UH closes in on WAC softball title

Advertiser Staff

Sophomore Melissa Coo-gan pitched the University of Hawai'i to a doubleheader sweep of Louisiana Tech, 6-3 and 8-3, yesterday at Ruston, La., pushing the Rainbows closer to clinching their first Western Athletic Conference softball title.

With the victories, the Rainbows (35-18 overall) improved to 15-3 in the WAC, reducing their magic number to two. Any combination of UH wins and Fresno State losses totaling two clinches the championship and automatic regional berth for UH. If the Rainbows sweep today's doubleheader, they will clinch the title. Second-place Fresno State (10-4) will host to San Jose State in a doubleheader today.

The Bulldogs dropped to 16-36 and 6-8. With Tulsa (33-24, 7-7) splitting a doubleheader with Nevada (21-34, 4-14) yesterday, all teams except UH and Fresno State have been mathematically eliminated from title contention.

Coogan, who has started and won both ends of WAC doubleheaders for the fourth consecutive weekend, gave up three runs in the opener on eight hits and three walks while striking out three. But her counterpart, Marla Pinkston (11-16) was a victim of five errors that accounted for three unearned runs.

Hawai'i scored twice in the second inning without the benefit of a hit, as the Bulldogs committed four errors in the frame. Tech tied the game in the third, but Stacey Porter led off the fifth with her team-leading 15th home run of the season.

In the nightcap, Coogan (28-9) again allowed three runs, this time on 10 hits and two walks with six strikeouts. Two of the runs came in the bottom of the seventh.