KANEOHE, Hawaii – Once the Western Oregon University softball team got settled in on Friday, there was no stopping the Wolves. After putting together a late rally in game one before falling short against Hawaii Hilo by a score of 8-4, the Wolves used the momentum from that game to cruise to a dominating 9-0 win in the second game over the Vulcans. Both games were played on the campus of Hawaii Pacific.
In the second game, WOU (8-3) posted 14 hits to go along with a strong start in the circle from Chelsea Smith. The right-hander allowed just four baserunners off of two hits, a walk and a hit batter to post the seven inning shutout. In addition, Smith added six strikeouts to improve to 4-0 on the season.
Logan Carlos and Zoie Recolan, both Hawaii natives, led the way with three hits apiece. Fellow Hawaii native Baylie Kahele added two hits, while Bella Valdes also collected a pair of hits. Recolan and Valdes drove in three runs each.
The offense started right away plating two runs in the first inning. Carlos wasted little time getting things going with a leadoff triple into the right field corner. Valdes then drove her home with a single through the left side. After advancing to second on the throw home, Valdes moved to third on a single by Recolan. Natalie Willoughby brought home the second run of the inning with a single to right-center for the 2-0 lead.
As it turned out, that was all that Smith needed.
In the second, WOU doubled the lead. Carlos singled and moved to second when Valdes was hit-by-pitch. Recolan ripped a double to left-center to score Carlos and move Valdes to third. Then a pair of errors helped the Wolves plate the fourth run of the game and move out to a 4-0 lead.
Recolan added another RBI in the third when she hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Kahele. Kahele posted a single earlier in the inning.
It remained 5-0 into the fifth when WOU tallied another run. Hannah Stewart walked and moved to second on a single by Kahele. After both runners moved up on a passed ball, Valdes brought home Stewart with an RBI groundout to second for the 6-0 lead.
WOU left no doubt in the seventh adding three more runs. Sophie Franklin opened the frame with a bunt single. Stewart singled to left-center and both runners moved to second and third on a sacrifice bunt. Carlos tallied an RBI with a fielder's choice. Valdes brought in the eighth run with a sacrifice fly to left before Recolan ended her big game with a triple down into the right field corner for the 9-0 lead.
Smith then worked a 1-2-3 seventh for the complete game 9-0 shutout victory.
Jayda Favela and Angel Prewitt had the only two hits for the Vulcans (1-1). Malia Risdall started and went the first 1.1 innings to end up with the loss (0-1) allowing four runs (three earned). Alexis Lacy and Nia Trinidad went the rest of the way with Lacy tossing 5.1 innings.
In the first game, Hawaii Hilo tallied eight runs over the first four innings to hold off a late push by the Wolves. The Vulcans plated a run in the first, two in the second and three more in the third for a 6-0 lead.
WOU got on the board in the fourth. With one out, Recolan doubled down the left field line and moved to third on a single by Kate Ronning. After the second out was recorded on a fielder's choice, Kahele worked a bases loaded walk for the RBI. Valdes then brought in the second run reaching on an error by the shortstop to leave Hawaii Hilo with the 6-2 lead.
The Vulcans made it four straight innings with a run scoring two in the home half of the fourth for the 8-2 lead.
WOU made things interesting in the seventh. After Carlos tripled to right-center to score Stewart who earlier came in to pinch-run for Maddie Brandner who walked, Recolan put a ball in play that turned into an error and scored the fourth run of the game. UHH was able to escape any further damage getting a groundout to end the game with the Vulcans taking the 8-4 victory.
UHH held a 9-5 edge in hits and the Vulcans had all three errors in the game. Recolan started her big afternoon with three hits in the opener. Carlos and Kahele added RBI. In the circle, Maddie Mayer started and went the first three innings to end up with the loss (3-1) allowing six earned runs. Reilly Tidwell tossed the final three innings and allowed two earned runs.
Taisha Bratton, Arissa Lugo and Mari Kimoto led the Vulcans with two hits each. Lugo and Prewitt drove in two runs apiece. In the circle, Sara Bhatt tossed all seven innings for UHH to get the win (1-0) allowing four runs, one earned.
WOU will turn around and face Hawaii Pacific tomorrow (Saturday) in another doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. (Pacific).
