UH sweeps WAC pair from Tulsa
By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer
It has taken Hawai'i years to rise to the top of WAC softball. The Rainbow Wahine are playing as if they adore the view.
Hawai'i swept another doubleheader yesterday, taking out Tulsa 2-0 and 2-1. Melissa Coogan pitched her 10th shutout of the year in the opener, played before about 100 at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. She went to 23-9 with two scoreless innings of relief in the second game.
A season-high eight-game winning streak has given the Rainbows (29-16, 10-2 WAC) a three-game cushion in the conference. The Golden Hurricane (29-22, 4-6) came here tied for second and now trail UH by five after falling four times to Coogan.
"She owned us this weekend, plain and simple," TU coach James Pinkerton said of Coogan. "They are a great ballclub, the best in the WAC. No one can dispute that. What I told our kids was that they made the plays all weekend and we did not make the plays we're used to making. That's the difference."
The difference yesterday came in Coogan's composed mastery and the Rainbow Wahine's ridiculously good timing. How else would you describe an offense with just enough pop and a defense that rose to every occasion, including a triple play to end the opener?
In that game, Hawai'i cleanup hitter Stacey Porter broke the scoreless tie with her 10th homer of the season, into the tennis courts in left center. The 31st home run of Porter's career extended the UH record she claimed last week.
The 'Bow bats were not quite through. Trisha Ramos singled. After Marie Jackson's grounder forced pinch-runner Erica Bonilla, Jackson stole second and scored on freshman Ashley Ruff's single.
Tulsa's offense woke from the hibernation Coogan had induced with singles by Katie Torres and Brandi McGuire to lead off the last inning. Then Stacey Walkingstick hit a ball so hard at second baseman Ruff that the Rainbow Wahine had time to complete their second triple play of the season. Ruff caught the ball and threw to Porter at first to double off one pinch-runner. Porter threw to Kate Judd covering second to get the other.
"Right now, they're feeling good about everything," said UH coach Bob Coolen, drenched by a cooler of ice water thrown by Porter and Judd after the game. "That triple play was so fast — Ruffy to Porter to Juddy — there was no indecision. It was just bang, bang, bang."
Those "shots" lingered into the second game, won on an unearned run in the sixth and saved by a spectacular catch by Jackson.
"That triple play was good for all of us," Porter said. "It was a great way to end the first game. And then Marie's catch on the fence ... toward the end of a game that sort of play is so crucial. It was a great catch. That's the sort of stuff we build on and it keeps coming."
Porter, who upped her WAC-best average to .456 with a 4-for-5 day, also provided the first run of the second game. She tripled and scored on Judd's sacrifice fly to center in the fourth. The ball was so shallow second baseman Julie Shafer caught it and still couldn't throw out Porter.
Shafer got revenge two innings later. The No. 9 batter launched her first homer to lead off the sixth and tie the game. When Heather Hiar followed with a line-drive single off starting pitcher Shannon Tabion, Coolen brought Coogan back.
She got the first out on a sacrifice. Then Crissy Strimple lined the ball deep. Jackson raced to the wall and caught the ball as she crashed into the fence. Hiar never saw the catch and was rounding third when Jackson threw to second to double her off.
