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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, May 8, 2005

UH SOFTBALL
UH awaits postseason fate

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

The University of Hawai'i softball team yesterday salvaged a doubleheader split with an 11-1 rout of San Jose State in the regular-season finale at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

Now the Rainbows — who lost yesterday's opener, 3-2 — must wait a week to learn if their 11-1 finish will be enough to secure a postseason berth.

"My gut is we're on the bubble," UH coach Bob Coolen said, noting the Warriors (31-21) clinched second in the seven-team Western Athletic Conference with a 12-6 record. They won two of the three games against San Jose State.

"It would have looked better if we swept," right fielder Tracie Uchima said. "It's a good record, but I don't know if it's good enough or what it's going to take to get into the postseason. At least we gave ourselves a chance."

A month ago, the Rainbows were 20-20 overall and 1-5 in the WAC entering their final 12 regular season games. Although Coolen estimated a 10-2 finish would position the Rainbows for postseason consideration, first baseman Tyleen Tausaga predicted a perfect stretch run.

But in the opener of yesterday's doubleheader, San Jose State right-hander Carol Forbes, who started all three games of this series, pitched a four-hitter and shortstop Carlie Hill blasted the tie-breaking, 220-foot homer in the fourth inning to end the Rainbows' 10-game winning streak.

"That one pitch," said Shannon Tabion, who yielded Hill's homer. "It's always that one pitch. It was a drop-in. I should have shook off (the pitch call). I don't go in on 0-2 (counts). I don't know why I went in there."

During the 20-minute break between games, Coolen called a team meeting in left field. He implored his hitters to be patient against Forbes' change-ups — they were swinging too early in the opener — and to shorten their bunts.

Coolen recalled saying: "If (the infielders) are coming in (toward the plate) and you push it too hard, they're getting (the bunts) faster and getting you out by one step. Shorten the bunts, and you can beat it out by a step."

He also emphasized giving a winning sendoff to the five seniors — pitchers Melissa Coogan and Tabion, catcher Denise Dahlberg, right fielder Uchima and second baseman Noelle Izumi.

Coogan, who won on Friday night and was pitching on 20 hours' rest, remembered thinking, "It's my game, no matter what. This was for the seniors. That's why I was calm."

Uchima and Dahlberg each had three hits — Dahlberg reached twice on bunt singles — and Tausaga slammed an opposite-field homer to left-center. "I wasn't hitting the whole series," Tausaga said. "I had to catch (Forbes) on that change-up. She got me all of those times. I was always too ahead. I wanted to get her back, and I did."

The Rainbows could do little wrong. Hill was tagged out after she jogged toward the dugout after thinking she was caught stealing. Shortstop Ashley Ruff scored on a delayed double steal. And Uchima tripled on a 200-foot grounder that went past second and ricocheted off the fence in right-center. "That was different," Uchima said. The game was called because of the 8-run rule.

Now the Rainbows will see if their fortune extends to next Sunday's selection meetings.

The Rainbows missed a potential 12 games because of rainouts, and they went 2-16 against top-25 opponents. "We'll see," said Coolen, who has not decided if the Rainbows will practice this week. UH's spring semester ends Friday.

"We need a head's up, if we're on the bubble," he added. "If we're on the bubble, we'll keep practicing at night."

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8051.

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