Hawaii third baseman Nicole Lopez’s grand slam helped power the University of Hawaii softball team to an 11-0 series-opening rout of UC Riverside on Friday in Riverside, Calif.
UH senior Dana Thomsen (13-13) held the Highlanders to two singles, struck out five and walked none over six innings in her fifth shutout of the season and the Rainbow Wahine (21-21, 5-8 Big West) ended a five-game skid.
Lopez opened the scoring with an RBI single in the third inning, then came up with the bases loaded in the fourth and launched her eighth home run of the season for her first career grand slam. Her five RBIs matched her career high set April 7 against Cal Poly.
Freshman Britnee Rossi contributed an RBI double in the fourth and sophomore Cheeks Ramos capped the scoring with a two-run single in UH’s four-run sixth inning to bring the run rule into effect.
UH’s series at UCR (27-20, 4-9) concludes today with a doubleheader set for 10 a.m. Hawaii time at Amy S. Harrison Softball Field.
Wahine advance to Big West semifinals
The University of Hawaii women’s tennis team advanced to the Big West tournament semifinals with a 4-1 win over Long Beach State on Friday in Indian Wells, Calif.
The fourth-seeded Rainbow Wahine (11-6) face top-seeded and two-time defending champion UC Santa Barbara today at 6:30 a.m. UCSB defeated UH in last year’s championship match.
UH and LBSU split the first two doubles matches and UH’s Petra Melounova and Roxanne Resma pulled out a 7-5 win over Natalia Munoz and Lalita Devarakonda to give the Wahine the doubles point.
UH then got singles wins from Melounova, Marina Hruba and Michelle Pits, each in straight sets, to eliminate the 49ers.
UH’s men’s team was eliminated on Thursday with a 4-0 loss to UC Irvine.
Hawaii adds Todd to signing class
The Hawaii men’s volleyball team added a fourth player to its recruiting class for next year, signing Punahou’s Alaka’i Todd, Rainbow Warriors coach Charlie Wade announced on Friday.
The 6-foot-8 opposite joins Cole Hogland, a 6-5 middle from ‘Iolani; Filip Hunler, a 6-7 hitter from the Czech Republic; and Devon Johnson, a 6-7 hitter from Westlake Village (Calif.) High.
Todd helped the Buffanblu to the state championship last season and to this year’s Interscholastic League of Honolulu title, the latter which secured the top seed for Punahou in next week’s state tournament.
Services for Ching to be held next week
Services for Bernie Ching will be held May 5-6.
Ching, who served as an ‘Iolani coach for 48 years, died April 6 at age 79.
Ching coached girls and boys basketball, football and paddling, and he also served as a security guard at the school for 38 years. He was also a musician with The Surfers, who recorded the album “Blue Hawaii” with Elvis Presley, and it became a gold record. He sang and played the guitar, ukulele, bass and drums.
Ching’s scheduled services are:
>> May 5: St. Alban’s Chapel at ‘Iolani School, 563 Kamoku St. (enter parking structure on Kamoku Street), 2 p.m. visitation, 4 p.m. “Celebration of Life & Aloha, with reception to follow in the ‘Iolani School Student Center.
>> May 6: Scattering of ashes, 8 a.m. Waikiki Beach, fronting Duke’s at the Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort, with reception to follow at Duke’s.
UH Hilo outlasts Holy Names
The Hawaii Hilo baseball team edged Holy Names 10-9 in Alameda, Calif., on Friday afternoon.
The Vulcans (17-23, 13-19 PacWest) overcame an early 4-0 deficit and amassed 14 hits as a team, led by RJ Romo’s game-high four hits and three runs. Saint Louis alum John Kea recorded the final five outs of the game to secure his eighth save of the year.
Alex Denobriga and Drew Gwerder each had three hits to lead the Hawks (10-34, 6-28) offensively.
>> In other PacWest action, Hawaii Pacific fell 2-1 to Academy of Art in Oakland, Calif.
Both starters went the distance, as Ben Kaser struck out five, walked four and scattered five hits to earn the win for the Urban Knights (23-20, 18-16). Joshua Meneno pitched eight innings with four hits and five strikeouts for the Sharks (17-25, 11-23).
