Hawaii’s newcomers helped push longtime Rainbow Wahine softball coach Bob Coolen to the brink of a milestone Sunday.
UH freshman shortstop Angelique Ramos’ grand slam in the bottom of the first inning erased a two-run deficit and propelled the Rainbow Wahine to a 9-3 win over Montana in the finale of the Bank of Hawaii Invitational.
UH’s freshman class accounted for eight RBIs, with Ramos responsible for five. Designated player Callee Heen went 2-for-2 with a double and a two-run homer to right field in the fourth inning. Left fielder Bree Soma singled in all three at-bats and drove in a run in the third, and Ramos capped the scoring with an RBI single in the sixth.
“We’re trying to pump each other up, ‘you go, I go’, and just keep going and pass the bat,” Ramos said. “I feel like we’re a little more comfortable. Coming in you had the little nerves, but I think we’re starting to find it and it’s awesome.”
UH junior Brittany Hitchcock (4-4) recovered from a brief outing in a blowout loss to Oregon on Saturday and a shaky start on Sunday to earn the complete-game victory with five strikeouts and one walk in Coolen’s 999th career win, his 927th at UH.
His first shot at 1,000 comes Friday when UH (6-6) faces Seattle in the opening day of the Coca-Cola Malihini Kipa Aloha Tournament.
Ramos, better known as “Cheeks” around the ballpark, entered Sunday’s game with two RBIs this season and was 1-for-6 in the tournament when she came up with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the first inning with Montana
already up 2-0.
“I was kind of struggling this tournament, so Coach Bob has me doing this slap to get my rhythm back,” Ramos said. “It slows me down because I get ahead of myself and think too much. So it gets me in a little flow.”
Starting with the bat over the plate as if to bunt, Ramos drew it back as Montana starter Haley Young began her delivery and hammered the two-strike pitch out to center field for her second home run of the season.
“That one I felt it,” Ramos said. “I was so due.”
Said Coolen: “She started spinning off the ball so everything was foul. … We got her into the slap mode to feel what extension means with her arms, because she’s so strong and she has quick hands.”
After giving up a two-run homer to Montana shortstop Delene Colburn in the first inning, Hitchcock shut out the Grizzlies (5-9) over the next four while the UH offense scored in all but one inning.
Heen hit .417 with two home runs in UH’s 2-3 weekend and was named to the all-tournament team along with senior first baseman Heather Morales, who hit .333 with two homers. No. 5 Oregon, which outscored its five opponents 36-4, placed seven players on the all-tournament team, led by most valuable pitcher Maggie Balint (2-0, 1.02 ERA, 17 strikeouts) and most valuable player Nikki Udria (.538, 3 HR, 9 RBIs).
At Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium
Montana (5-9) 200 001 0 — 3 7 0
Hawaii (6-6) 411 201 x — 9 12 1
Haley Young, Colleen Driscoll (3), Sara Stephenson (6) and Madison Saacke, Morgan Johnson (6). Brittany Hitchcock and Heather Cameron. W—Hitchcock. L—Young.
Leading hitters—Montana: Sydney Stites, 2-4, HR; Olea, 2B; Colburn, HR, 2 RBIs. Hawaii: Sarah Muzik, RBI; Callee Heen, 2-2, 2B, HR, 2 RBIs; Angelique Ramos, 2-3, grand slam, 5 RBIs; Bree Soma, 3-3, RBI.
Sunday’s early score
Montana 6, UNLV 0
BANK OF HAWAII INVITATIONAL ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Gabby Martinez, Montana
Danica Mercado, Oregon
Gwen Svekis, Oregon
Mia Camuso, Oregon
Kiley Harrison, UNLV
Megan Kleist, Oregon
Callee Heen, Hawaii
Brianna Gatlin, UNLV
Shannon Rhodes, Oregon
Heather Morales, Hawaii
Most Outstanding Pitcher: Maggie Balint, Oregon
Most Valuable Player: Nikki Udria, Oregon
