Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Hawai'i (Girl Scouts Night)
Softball Drops WAC Opener to Hawai'i
4/5/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 5, 2003
FRESNO, Calif. - It was a pitcher's game for the first seven innings of play as both the Fresno State and Hawai'i pitchers had allowed just four hits a piece.
However, a controversial overturned call at home plate ended up in the favor of Hawai'i as the Rainbow Wahine prevailed with a 1-0, 8-inning victory, in the Western Athletic Conference opener for both teams.
With one out and a runner on second in the top of the eighth, UH first baseman Stacey Porter lifted a deep shot to the center field warning track. Junior center fielder Mitzi Ing tracked the ball down and hit her cut off, in freshman shortstop Christina Clark, who then one-hopped the ball to waiting Bulldog catcher Pam West.
Not quite three fourths of the way down the line, West tagged Wahine runner Tracie Uchima on the upper part of her right arm. Uchima, who never tagged home plate, ran off the field and into the dugout as West spiked the ball down in the Bulldogs' apparent double play.
However, Hawai'i head coach Bob Coolen challenged the call as he questioned the control by West. Citing that West allowed the ball to roll up her arm and not having control, the home plate umpire confered with the two infield umpires and the home plate umpire ended up being over ruled.
Thus, the Rainbow Wahine scored the winning run on an error by West.
Melissa Coogan picked up the win to improve to 16-8 overall after pitching four-hit ball and allowing one walk while striking out four.
Sophomore All-America pitcher Jamie Southern had her six-game win streak halted as she gave up five hits, one run (unearned) while walking none and striking out seven to fall to 11-9 overall.
The Bulldogs had several scoring opportunities but base running blunders proved costly.
In the second, Southern doubled to right center to lead the inning off. After junior first baseman Shasta Lewis grounded out, freshman designated player Elizabeth Pierce reached first safely after a fielding error by UH third baseman Trisha Ramos. With runners on first and second, West reached safely on a fielder's choice as Hawai'i attempted to get Southern out at third. With bases loaded, Ing lined into a double play as Uchima, who was playing right field, caught the ball in short right field and doubled up West.
In the fourth, Hoffman led off with a single to left field. Freshman Daisy Gaynor then came in to pinch run for Hoffman. With Southern at the plate, Gaynor advanced to second on a wild pitch. After Southern and Lewis grounded out to put Gaynor at third, Pierce walked to put runners on the corners. West then flied out to right field to end the threat.
In the seventh, Pierce reached safely on an error by UH second baseman Ashley Ruff. Senior Sha Oliver then came in to pinch run for Ruff. West sacrificed Oliver to second. Ing then beat out an infield single to put runners on first and second. On a wild pitch that did not stray far from Hawai'i catcher Denise Dahlberg, Dahlberg caught Oliver at third for the second out as Ing advanced to second. Sophomore second baseman Leticia Pacheco then grounded out to end the inning to force extra frames.
In the eighth, freshman shortstop Christina Clark was immediately greeted with a hit by pitch. After freshman third baseman Angelina Diaz sacrificed Clark to second, junior right fielder Lori Hoffman flied out to deep center to advance Clark to third. Southern, on a 2-2 pitch, was called out looking at strike three.
Ing, who went 2-3, had two of the Bulldogs' four hits while Hoffman and Southern had the other two hits.
Fresno State (18-16) also committed four errors while Hawai'i (20-14) had two. In their 11th year as a member of the WAC, the Bulldogs dropped their first WAC opener in school history after going 10-0.
