By BILL O’REAR
By BILL O’REAR
Tribune-Herald sports editor
When the University of Hawaii at Hilo women’s softball team hits and pitches well, that’s usually good news for head coach Jaime Wallin.
On Monday at the Old Kona Airport Softball Field in Kailua-Kona, the happy-go-lucky Wallin was all smiles as the Vulcans swept Brigham Young University-Hawaii 6-1 and 3-0 in a Pacific West Conference doubleheader.
The Vulcans improved to 11-1 overall and 6-0 in the PacWest. The Seasiders slipped to 7-6 and 4-5, respectively.
“BYU-Hawaii is a much-improved team,” Wallin said. “We had to work hard and they kept fighting. But I thought both of our pitchers did a solid job today and we got a lot of production from our seniors — Bryanna Hardy, Nicole Alconcel and Aisha Sueda. They set the tone with their bats.
“If we can get that kind of consistent production from our seniors and our underclassmen step up like I think they can, we should be okay when we take on the better teams on our schedule.”
In the opener, senior Amber Waracka scattered eights hits while striking out 14 and walking one. “Amber did a good job, but she’s still capable of a better performance,” Wallin said. “She gave up four extra-base hits and then buckled down. Against the better teams, she’s going to have to be sharper and use all of her pitches effectively. Overall today and with only one day’s rest, she kept them off-balance.”
Sueda, a second baseman out of Hilo High School, had two hits, including a two-run triple, and drove in three runs to spark UHH’s 10-hit attack. Hardy and freshman Emily Greene each added two hits while the talented Alconcel ripped a two-run single.
Gabrielle Hawkins started and went the distance for BYUH and took the loss. She struck out eight and walked two.
In Game 2, senior Jessica Pepin flirted with a no-hitter until giving up a double in the seventh inning as UHH prevailed 3-0. The Seasiders threatened in the seventh with no outs before Waracka took over for Pepin and shutout the visitors. Pepin picked up the win, striking out five and walking two. Tiffany Frampton went all the way for BYUH and was tagged with the loss. She struck out two and walked four.
Sueda led the seven-hit UHH attack with three singles and drove in two runs. For the day, the hard-hitting Sueda had five hits and five RBIs to help fuel the sweep.
The Vulcans next host Academy of Art University in a noon doubleheader Friday at the UHH Softball Field.
Baseball
Cal Baptist defeated UHH 6-3 in a PacWest baseball game on Monday night at Wong Stadium.
The Lancers improved to 18-4 overall and 15-2 in the PacWest. The host Vulcans dropped to 4-14 and 1-9, respectively.
The teams play a doubleheader starting at 4 p.m. today at Wong, then play another single nine-inning game at 6 p.m. Wednesday to close the four-game series.
The Lancers had 12 hits in Monday’s win while the Vulcans banged out 11 hits. But the difference was the visitors left only six men on base, and UHH stranded 11.