Posted on: Saturday, April 12, 2003
Coogan pitches UH to a sweep of Nevada
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
Taking advantage of about 22 hours of rest, Melissa Coogan pitched the University of Hawai'i to a 3-0 and 3-1 doubleheader sweep of Nevada in Western Athletic Conference softball last night at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
Coogan (18-9) fired a complete-game three-hitter in the nightcap after pitching the final four innings of the first game, which was suspended Thursday night in the bottom of the third inning because of lightning. Coogan pitched three scoreless innings to start Thursday's game, which had three lightning delays totaling 67 minutes before being suspended. The resumption of yesterday's game included a five-minute rain delay. The total delays were nearly as long as the official game time of one hour, 25 minutes.
The Rainbows (23-16 overall) pulled into a tie for first in the WAC with idle Fresno State at 4-2. The Wolf Pack (17-22) remained in the six-team conference's cellar at 1-5.
The series continues with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. today.
"I was ready for it," Coogan said of pulling double duty. "But I feel fine."
Don't expect her to do it today. Coolen said he knew Coogan could pitch the nightcap because she would only pitch four innings in the first game. Whether she can pitch today will be determined by how well she recovered overnight.
"Because of the shortened first game, we could get away with it," UH coach Bob Coolen said. "I know she's going to run out of gas (today). We've used her a lot right now, and we need our other pitchers to step it up. That will be a call we make (today), if she can bounce back quickly."
Nevada starter Candice Rainwater (6-7) engaged in a scoreless duel with Coogan through five innings. Trisha Ramos' two-run double in the bottom of sixth broke the deadlock. Marie Jackson followed with an RBI single that made it 3-0.
Coogan allowed six hits and a walk with six strikeouts for her second shutout of the season.
In the nightcap, Stacey Porter hit an RBI triple off the right field fence and scored on a wild pitch in UH's two-run first inning.
"It felt good coming off the bat," said Porter, still one home run shy of breaking the school's career record of 29 shared with Dana Degen. "That was a new bat we just got today, and I wanted to try it out."
April Crowell's sacrifice fly in fourth provided UH insurance.
Lindsey Hall's solo home run to left in the fifth spoiled Coogan's shutout bid.
"I knew it was gone when she hit it," said Coogan. "I didn't even have to watch it go over. My fault. It was just flat and in the zone."
Wolf Pack starter Robyn Ford-Feitz (6-9) gave up three runs in 3° innings.
