UH softball team downs Loyola Marymount twice

By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer

Marie Jackson had never hit a home run during an all-star softball career at Mililani High.

Hawai'i's Stacie Hirano reaches safely after Loyola Marymount first baseman Emily Foltz can't come up with a throw in the second inning. Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser

In the opener, pitcher Sheri Oronoz's five-hitter was backed by Stacey Porter's first-inning, two-run triple in a 7-2 win.

A gathering of 83 watched the Rainbows improve to 14-10 overall and the Lions drop to 11-13 in a conference opener for both teams.

"The coaches said I have the potential to hit for power," said Jackson, a 5-foot-9 sophomore center fielder.

UH coach Bob Coolen said Jackson has the height to generate power to hit home runs in UH's park, which measures 200 feet to all fields.

"She's tall, she turns well and gets extension," Coolen said. "Anyone with that height and leverage can be a power hitter in a 200-foot park. She hit a home run here her freshman year over the left-center field fence (during fall workouts) and she amazed herself."

Her homer last night came four plate appearances after Porter hammered a two-run homer to center off Loyola ace Jennifer Heliotes (6-3) to tie the game at 2. It was Porter's team-leading eighth homer of the year.

Jackson was 3-for-3, including an RBI single in the sixth after Denise Dahlberg tripled. That gave UH starter Melissa Coogan (5-4) a comfortable lead in the top of the seventh, when she allowed two singles before ending the game.

Coogan allowed four runs, three earned, on nine hits and two walks. She had six strikeouts. Heliotes allowed five runs in 3¡ innings.

In the opener, Oronoz (8-4) pitched six strong innings before allowing a two-out, two-run double in the top of the seventh to Emily Foltz. But she got Ashley Hunt on a foul out to third to end the game.

Oronoz walked one and struck out four in her 10th complete game of the season.

The Rainbows backed Oronoz early with a three-run first inning, highlighted by Porter's two-run triple and April Crowell's RBI single off starter Corianne Rogalsky (3-10).

The Rainbows added two runs in the fourth on a two-out RBI double by Natalie Gonzales and RBI single by Stacie Hirano. They got two more in the fifth on RBI doubles by Dahlberg and Oronoz.

"This is excellent because people were doubting us," Coolen said because of the team's slow start (including six losses to Long Beach State) and a young pitching staff. "So I think this was a good way to start."

Next for UH is its Chevron Malihini tourney starting tomorrow.