March 17, 2006
Oklahoma Box ScoreHawaii Box ScoreHONOLULU, Hawaii. – The Longwood University softball team, playing in its second-straight tournament in Hawaii, split the first two games of the University of Hawaii Invitational Thursday in Honolulu. The Lancers defeated Big 12 Conference member Oklahoma State 10-7, before falling to host Hawaii, member of the Western Athletic Conference, 6-0. LU, who currently holds an 11-12 record, will face off against Northwestern (7:00 p.m. E.T.) and San Diego State (9:00 p.m. E.T) today on the second day of the invitational.
Against Oklahoma State, Longwood scored six runs on six hits in the top of the first inning to break the contest open. The inning was highlighted by a three-run triple by freshman third baseman Kori Bonnor/Round Hill (Loudoun Valley) that scored freshman designated player/pitcher Denee Porter/Glendale, Ariz. (Sandra Day O’Connor), senior second baseman Mallory Gordon/Powhatan (Powhatan) and senior first baseman Victoria Masters/Lake City, Fla. (Thomas University-Ga.).
The Lancers added a run in the top of the third to increase their lead to 7-0 when Bonnor singled to right field to score Gordon.
Oklahoma State broke-up Longwood’s shutout in the bottom half of the third, scoring one run. The Cowgirls added four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to then slice the Lances lead to 7-5.
Masters hit her third home run of the season in the top of the fifth inning to increase Longwood’s lead to 8-5, but Oklahoma State would not go away, scoring two runs in the bottom of the fifth to cut LU’s advantage to 8-7.
Sophomore shortstop Ryan Washington/Bealeton (Liberty) helped Longwood secure the victory when she hit a two-run home run in the top of the sixth that scored Caitlin Hooe/Richmond (Douglas Freeman).
Sophomore pitcher Rachel Mills/Quinton (New Kent County) earned the pitching victory for the Lancers, giving up seven runs on seven hits, while striking out one and walking one in 4.1 innings of work. Porter earned the save for Longwood, giving up no runs on two hits, while striking out one in 2.2 innings of action.
Against host Hawaii, pitcher Justine Smethurst threw a perfect game for the Rainbow Wahine. Smethurst threw 7.0 innings, striking out six while retiring all 21 batters in a row.
Hawaii broke-up the scoreless game in the bottom of the fourth, posting four runs. The inning was highlighted by a double to left center by Tyleen Tausaga that scored Clare Warwick and a triple to left field by Kristi Yoshizawa.
In the fifth, UH added two more runs when Kaulana Gould hit a two-run single, scoring both Warwick and Tausaga, making the score 6-0.
Mills took the loss for the Lancers, giving up four runs on three hits, while striking out one and walking one over four innings of work.
