After weeks of shuffling, the University of Hawai'i softball team has come up with an ace.

Stephanie Ricketts, a freshman right-hander, pitched a one-hitter to boost the host Rainbow Wahine to a 1-0 victory over Utah in last night's opening round of the Chevron Spring Fling.

"She's been in a groove," UH coach Bob Coolen said. "She's been very efficient."

Ricketts struck out four and did not issue any walks in improving to 5-4. After a 2-9 start, the Rainbows are 10-13.

Ricketts has contributed to the surge, establishing herself as the ace of the pitching staff.

Last night, 45 of Ricketts' 61 pitches were strikes. She did not have a three-ball count on any batter. She had a two-ball count once, to center fielder Kara Foster to open the seventh. Ricketts retired Foster on a groundout.

"All I said to her after the game was: 'Very efficient,' " Coolen said. "That's all I needed to say."

Catcher Katie Grimes said: "It was a nice game to call. She was throwing really well. She was hitting all of her spots and making her pitches move."

The Rainbows had spent the past year expecting Justine Smethurst, an Olympian and All-Western Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year, to be the leader of the pitching staff. But despite repeated promises, Smethurst instead opted to remain in her native Australia.

Courtney Baughman, who is coming off a shoulder injury and is most comfortable in the No. 2 slot, was elevated to the top of the rotation. But Baughman has been bothered by discomfort in her right (pitching) arm. Coolen has looked at three freshmen, but only Ricketts, who throws the hardest among the starting candidates, has shown the most consistency with her control.

The past Sunday, Ricketts entered in relief of Baughman, in the first inning, to lift the Rainbows to a victory.

Yesterday, Ricketts was in command from the first pitch, befuddling the Utes with two pitches.

"Her curveball was working great, and her dropball was working great," Grimes said. "That was all we really threw. We kept (the pitches) outside, and made them hit grounders."

Only three of the putouts were made by the UH outfielders.

"My teammates really helped me," Ricketts said. "They made really good plays behind me. It just boosted my confidence. I tried to help them out because they were helping me out."

First baseman Amanda Tauali'i, in particular, was a tough barrier. She made three diving catches. On one, she raced in to catch a bunt, then fired to second baseman Dara Pagaduan to double off a runner.

"She made some nice plays," Ricketts said.

The game's run came in the bottom of the fourth. The Rainbows filled the bases on Audrey Andrade's two-out walk, Richie-Anne Titcomb's looping single to right and Kanani Pu'u-Warren's walk. Titcomb's single was the Warriors' only hit.

With Grimes at the plate, Brittany Parker fired a wild pitch that glanced off Andrea Hoffman's mitt and sailed to the backstop. Andrade, who drove in the winning run Sunday, raced home from third.

That was all Ricketts needed. "When she has to step it up, she does," Grimes said. "For as young as she is, she's a really good pitcher."