Rainbow Wahine blast past Missouri in College World Series opener

Hawaii Independent Staff

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla.—Tracy Yoshikawa’s two-run home run in the top of the seventh propelled the University of Hawaii softball team to a 3-2 victory over Missouri, Thursday, in the opening game of the 2010 Women’s College World Series at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium. The Rainbow Wahine advance to the winner’s bracket and will next play the winner of UCLA-Florida Friday at 1:00 p.m. Hawaii time.

For the second game in a row, Hawaii won in dramatic fashion. Last week, Jenna Rodriguez’s two-run walk-off home run defeated Alabama in the Super Regionals.

Stephanie Ricketts pitched a complete game for UH (50-14), which is making its first appearance in the WCWS. Ricketts scattered six hits and struck out six. Missouri’s Kristin Nottelmann pitched a complete game and took the loss for the Tigers (51-12), who fall to the loser’s bracket against either UCLA or Florida on Saturday.

Catcher Katie Grimes led off the seventh inning with a single. Yoshikawa, the ninth-batter in the order, put UH ahead with her 12th home run of the season, just clearing the right-center field wall. Ricketts, with the help of a diving catch by Alex Aguirre in the left field, put the Tigers down in order in the bottom half giving Hawai‘i its third win of the season when trailing after six innings.

The Rainbow Wahine got on the scoreboard in the second inning with a solo home run by Aguirre, her 12th of the season. The Tigers answered in the third. Leadoff batter Rhea Taylor beat out an infield single and advanced to second on the wild throw first baseman Amanda Tauali‘i. Two batters later, Nicole Hudson ripped a double over rightfielder Kanani Pu‘u-Warren, scoring Taylor.

Hawaii threatened in the top of the fourth with a lead-off walk by Melissa Gonzalez. Two batters later, Puu-Warren singled to right moving pinch-runner Brynne Buchanan to third. However, Tauali‘i popped up to end the threat.

The Tigers broke the tie in the fifth with a lead-off homer by Taylor, who finished the game 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI.

Puu-Warren and Kelly Majam each had two hits for Hawaii.