hit batter and struck out six in her first career no-hitter.
At Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium
Oregon (14-0) 420 47 — 17 14 1
Hawaii (4-6) 000 00 — 0 0 2
Megan Kleist and Gwen Svekis. Brittany Hitchcock, Heather Morales (1), Naomi Monahan (5) and Callee Heen. W—Kleist. L—Hitchcock.
Leading hitters—Oregon: Danica Mercado, 3-3, HR, 2 RBIs; Svekis, RBI; Nikki Udria, HR, 3 RBIs; Mia Camuso, 3-4, 2B, 3 RBIs; Shannon Rhodes, 2-2, HR, Sammie Puentes, 2B, RBI; Haley Cruse, HR, 3 RBIs; April Utecht, HR, 2 RBIs.
UNLV (9-5) 100 000 0 — 1 3 1
Hawaii (5-6) 231 000 x — 6 10 0
Mara Kemmer and Brooke Stover. Dana Thomsen and Heather Cameron. W—Thomsen. L—Kemmer.
Leading hitters—UNLV: Janine Petmecky, RBI. UH: Danielle Garcielita, 2-4, 2B; Sarah Muzik, 2-4; Heather Morales, HR, 2 RBIs; Heather Cameron, HR, 3 RBIs; Chardonnay Pantastico, 2B, RBI.
Saturday—Oregon 6, Montana 0; UNLV 5, Montana 4.
Today—UNLV vs. Montana, 10 a.m.; Montana vs. Hawaii, noon