Posted on: Saturday, May 1, 2004
Rainbows gain split with Lady Techsters
| • | Football: UH football team indifferent to UTEP's conference switch |
| • | Baseball: UH beats Nevada with fast start, 8-4 |
| • | Tennis: Rainbows advance at WAC tourney |
| • | WAC standings |
By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer
Hawai'i's dormant offense woke long enough to salvage a softball split with Louisiana Tech last night in a WAC doubleheader at Rainbow Wahine Stadium.
After Marla Pinkston threw a one-hitter at them in a 1-0 loss, the Rainbow Wahine rallied behind Shannon Tabion's two-hit pitching to take the second game, 3-0, before about 135 fans.
"I wasn't thinking," said Tabion, who started the season 10-1 and is now 15-9. "I think too much, way too much. Whenever I run into trouble, I walk off and start thinking, and mess up my rhythm. Tonight I just kept going."
The teams play another doubleheader at 3 p.m. today. UH seniors April Crowell, Marie Jackson, Justina Kahaku and Kea Yamaguchi will be honored after the final home games of the season.
It has been some season. The 'Bows (25-30, 7-11 WAC) won their first WAC championship a year ago, but need to win their final six games for a winning record. Losing the middle of their lineup — to graduation and the Australian Olympic team — has taken a tremendous toll on their offense and, eventually, their confidence.
Last night's first game was a mini portrait of their season.
Casey Reiff sprinted in with the only run, scoring from second on Mary Cohn's double in the sixth. Center fielder Marie Jackson and right fielder Tracie Uchima both had a shot at catching Cohn's sinking liner but, running directly at each other, both pulled up allowing it to fall and break up Melissa Coogan's shutout.
The Rainbow Wahine's only hit came from sophomore Tara Harbert's bat and fast feet a few minutes later, as she beat out a slow grounder to short. Otherwise, Pinkston (14-15) mystified the Hawai'i batters, whose average dipped below .240 by the end of the quick night. The 'Bows popped out eight times. When they did start hitting the sweet spot, Tech fielders got in the way.
Half of Hawai'i's players looked shell-shocked after the game. Junior Denise Dahlberg stood in the on-deck circle for several minutes, motionless.
"It's been the most stressful season I've ever played," Dahlberg said. "When people just go out and have a good time and do what they already know how to do, it comes together. (In the second game) we just had a little more intensity, the hunger for the win, and we went out and got it."
Dahlberg got mad, and even. She ripped her eighth homer of the season two batters into the second game, and barely missed another in the fourth when her blast clanked off the top of the fence in dead center. Tyleen Tausaga hit her fourth homer in the sixth, and Jennifer Hackett doubled in the final run, missing her first collegiate homer by a few feet.
The 'Bows still popped out 10 times, but had nearly that many hits (eight) and Tabion's pitching. She struck out eight, including the final batter in the third and fourth when the Techsters had their only runners in scoring position.
LaTech (24-27, 7-6) came into the second game with a seven-game win streak.
SHORT HOPS: The Rainbow Wahine end their season next Friday and Saturday at San Jose State. ... After losing its first 17 WAC games in its first year, UTEP beat Nevada Thursday. ... Second-year LaTech coach Sarah Dawson was an All-American pitcher at Louisiana-Monroe in 1997, and the first MVP of Women's Professional Softball league. ... Hawai'i's 14-inning loss at Nevada last week was the longest WAC game this season.
Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8043.
